diff --git a/lib/Cake/Model/ModelValidator.php b/lib/Cake/Model/ModelValidator.php
index 37d66548e..86f0f1627 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Model/ModelValidator.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Model/ModelValidator.php
@@ -311,13 +311,12 @@ class ModelValidator {
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		if (!empty($this->_validate) && $this->_validate === $this->_model->validate) {
+		if ($this->_validate === $this->_model->validate) {
 			return true;
 		}
 
 		$this->_validate = $this->_model->validate;
 		$this->_processWhitelist();
-
 		$this->_fields = array();
 		$methods = $this->getMethods();
 		foreach ($this->_validate as $fieldName => $ruleSet) {
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Model/Validator/CakeRule.php b/lib/Cake/Model/Validator/CakeRule.php
index 3af2591dd..97eff77f0 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Model/Validator/CakeRule.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Model/Validator/CakeRule.php
@@ -171,12 +171,13 @@ class CakeRule {
  * @return boolean
  */
 	public function checkRequired(&$data) {
-		$required = !isset($data[$this->_field]) && $this->required === true;
-		$required = $required || (
-			isset($this->data[$this->_field]) && (empty($data[$this->_field]) &&
-			!is_numeric($data[$this->_field])) && $this->allowEmpty === false
+		return (
+			(!isset($data[$this->_field]) && $this->required === true) ||
+			(
+				isset($data[$this->_field]) && (empty($data[$this->_field]) &&
+				!is_numeric($data[$this->_field])) && $this->allowEmpty === false
+			)
 		);
-		return $required;
 	}
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/ModelValidationTest.php b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/ModelValidationTest.php
index 97f52953a..c60492095 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/ModelValidationTest.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Model/ModelValidationTest.php
@@ -346,8 +346,6 @@ class ModelValidationTest extends BaseModelTest {
 		$this->assertEquals($data, $result);
 		$result = $TestModel->validates();
 		$this->assertTrue($result);
-		$result = $Validator->validates();
-		$this->assertTrue($result);
 
 		$data = array('TestValidate' => array(
 			'user_id' => '1',
@@ -517,8 +515,6 @@ class ModelValidationTest extends BaseModelTest {
 			'title' => array('tooShort')
 		);
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
-		$result = $Validator->validates();
-		$this->assertFalse($result);
 
 		$TestModel->validate = array(
 			'title' => array(
@@ -540,8 +536,6 @@ class ModelValidationTest extends BaseModelTest {
 			'title' => array('tooShort', 'onlyLetters')
 		);
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
-		$result = $Validator->validates();
-		$this->assertFalse($result);
 		$result = $TestModel->validationErrors;
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result);
 	}