diff --git a/cake/libs/model/model.php b/cake/libs/model/model.php
index c75de73f8..579b21489 100644
--- a/cake/libs/model/model.php
+++ b/cake/libs/model/model.php
@@ -1556,9 +1556,9 @@ class Model extends Overloadable {
  *
  * #### Options
  *
- * - validate: Set to false to disable validation, true to validate each record before
- *   saving, 'first' to validate *all* records before any are saved, or 'only' to only
- *   validate the records, but not save them.
+ * - validate: Set to false to disable validation, true to validate each record before saving,
+ *   'first' to validate *all* records before any are saved (default),
+ *   or 'only' to only validate the records, but not save them.
  * - atomic: If true (default), will attempt to save all records in a single transaction.
  *   Should be set to false if database/table does not support transactions.
  * - fieldList: Equivalent to the $fieldList parameter in Model::save()
@@ -1579,7 +1579,7 @@ class Model extends Overloadable {
 		}
 		$db =& ConnectionManager::getDataSource($this->useDbConfig);
 
-		$options = array_merge(array('validate' => true, 'atomic' => true), $options);
+		$options = array_merge(array('validate' => 'first', 'atomic' => true), $options);
 		$this->validationErrors = $validationErrors = array();
 		$validates = true;
 		$return = array();
@@ -1626,6 +1626,7 @@ class Model extends Overloadable {
 					break;
 					case ($options['validate'] === 'first'):
 						$options['validate'] = true;
+						$return = array();
 						continue;
 					break;
 					default:
@@ -1731,6 +1732,7 @@ class Model extends Overloadable {
 				break;
 				case ($options['validate'] === 'first'):
 					$options['validate'] = true;
+					$return = array();
 					continue;
 				break;
 				default:
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model_write.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model_write.test.php
index 8be8cb6da..5a06db1fc 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model_write.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/model/model_write.test.php
@@ -2871,7 +2871,8 @@ class ModelWriteTest extends BaseModelTest {
 				'title' => '',
 				'body' => 'Trying to get away with an empty title'
 			)
-		), array('atomic' => false));
+		), array('validate' => true, 'atomic' => false));
+
 		$this->assertIdentical($result, array(true, false));
 
 		$result = $TestModel->saveAll(array(
@@ -2887,7 +2888,7 @@ class ModelWriteTest extends BaseModelTest {
 					'published' => 'Y',
 					'user_id' => 2
 			))
-		), array('atomic' => false));
+		), array('validate' => true, 'atomic' => false));
 		$this->assertIdentical($result, array('Article' => true, 'Comment' => array(true, true)));
 	}
 
@@ -2985,7 +2986,7 @@ class ModelWriteTest extends BaseModelTest {
 			'Comment' => array(
 				array('comment' => '', 'published' => 'Y', 'user_id' => 1),
 			)
-		));
+		), array('validate' => true));
 		$expected = array('Comment' => array(false));
 		$this->assertEqual($result, $expected);
 
@@ -3318,7 +3319,7 @@ class ModelWriteTest extends BaseModelTest {
 				'title' => '',
 				'body' => 'Trying to get away with an empty title'
 		));
-		$result = $TestModel->saveAll($data, array('atomic' => false));
+		$result = $TestModel->saveAll($data, array('validate' => true, 'atomic' => false));
 		$this->assertEqual($result, array(true, false));
 		$result = $TestModel->find('all', array('recursive' => -1, 'order' => 'Post.id ASC'));
 		$errors = array(1 => array('title' => 'This field cannot be left blank'));