diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Loader/YamlFileLoader.php b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Loader/YamlFileLoader.php
index 2db8d5e972..a900e0b23f 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Loader/YamlFileLoader.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Loader/YamlFileLoader.php
@@ -215,7 +215,8 @@ class YamlFileLoader extends FileLoader
     private function parseDefinition($id, $service, $file, array $defaults)
     {
         if (is_string($service) && 0 === strpos($service, '@')) {
-            $this->container->setAlias($id, substr($service, 1));
+            $public = isset($defaults['public']) ? $defaults['public'] : true;
+            $this->container->setAlias($id, new Alias(substr($service, 1), $public));
 
             return;
         }
@@ -231,7 +232,7 @@ class YamlFileLoader extends FileLoader
         static::checkDefinition($id, $service, $file);
 
         if (isset($service['alias'])) {
-            $public = array_key_exists('public', $service) ? (bool) $service['public'] : !empty($defaults['public']);
+            $public = array_key_exists('public', $service) ? (bool) $service['public'] : (isset($defaults['public']) ? $defaults['public'] : true);
             $this->container->setAlias($id, new Alias($service['alias'], $public));
 
             foreach ($service as $key => $value) {
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Fixtures/yaml/services28.yml b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Fixtures/yaml/services28.yml
index 85f6d145cd..6543a101ed 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Fixtures/yaml/services28.yml
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Fixtures/yaml/services28.yml
@@ -34,3 +34,8 @@ services:
         inherit_tags: true
         tags:
             - name: baz
+
+    with_defaults_aliased:
+        alias: with_defaults
+
+    with_defaults_aliased_short: '@with_defaults'
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Fixtures/yaml/services6.yml b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Fixtures/yaml/services6.yml
index dbd7b88f68..5f22bc1cae 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Fixtures/yaml/services6.yml
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Fixtures/yaml/services6.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ services:
         calls:
             - [ setBar, [ foo, '@foo', [true, false] ] ]
     alias_for_foo: '@foo'
+    another_third_alias_for_foo:
+        alias: foo
     another_alias_for_foo:
         alias: foo
         public: false
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Loader/YamlFileLoaderTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Loader/YamlFileLoaderTest.php
index 3d42ac3442..ab7a42e8af 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Loader/YamlFileLoaderTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Loader/YamlFileLoaderTest.php
@@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ class YamlFileLoaderTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $this->assertTrue(isset($aliases['another_alias_for_foo']));
         $this->assertEquals('foo', (string) $aliases['another_alias_for_foo']);
         $this->assertFalse($aliases['another_alias_for_foo']->isPublic());
+        $this->assertTrue(isset($aliases['another_third_alias_for_foo']));
+        $this->assertEquals('foo', (string) $aliases['another_third_alias_for_foo']);
+        $this->assertTrue($aliases['another_third_alias_for_foo']->isPublic());
 
         $this->assertEquals(array('decorated', null, 0), $services['decorator_service']->getDecoratedService());
         $this->assertEquals(array('decorated', 'decorated.pif-pouf', 0), $services['decorator_service_with_name']->getDecoratedService());
@@ -362,6 +365,9 @@ class YamlFileLoaderTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $this->assertSame(array('foo' => array(array())), $container->getDefinition('with_defaults')->getTags());
         $this->assertTrue($container->getDefinition('with_defaults')->isAutowired());
 
+        $this->assertFalse($container->getAlias('with_defaults_aliased')->isPublic());
+        $this->assertFalse($container->getAlias('with_defaults_aliased_short')->isPublic());
+
         $this->assertArrayNotHasKey('public', $container->getDefinition('no_defaults_child')->getChanges());
         $this->assertArrayNotHasKey('autowire', $container->getDefinition('no_defaults_child')->getChanges());