diff --git a/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/material/Material.java b/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/material/Material.java
index 73e103659..3de42e7fb 100644
--- a/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/material/Material.java
+++ b/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/material/Material.java
@@ -263,8 +263,14 @@ public class Material implements CloneableSmartAsset, Cloneable, Savable {
             // E.g. if user chose custom technique for one material but
             // uses default technique for other material, the materials
             // are not equal.
-            String thisDefName = this.technique != null ? this.technique.getDef().getName() : "Default";
-            String otherDefName = other.technique != null ? other.technique.getDef().getName() : "Default";
+            String thisDefName = this.technique != null
+                    ? this.technique.getDef().getName()
+                    : TechniqueDef.DEFAULT_TECHNIQUE_NAME;
+
+            String otherDefName = other.technique != null
+                    ? other.technique.getDef().getName()
+                    : TechniqueDef.DEFAULT_TECHNIQUE_NAME;
+
             if (!thisDefName.equals(otherDefName)) {
                 return false;
             }
@@ -693,23 +699,18 @@ public class Material implements CloneableSmartAsset, Cloneable, Savable {
     /**
      * Select the technique to use for rendering this material.
      * <p>
-     * If <code>name</code> is "Default", then one of the
-     * {@link MaterialDef#getDefaultTechniques() default techniques}
-     * on the material will be selected. Otherwise, the named technique
-     * will be found in the material definition.
-     * <p>
      * Any candidate technique for selection (either default or named)
      * must be verified to be compatible with the system, for that, the
      * <code>renderManager</code> is queried for capabilities.
      *
-     * @param name The name of the technique to select, pass "Default" to
-     * select one of the default techniques.
+     * @param name The name of the technique to select, pass
+     * {@link TechniqueDef#DEFAULT_TECHNIQUE_NAME} to select one of the default
+     * techniques.
      * @param renderManager The {@link RenderManager render manager}
      * to query for capabilities.
      *
-     * @throws IllegalArgumentException If "Default" is passed and no default
-     * techniques are available on the material definition, or if a name
-     * is passed but there's no technique by that name.
+     * @throws IllegalArgumentException If no technique exists with the given
+     * name.
      * @throws UnsupportedOperationException If no candidate technique supports
      * the system capabilities.
      */
@@ -839,7 +840,7 @@ public class Material implements CloneableSmartAsset, Cloneable, Savable {
      */
     public void preload(RenderManager renderManager) {
         if (technique == null) {
-            selectTechnique("Default", renderManager);
+            selectTechnique(TechniqueDef.DEFAULT_TECHNIQUE_NAME, renderManager);
         }
         TechniqueDef techniqueDef = technique.getDef();
         Renderer renderer = renderManager.getRenderer();
@@ -939,7 +940,7 @@ public class Material implements CloneableSmartAsset, Cloneable, Savable {
      */
     public void render(Geometry geometry, LightList lights, RenderManager renderManager) {
         if (technique == null) {
-            selectTechnique("Default", renderManager);
+            selectTechnique(TechniqueDef.DEFAULT_TECHNIQUE_NAME, renderManager);
         }
         
         TechniqueDef techniqueDef = technique.getDef();
diff --git a/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/material/TechniqueDef.java b/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/material/TechniqueDef.java
index c954a1469..d5a593878 100644
--- a/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/material/TechniqueDef.java
+++ b/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/material/TechniqueDef.java
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@ public class TechniqueDef implements Savable {
      */
     public static final int SAVABLE_VERSION = 1;
 
+    /**
+     * The default technique name.
+     *
+     * The technique with this name is selected if no specific technique is
+     * requested by the user. Currently set to "Default".
+     */
+    public static final String DEFAULT_TECHNIQUE_NAME = "Default";
+
     /**
      * Describes light rendering mode.
      */
@@ -132,7 +140,7 @@ public class TechniqueDef implements Savable {
     public TechniqueDef(String name, int sortId){
         this();
         this.sortId = sortId;
-        this.name = name == null ? "Default" : name;
+        this.name = name == null ? TechniqueDef.DEFAULT_TECHNIQUE_NAME : name;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -157,7 +165,8 @@ public class TechniqueDef implements Savable {
 
