diff --git a/src/rules/plugin-activation-args.ts b/src/rules/plugin-activation-args.ts
index 08e8552..e8e75d1 100644
--- a/src/rules/plugin-activation-args.ts
+++ b/src/rules/plugin-activation-args.ts
@@ -48,20 +48,22 @@ function extractFunctionInfo(
     | TSESTree.ArrowFunctionExpression
     | TSESTree.FunctionExpression
     | TSESTree.FunctionDeclaration
-): ActivateFunctionInfo {
-  const params = fn.params.filter(
-    (param): param is TSESTree.Identifier => param.type === 'Identifier'
-  );
-
-  const paramNames = params.map(param => param.name);
-
-  const paramTypes = params.map(param =>
-    param.type === 'Identifier' ? extractParameterType(param) : null
-  );
-
-  const paramNodes = params.map(param =>
-    param.type === 'Identifier' ? param : null
-  );
+): ActivateFunctionInfo | null {
+  const paramNames: string[] = [];
+  const paramTypes: (string | null)[] = [];
+  const paramNodes: (TSESTree.Identifier | null)[] = [];
+
+  for (const param of fn.params) {
+    const id = param.type === 'AssignmentPattern' ? param.left : param;
+    if (id.type !== 'Identifier') {
+      // A destructured parameter has no name to check, and a rest parameter
+      // has no fixed position, so leave those functions alone.
+      return null;
+    }
+    paramNames.push(id.name);
+    paramTypes.push(extractParameterType(id));
+    paramNodes.push(id);
+  }
 
   return {
     node,
diff --git a/tests/jupyter-plugin-activation-args.test.ts b/tests/jupyter-plugin-activation-args.test.ts
index 41ea761..52abc25 100644
--- a/tests/jupyter-plugin-activation-args.test.ts
+++ b/tests/jupyter-plugin-activation-args.test.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,33 @@ nonTypeAwareTester.run(
   'plugin-activation-args (non-type-aware)',
   pluginActivationArgs,
   {
-    valid: [],
+    valid: [
+      {
+        code: `
+          const plugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
+            id: 'test-plugin',
+            optional: [ITranslator],
+            activate: (app: JupyterFrontEnd, translator: ITranslator | null = null) => {}
+          };
+        `
+      },
+      {
+        code: `
+          const plugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
+            id: 'test-plugin',
+            activate: ({ commands }: JupyterFrontEnd) => {}
+          };
+        `
+      },
+      {
+        code: `
+          const plugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
+            id: 'test-plugin',
+            activate: (app: JupyterFrontEnd, ...rest: unknown[]) => {}
+          };
+        `
+      }
+    ],
     invalid: [
       // This same case is in valid cases for the type-aware tester
       {
@@ -650,6 +676,105 @@ ruleTester.run('plugin-activation-args', pluginActivationArgs, {
           activate: (app: JupyterFrontEnd) => {}
         };
       `
+    },
+    {
+      // Optional token with default null value
+      filename: 'tests/type-aware-fixture.ts',
+      code: `
+        import { ITranslator } from './fixtures/types';
+        const plugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
+          id: 'test-plugin',
+          optional: [ITranslator],
+          activate: (
+            app: JupyterFrontEnd,
+            translator: ITranslator | null = null
+          ) => {}
+        };
+      `
+    },
+    {
+      // Optional and required tokens with default values
+      filename: 'tests/type-aware-fixture.ts',
+      code: `
+        import { INotebookTracker, ITranslator } from './fixtures/types';
+        declare const defaultTracker: INotebookTracker;
+        const plugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
+          id: 'test-plugin',
+          requires: [INotebookTracker],
+          optional: [ITranslator],
+          activate: (
+            app: JupyterFrontEnd,
+            tracker: INotebookTracker = defaultTracker,
+            translator: ITranslator | null = null
+          ) => {}
+        };
+      `
+    },
+    {
+      // Method shorthand with default parameter
+      filename: 'tests/type-aware-fixture.ts',
+      code: `
+        import { ITranslator } from './fixtures/types';
+        const plugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
+          id: 'test-plugin',
+          optional: [ITranslator],
+          activate(
+            app: JupyterFrontEnd,
+            translator: ITranslator | null = null
+          ) {}
+        };
+      `
+    },
+    {
+      // Referenced activate function with default parameter
+      filename: 'tests/type-aware-fixture.ts',
+      code: `
+        import { ITranslator } from './fixtures/types';
+        function activate(
+          app: JupyterFrontEnd,
+          translator: ITranslator | null = null
+        ): void {}
+        const plugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
+          id: 'test-plugin',
+          optional: [ITranslator],
+          activate
+        };
+      `
+    },
+    {
+      // Destructured parameter in activate function is skipped
+      filename: 'tests/type-aware-fixture.ts',
+      code: `
+        const plugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
+          id: 'test-plugin',
+          activate: ({ commands }: JupyterFrontEnd) => {}
+        };
+      `
+    },
+    {
+      // Rest parameter in activate function is skipped
+      filename: 'tests/type-aware-fixture.ts',
+      code: `
+        const plugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
+          id: 'test-plugin',
+          activate: (app: JupyterFrontEnd, ...rest: unknown[]) => {}
+        };
+      `
+    },
+    {
+      // Destructured token parameter in activate function is skipped
+      filename: 'tests/type-aware-fixture.ts',
+      code: `
+        import { INotebookTracker } from './fixtures/types';
+        const plugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
+          id: 'test-plugin',
+          requires: [INotebookTracker],
+          activate: (
+            app: JupyterFrontEnd,
+            { currentWidget }: INotebookTracker
+          ) => {}
+        };
+      `
     }
   ],
 
@@ -1273,6 +1398,56 @@ ruleTester.run('plugin-activation-args', pluginActivationArgs, {
           data: { arg: 'invalidApp', allowedNames: '"app", "_app", "_"' }
         }
       ]
+    },
+    {
+      // Optional token with non-nullable default value
+      filename: 'tests/type-aware-fixture.ts',
+      code: `
+        import { ITranslator } from './fixtures/types';
+        declare const fallbackTranslator: ITranslator;
+        const plugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
+          id: 'test-plugin',
+          optional: [ITranslator],
+          activate: (
+            app: JupyterFrontEnd,
+            translator: ITranslator = fallbackTranslator
+          ) => {}
+        };
+      `,
+      errors: [
+        {
+          messageId: 'optionalNotNullable',
+          data: { arg: 'translator', type: 'ITranslator' }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      // Tokens in wrong order with default parameters
+      filename: 'tests/type-aware-fixture.ts',
+      code: `
+        import { INotebookTracker, IRenderMimeRegistry } from './fixtures/types';
+        declare const defaultTracker: INotebookTracker;
+        declare const defaultRenderMime: IRenderMimeRegistry;
+        const plugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
+          id: 'test-plugin',
+          requires: [INotebookTracker, IRenderMimeRegistry],
+          activate: (
+            app: JupyterFrontEnd,
+            rendermime: IRenderMimeRegistry = defaultRenderMime,
+            tracker: INotebookTracker = defaultTracker
+          ) => {}
+        };
+      `,
+      errors: [
+        {
+          messageId: 'mismatchedOrder',
+          data: { arg: 'rendermime' }
+        },
+        {
+          messageId: 'mismatchedOrder',
+          data: { arg: 'tracker' }
+        }
+      ]
     }
   ]
 });