diff --git a/cake/dispatcher.php b/cake/dispatcher.php
index 76661426b..4741aa290 100644
--- a/cake/dispatcher.php
+++ b/cake/dispatcher.php
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ class Dispatcher extends Object {
 			}
 		}
 
-		if (defined('CACHE_CHECK') && CACHE_CHECK === true) {
+		if (Configure::read('Cache.check') === true) {
 			$filename = CACHE . 'views' . DS . convertSlash($url) . '.php';
 			if (!file_exists($filename)) {
 				$filename = CACHE . 'views' . DS . convertSlash($url) . '_index.php';
diff --git a/cake/libs/model/model.php b/cake/libs/model/model.php
index 2a00cc4f1..454e08e4b 100644
--- a/cake/libs/model/model.php
+++ b/cake/libs/model/model.php
@@ -264,6 +264,12 @@ class Model extends Overloadable {
  * @var mixed
  */
 	var $order = null;
+/**
+ * whether or not the model record exists, set by Model::exists()
+ *
+ * @var bool
+ */
+	var $__exists = null;
 /**
  * Default association keys
  *
@@ -1066,6 +1072,7 @@ class Model extends Overloadable {
 				}
 			}
 		}
+
 		$exists = $this->exists();
 
 		if (!$exists && $this->hasField('created') && !in_array('created', $fields) && ($whitelist && in_array('created', $fieldList) || !$whitelist)) {
@@ -1250,6 +1257,7 @@ class Model extends Overloadable {
 				$this->afterDelete();
 				$this->_clearCache();
 				$this->id = false;
+				$this->__exists = null;
 				return true;
 			}
 		}
@@ -1349,13 +1357,17 @@ class Model extends Overloadable {
 /**
  * Returns true if a record with set id exists.
  *
+ * @param boolean $reset if true will force database query
  * @return boolean True if such a record exists
  */
-	function exists() {
+	function exists($reset = false) {
 		if ($this->getID() === false) {
 			return false;
 		}
-		return ($this->findCount(array($this->name . '.' . $this->primaryKey => $this->getID()), -1) > 0);
+		if ($this->__exists !== null && $reset !== true) {
+			return $this->__exists;
+		}
+		return $this->__exists = ($this->findCount(array($this->name . '.' . $this->primaryKey => $this->getID()), -1) > 0);
 	}
 /**
  * Returns true if a record that meets given conditions exists
@@ -1705,6 +1717,7 @@ class Model extends Overloadable {
 		}
 
 		$Validation = new Validation();
+		$exists = $this->exists();
 
 		foreach ($this->validate as $fieldName => $ruleSet) {
 			if (!is_array($ruleSet) || (is_array($ruleSet) && isset($ruleSet['rule']))) {
@@ -1729,9 +1742,8 @@ class Model extends Overloadable {
 				if (isset($validator['message'])) {
 					$message = $validator['message'];
 				} else {
-					$message = __('This field cannot be left blank',true);
+					$message = __('This field cannot be left blank', true);
 				}
-				$exists = $this->exists();
 
 				if (empty($validator['on']) || ($validator['on'] == 'create' && !$exists) || ($validator['on'] == 'update' && $exists)) {
 					if ((!isset($data[$fieldName]) && $validator['required'] === true) || (isset($data[$fieldName]) && (empty($data[$fieldName]) && !is_numeric($data[$fieldName])) && $validator['allowEmpty'] === false)) {
@@ -2084,19 +2096,17 @@ class Model extends Overloadable {
 /**
  * Private method.  Clears cache for this model
  *
- * @param string $type If null this deletes cached views if CACHE_CHECK is true
+ * @param string $type If null this deletes cached views if Cache.check is true
  *                     Will be used to allow deleting query cache also
  * @return boolean true on delete
  */
 	function _clearCache($type = null) {
 		if ($type === null) {
-			if (defined('CACHE_CHECK') && CACHE_CHECK === true) {
+			if (Configure::read('Cache.check') === true) {
 				$assoc[] = strtolower(Inflector::pluralize($this->name));
-
 				foreach ($this->__associations as $key => $association) {
 					foreach ($this->$association as $key => $className) {
 						$check = strtolower(Inflector::pluralize($className['className']));
-
 						if (!in_array($check, $assoc)) {
 							$assoc[] = strtolower(Inflector::pluralize($className['className']));
 						}
diff --git a/cake/libs/view/view.php b/cake/libs/view/view.php
index 75864939b..5c1cbab99 100644
--- a/cake/libs/view/view.php
+++ b/cake/libs/view/view.php
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ class View extends Object {
 			if ($out !== false) {
 				if ($this->layout && $this->autoLayout) {
 					$out = $this->renderLayout($out);
-					if (isset($this->loaded['cache']) && (($this->cacheAction != false)) && (defined('CACHE_CHECK') && CACHE_CHECK === true)) {
+					if (isset($this->loaded['cache']) && (($this->cacheAction != false)) && (Configure::read('Cache.check') === true)) {
 						$replace = array('<cake:nocache>', '</cake:nocache>');
 						$out = str_replace($replace, '', $out);
 					}
@@ -780,7 +780,7 @@ class View extends Object {
 
 		$out = ob_get_clean();
 
-		if (isset($this->loaded['cache']) && (($this->cacheAction != false)) && (defined('CACHE_CHECK') && CACHE_CHECK === true)) {
+		if (isset($this->loaded['cache']) && (($this->cacheAction != false)) && (Configure::read('Cache.check') === true)) {
 			if (is_a($this->loaded['cache'], 'CacheHelper')) {
 				$cache =& $this->loaded['cache'];
 
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model.test.php
index 889a7779e..e30b7c0f6 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model.test.php
@@ -435,6 +435,9 @@ class Item extends CakeTestModel {
 	var $belongsTo = array('Syfile');
 	var $hasAndBelongsToMany = array('Portfolio');
 }
+class ItemsPortfolio extends CakeTestModel {
+	var $name = 'ItemsPortfolio';
+}
 class Syfile extends CakeTestModel {
 	var $name = 'Syfile';
 	var $belongsTo = array('Image');