     /**
      * Returns the name of this technique as specified in the J3MD file.
-     * Default techniques have the name "Default".
+     * Default
+     * techniques have the name {@link #DEFAULT_TECHNIQUE_NAME}.
      *
      * @return the name of this technique
      */
diff --git a/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/renderer/RenderManager.java b/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/renderer/RenderManager.java
index bdfe33fd6..f250b2f65 100644
--- a/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/renderer/RenderManager.java
+++ b/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/renderer/RenderManager.java
@@ -582,7 +582,9 @@ public class RenderManager {
         if (forcedTechnique != null) {
             MaterialDef matDef = g.getMaterial().getMaterialDef();
             if (matDef.getTechniqueDefs(forcedTechnique) != null) {
-                tmpTech = g.getMaterial().getActiveTechnique() != null ? g.getMaterial().getActiveTechnique().getDef().getName() : "Default";
+                tmpTech = g.getMaterial().getActiveTechnique() != null
+                        ? g.getMaterial().getActiveTechnique().getDef().getName()
+                        : TechniqueDef.DEFAULT_TECHNIQUE_NAME;
                 g.getMaterial().selectTechnique(forcedTechnique, this);
                 //saving forcedRenderState for future calls
                 RenderState tmpRs = forcedRenderState;
diff --git a/jme3-core/src/test/java/com/jme3/renderer/OpaqueComparatorTest.java b/jme3-core/src/test/java/com/jme3/renderer/OpaqueComparatorTest.java
index 84555c9f6..ee4d279fd 100644
--- a/jme3-core/src/test/java/com/jme3/renderer/OpaqueComparatorTest.java
+++ b/jme3-core/src/test/java/com/jme3/renderer/OpaqueComparatorTest.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ package com.jme3.renderer;
 
 import com.jme3.asset.AssetManager;
 import com.jme3.material.Material;
+import com.jme3.material.TechniqueDef;
 import com.jme3.math.ColorRGBA;
 import com.jme3.renderer.queue.GeometryList;
 import com.jme3.renderer.queue.OpaqueComparator;
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ public class OpaqueComparatorTest {
                     String techniqueName = materials[i].getActiveTechnique().getDef().getName();
                     clonedMaterial.selectTechnique(techniqueName, renderManager);
                 } else {
-                    clonedMaterial.selectTechnique("Default", renderManager);
+                    clonedMaterial.selectTechnique(TechniqueDef.DEFAULT_TECHNIQUE_NAME, renderManager);
                 }
                 
                 geom.setMaterial(clonedMaterial);
@@ -156,7 +157,7 @@ public class OpaqueComparatorTest {
         Material lightingMatGlow = new Material(assetManager, "Common/MatDefs/Light/Lighting.j3md");
         
         lightingMatDefault.setName("TechDefault");
-        lightingMatDefault.selectTechnique("Default", renderManager);
+        lightingMatDefault.selectTechnique(TechniqueDef.DEFAULT_TECHNIQUE_NAME, renderManager);
         
         lightingPostShadow.setName("TechPostShad");
         lightingPostShadow.selectTechnique("PostShadow", renderManager);
@@ -272,7 +273,7 @@ public class OpaqueComparatorTest {
         tex2.getImage().setId(3);
         
         matBase1.setName("BASE");
-        matBase1.selectTechnique("Default", renderManager);
+        matBase1.selectTechnique(TechniqueDef.DEFAULT_TECHNIQUE_NAME, renderManager);
         matBase1.setBoolean("UseVertexColor", true);
         matBase1.setTexture("DiffuseMap", texBase);
         
diff --git a/jme3-core/src/tools/java/jme3tools/shadercheck/ShaderCheck.java b/jme3-core/src/tools/java/jme3tools/shadercheck/ShaderCheck.java
index e409caa53..98d379b38 100644
--- a/jme3-core/src/tools/java/jme3tools/shadercheck/ShaderCheck.java
+++ b/jme3-core/src/tools/java/jme3tools/shadercheck/ShaderCheck.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public class ShaderCheck {
         MaterialDef def = (MaterialDef) assetManager.loadAsset(matdefName);
         EnumSet<Caps> rendererCaps = EnumSet.noneOf(Caps.class);
         rendererCaps.add(Caps.GLSL100);
-        for (TechniqueDef techDef : def.getTechniqueDefs("Default")) {
+        for (TechniqueDef techDef : def.getTechniqueDefs(TechniqueDef.DEFAULT_TECHNIQUE_NAME)) {
             DefineList defines = techDef.createDefineList();
             Shader shader = techDef.getShader(assetManager, rendererCaps, defines);
             for (Validator validator : validators) {
diff --git a/jme3-examples/src/main/java/jme3test/material/TestShaderNodes.java b/jme3-examples/src/main/java/jme3test/material/TestShaderNodes.java
index 3b8088223..a580f54ed 100644
--- a/jme3-examples/src/main/java/jme3test/material/TestShaderNodes.java
+++ b/jme3-examples/src/main/java/jme3test/material/TestShaderNodes.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package jme3test.material;
 import com.jme3.app.SimpleApplication;
 import com.jme3.material.Material;
 import com.jme3.material.Technique;
+import com.jme3.material.TechniqueDef;
 import com.jme3.math.ColorRGBA;
 import com.jme3.scene.Geometry;
 import com.jme3.scene.shape.Box;
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ public class TestShaderNodes extends SimpleApplication {
         Texture tex = assetManager.loadTexture("Interface/Logo/Monkey.jpg");
 
         Material mat = new Material(assetManager, "Common/MatDefs/Misc/UnshadedNodes.j3md");
-        mat.selectTechnique("Default", renderManager);
+        mat.selectTechnique(TechniqueDef.DEFAULT_TECHNIQUE_NAME, renderManager);
         Technique t = mat.getActiveTechnique();
 
 //        for (Shader.ShaderSource shaderSource : t.getShader().getSources()) {