diff --git a/lib/document.js b/lib/document.js
index 577c1540a68..d61789fe69a 100644
--- a/lib/document.js
+++ b/lib/document.js
@@ -1413,9 +1413,13 @@ function _getPathsToValidate(doc) {
     len = subdocs.length;
     for (i = 0; i < len; ++i) {
       subdoc = subdocs[i];
-      if (subdoc.$isSingleNested &&
-          doc.isModified(subdoc.$basePath) &&
+      if (doc.isModified(subdoc.$basePath) &&
           !doc.isDirectModified(subdoc.$basePath)) {
+        // Remove child paths for now, because we'll be validating the whole
+        // subdoc
+        paths = paths.filter(function(p) {
+          return p != null && p.indexOf(subdoc.$basePath + '.') !== 0;
+        });
         paths.push(subdoc.$basePath);
       }
     }
@@ -1499,8 +1503,8 @@ Document.prototype.$__validate = function(callback) {
     });
   }
 
-  var validating = {},
-      total = 0;
+  var validated = {};
+  var total = 0;
 
   var complete = function() {
     var error = _complete();
@@ -1513,11 +1517,11 @@ Document.prototype.$__validate = function(callback) {
   };
 
   var validatePath = function(path) {
-    if (validating[path]) {
+    if (path == null || validated[path]) {
       return;
     }
 
-    validating[path] = true;
+    validated[path] = true;
     total++;
 
     process.nextTick(function() {
diff --git a/lib/schema/documentarray.js b/lib/schema/documentarray.js
index 97ee114262c..9f4c469e066 100644
--- a/lib/schema/documentarray.js
+++ b/lib/schema/documentarray.js
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ var utils = require('../utils');
 
 function DocumentArray(key, schema, options) {
   var EmbeddedDocument = _createConstructor(schema, options);
+  EmbeddedDocument.prototype.$basePath = key;
 
   ArrayType.call(this, key, EmbeddedDocument, options);