As shown here there is a workaround which probably just needs to make it into documentation. The requested behavior is not even theoretically possible.

An implementation of JENKINS-27295 using a parameters virtual map could be designed to check for default values in ParametersDefinitionProperty even for keys not mentioned in ParametersAction, which would allow this to work on the first build:

properties([[$class: 'ParametersDefinitionProperty', parameterDefinitions: [[$class: 'StringParameterDefinition', name: 'mode', defaultValue: 'normal']]]])
assert parameters.mode == 'normal'

Hey jglick, your workaround sort of fixes this for initial runs, but it fails when a Jenkinsfile "properties" has changed (maybe from a merge) and a subsequent run will use the old properties. This can cause jobs to fail or have undesired results. I imagine, based on the tutorials I've viewed and my own Jenkinsfile, that properties will likely always come at the beginning of the pipeline. So if the properties function could return a map, I think this would be much more straightforward, rather than injecting them into the binding (not a big Groovy user, but I think that's what it's doing).

it fails when a Jenkinsfile "properties" has changed […] and a subsequent run will use the old properties

When properties is run, it changes the properties for the job. In the case of build parameters, these are consulted before the build starts, thus use the parameters defined as of the previous build. This issue is about allowing params to pay attention to the current definition.

Code changed in jenkins
User: Jesse Glick
Path:
src/main/java/org/jenkinsci/plugins/workflow/cps/ParamsVariable.java
src/main/resources/org/jenkinsci/plugins/workflow/cps/ParamsVariable/help.jelly
http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/workflow-cps-plugin/0161aecc2877ec4c7086c1bce7d0c69f42e6c267
Log:
[FIXED JENKINS-35698] Make params offer default parameter values from the current definition as a fallback.

Code changed in jenkins
User: Jesse Glick
Path:
pom.xml
src/test/java/org/jenkinsci/plugins/workflow/multibranch/JobPropertyStepTest.java
http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/workflow-multibranch-plugin/9acfbdf2144180a7ff2a03efc43f484f157a161b
Log:
JENKINS-35698 Integration test for params fallback behavior.

Code changed in jenkins
User: Jesse Glick
Path:
pom.xml
src/test/java/org/jenkinsci/plugins/workflow/multibranch/JobPropertyStepTest.java
http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/workflow-multibranch-plugin/56d24dcc10d6decfb6fc2904216543851adb82b4
Log:
Merge pull request #36 from jglick/params-default-JENKINS-35698

JENKINS-35698 Integration test for params fallback behavior

Compare: https://github.com/jenkinsci/workflow-multibranch-plugin/compare/3f1a413631dc...56d24dcc10d6

What version of the plugins is this fixed in? This still seems to be a problem.

We're using the following plugins:

ace-editor:1.1
active-directory:2.0
ant:1.4
antisamy-markup-formatter:1.5
artifactory:2.8.1
authentication-tokens:1.3
aws-credentials:1.16
aws-java-sdk:1.11.37
bouncycastle-api:2.16.0
branch-api:1.11.1
build-timeout:1.18
cloudbees-folder:5.13
cobertura:1.9.8
conditional-buildstep:1.3.5
config-file-provider:2.13
credentials:2.1.10
credentials-binding:1.10
cucumber-testresult-plugin:0.9.7
datadog:0.5.5
display-url-api:0.5
docker-commons:1.5
docker-custom-build-environment:1.6.5
docker-workflow:1.9.1
durable-task:1.12
ec2:1.36
email-ext:2.52
embeddable-build-status:1.9
envinject:1.93.1
external-monitor-job:1.6
git:3.0.1
git-client:2.1.0
github:1.24.0
github-api:1.80
github-branch-source:1.10.1
github-organization-folder:1.5
git-server:1.7
global-build-stats:1.4
gradle:1.25
handlebars:1.1.1
htmlpublisher:1.11
icon-shim:2.0.3
ivy:1.26
jackson2-api:2.7.3
javadoc:1.4
jquery-detached:1.2.1
junit:1.19
ldap:1.13
mailer:1.18
mapdb-api:1.0.9.0
matrix-auth:1.4
matrix-project:1.7.1
maven-plugin:2.14
momentjs:1.1.1
node-iterator-api:1.5
pam-auth:1.3
parallel-test-executor:1.9
parameterized-trigger:2.32
pipeline-build-step:2.4
pipeline-graph-analysis:1.2
pipeline-input-step:2.5
pipeline-milestone-step:1.2
pipeline-rest-api:2.3
pipeline-stage-step:2.2
pipeline-stage-view:2.3
plain-credentials:1.3
resource-disposer:0.3
run-condition:1.0
scm-api:1.3
script-security:1.24
slack:2.1
ssh-agent:1.13
ssh-credentials:1.12
ssh-slaves:1.11
structs:1.5
subversion:2.7.1
swarm:2.2
timestamper:1.8.7
token-macro:2.0
windows-slaves:1.2
workflow-aggregator:2.4
workflow-api:2.6
workflow-basic-steps:2.3
workflow-cps:2.23
workflow-cps-global-lib:2.5
workflow-durable-task-step:2.5
workflow-job:2.9
workflow-multibranch:2.9.2
workflow-scm-step:2.3
workflow-step-api:2.5
workflow-support:2.11
ws-cleanup:0.32

workflow-cps 2.19. ahuntpindrop please do not reopen. If you believe you have found a bug, file separately with complete, self-contained steps to reproduce from scratch.

jglick Thank you for your response. https://issues.jenkins-ci.org/browse/JENKINS-40235

This seems identical to this ticket and JENKINS-37330. In fact, I just copied the example from that one.