diff --git a/python/core/qgsfeature.sip b/python/core/qgsfeature.sip
index 39b14db2649..8350b418fc7 100644
--- a/python/core/qgsfeature.sip
+++ b/python/core/qgsfeature.sip
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ class QgsFeature
  @note added in QGIS 3.0
 %End
 
-    void setFields( const QgsFields &fields, bool initAttributes = true );
+    void setFields( const QgsFields &fields, bool initAttributes = true  );
 %Docstring
  Assign a field map with the feature to allow attribute access by attribute name.
   @param fields The attribute fields which this feature holds
@@ -437,6 +437,7 @@ typedef QMap<qint64, QMap<int, QVariant> > QgsChangedAttributesMap;
 
 typedef QMap<qint64, QgsGeometry> QgsGeometryMap;
 
+
 typedef QSet<qint64> QgsFeatureIds;
 
 typedef QList<QgsFeature> QgsFeatureList;
diff --git a/scripts/sipify.pl b/scripts/sipify.pl
index 26e44ca98d3..b2681f64535 100755
--- a/scripts/sipify.pl
+++ b/scripts/sipify.pl
@@ -287,6 +287,8 @@ while(!eof $header){
     $line =~ s/\bSIP_TRANSFERBACK\b/\/TransferBack\//;
 
     $line =~ s/SIP_PYNAME\(\s*(\w+)\s*\)/\/PyName=$1\//;
+    $line =~ s/(\w+)(\<(?>[^<>]|(?2))*\>)?\s+SIP_PYTYPE\(\s*\'?([^()']+)(\(\s*(?:[^()]++|(?2))*\s*\))?\'?\s*\)/$3/g;
+    $line =~ s/=\s+[^=]*?\s+SIP_PYDEFAULTVALUE\(\s*\'?([^()']+)(\(\s*(?:[^()]++|(?2))*\s*\))?\'?\s*\)/= $1/g;
 
     # fix astyle placing space after % character
     $line =~ s/\s*% (MappedType|TypeHeaderCode|ConvertFromTypeCode|ConvertToTypeCode|MethodCode|End)/%$1/;
diff --git a/src/core/qgis.h b/src/core/qgis.h
index be3d9593da0..4a13a419f37 100644
--- a/src/core/qgis.h
+++ b/src/core/qgis.h
@@ -437,3 +437,13 @@ typedef unsigned long long qgssize;
   * discard line
   */
 #define SIP_SKIP
+
+/**
+  * specify an alternative type for SIP methods
+  */
+#define SIP_PYTYPE(type)
+
+/**
+  * specify an alternative default value for SIP methods
+  */
+#define SIP_PYDEFAULTVALUE(value)
diff --git a/src/core/qgsfeature.h b/src/core/qgsfeature.h
index 205847ad420..5d828a6d704 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsfeature.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsfeature.h
@@ -352,11 +352,7 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsFeature
      * @note added in QGIS 2.9
      * @see fields
      */
-#ifndef SIP_RUN
-    void setFields( const QgsFields &fields, bool initAttributes = false );
-#else
-    void setFields( const QgsFields &fields, bool initAttributes = true );
-#endif
+    void setFields( const QgsFields &fields, bool initAttributes = false SIP_PYDEFAULTVALUE( true ) );
 
     /** Returns the field map associated with the feature.
      * @see setFields
@@ -518,6 +514,7 @@ typedef QMap<QgsFeatureId, QgsGeometry> QgsGeometryMap;
 typedef QMap<qint64, QgsGeometry> QgsGeometryMap;
 #endif
 
+
 #ifndef SIP_RUN
 typedef QSet<QgsFeatureId> QgsFeatureIds;
 #else
diff --git a/tests/scripts/sipifyheader.expected.sip b/tests/scripts/sipifyheader.expected.sip
index 002a77de4d4..ae392b15f0d 100644
--- a/tests/scripts/sipifyheader.expected.sip
+++ b/tests/scripts/sipifyheader.expected.sip
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@
 
 typedef qint64 QgsFeatureId;
 
+typedef QSet<qint64 > QgsFeatureIds;
+typedef QMap<qint64 , QMap<int, QVariant>> QgsChangedAttributesMap;
+typedef QMap<qint64, QMap<int, QVariant> > QgsChangedAttributesMap;
+typedef QMap<qint64, QMap<int, QVariant>> QgsChangedAttributesMap;
+
 typedef QVector<QVariant> QgsSuperClass;
 
 %MappedType QgsSuperClass
@@ -81,6 +86,15 @@ Factory annotation
 
     void setDiagramRenderer( QgsDiagramRenderer *r /Transfer/ );
 
+    void differentDefaultValue( bool defaultValue = false , QWidget *parent = 0, QString msg = "hello"  );
+
+    void differentType( QList<qint64>  &list );
+
+    void complexDefaultValueAndType( QList<QPair<qint64 , QMap<int, QString>>> list = QList<QPair<qint64, QMap<int, QString>>> );
+%Docstring
+complex default value and type (i.e. containing commas) should be given as a string with single quotes
+%End
+
     inlineKeyWordShouldNotAppear();
 
     QString labelForRange( double lower, double upper ) const /PyName=labelForLowerUpper/;
diff --git a/tests/scripts/sipifyheader.h b/tests/scripts/sipifyheader.h
index d8bf232c849..d6d3e7ea08b 100644
--- a/tests/scripts/sipifyheader.h
+++ b/tests/scripts/sipifyheader.h
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ typedef qint64 QgsFeatureId;
 typedef WhatEver ShouldNotBeDisplayed;
 #endif
 
+typedef QSet<QgsFeatureId SIP_PYTYPE( qint64 )> QgsFeatureIds;
+typedef QMap<QgsFeatureId SIP_PYTYPE( qint64 ), QgsAttributeMap SIP_PYTYPE( 'QMap<int, QVariant>' )> QgsChangedAttributesMap;
+typedef QMap<QgsFeatureId, QgsAttributeMap> SIP_PYTYPE( 'QMap<qint64, QMap<int, QVariant> >' ) QgsChangedAttributesMap;
+typedef QMap<QgsFeatureId, QPair<QMap<Something, Complex> >>  SIP_PYTYPE( 'QMap<qint64, QMap<int, QVariant>>' ) QgsChangedAttributesMap;
+
 /** \ingroup core
  * A super QGIS class
  */
@@ -118,6 +123,13 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsSipifyHeader : public QtClass<QVariant>, private QgsBaseCla
 
     void setDiagramRenderer( QgsDiagramRenderer *r SIP_TRANSFER );
 
+    void differentDefaultValue( bool defaultValue = true SIP_PYDEFAULTVALUE( false ), QWidget *parent = nullptr, QString msg = QString() SIP_PYDEFAULTVALUE( "hello" ) );
+
+    void differentType( QList<QgsFeatureId> SIP_PYTYPE( QList<qint64> ) &list );
+
+    //! complex default value and type (i.e. containing commas) should be given as a string with single quotes
+    void complexDefaultValueAndType( QList<QPair<QgsFeatureId SIP_PYTYPE( qint64 ), QMap<int, QString>>> list = QList<QPair<QgsFeatureId, QMap<int, QString>>>() SIP_PYDEFAULTVALUE( 'QList<QPair<qint64, QMap<int, QString>>>()' ) );
+
     inline inlineKeyWordShouldNotAppear();
 
     QString labelForRange( double lower, double upper ) const SIP_PYNAME( labelForLowerUpper );