Index: ship/ship.cpp
===================================================================
--- ship/ship.cpp	(revision 7936)
+++ ship/ship.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -1296,6 +1296,7 @@
 	int i, j, num_allowed;
 	int allowed_weapons[MAX_WEAPON_TYPES];
 	int pbank_capacity_count, sbank_capacity_count;
+	bool sbank_defaults_specified = false;
 	int rtn = 0;
 	char name_tmp[NAME_LENGTH];

@@ -2315,21 +2316,33 @@
 	}

 	// Get default secondary bank weapons
-
 	if(optional_string("$Default SBanks:"))
 	{
+		sbank_defaults_specified = true;
 		strcat_s(parse_error_text,"'s default secondary banks");
 		sip->num_secondary_banks = stuff_int_list(sip->secondary_bank_weapons, MAX_SHIP_SECONDARY_BANKS, WEAPON_LIST_TYPE);
 		strcpy_s(parse_error_text, temp_error);
+	}

-		// Get the capacity of each secondary bank
-		required_string("$SBank Capacity:");
+	//Get secondary bank capacities
+	if(optional_string("$SBank Capacity:"))
+	{
 		strcat_s(parse_error_text,"'s secondary banks capacities");
 		sbank_capacity_count = stuff_int_list(sip->secondary_bank_ammo_capacity, MAX_SHIP_SECONDARY_BANKS, RAW_INTEGER_TYPE);
 		strcpy_s(parse_error_text, temp_error);
-		if ( sbank_capacity_count != sip->num_secondary_banks )
+
+		//if defaults were specified, use them to double check number of secondary banks
+		if(sbank_defaults_specified)
+		{
+			if(sbank_capacity_count != sip->num_secondary_banks)
+			{
+				Warning(LOCATION, "Number of default secondary banks and number of bank capacities do not match for ship class %s... fix this!!", sip->name);
+			}
+		}
+		//otherwise, set the number of banks using the capacities
+		else
 		{
-			Warning(LOCATION, "Secondary bank capacities have not been completely specified for ship class %s... fix this!!", sip->name);
+			sip->num_secondary_banks = sbank_capacity_count;
 		}
 	}