diff --git a/planetstack/core/xoslib/static/js/xoslib/xos-backbone.js b/planetstack/core/xoslib/static/js/xoslib/xos-backbone.js
index a04fd8f..417132d 100644
--- a/planetstack/core/xoslib/static/js/xoslib/xos-backbone.js
+++ b/planetstack/core/xoslib/static/js/xoslib/xos-backbone.js
@@ -72,17 +72,22 @@
 
             validate: function(attrs, options) {
                 errors = {};
+                foundErrors = false;
                 _.each(this.validators, function(validatorList, fieldName) {
                     _.each(validatorList, function(validator) {
                         if (fieldName in attrs) {
                             validatorResult = validateField(validator, attrs[fieldName])
                             if (validatorResult != true) {
                                 errors[fieldName] = validatorResult;
+                                foundErrors = true;
                             }
                         }
                     });
                 });
-                return errors;
+                if (foundErrors) {
+                    return errors;
+                }
+                // backbone.js semantics -- on successful validate, return nothing
             }
     });
 
diff --git a/planetstack/core/xoslib/static/js/xoslib/xosHelper.js b/planetstack/core/xoslib/static/js/xoslib/xosHelper.js
index dc66e45..2fa9554 100644
--- a/planetstack/core/xoslib/static/js/xoslib/xosHelper.js
+++ b/planetstack/core/xoslib/static/js/xoslib/xosHelper.js
@@ -268,6 +268,8 @@
                 var that = this;
                 var isNew = !this.model.id;
 
+                this.$el.find(".help-inline").remove();
+
                 /* although model.validate() is called automatically by
                    model.save, we call it ourselves, so we can throw up our
                    validation error before creating the infoMsg in the log
@@ -369,7 +371,6 @@
               },
 
             onFormDataInvalid: function(errors) {
-                this.$el.find(".help-inline").remove();
                 var self=this;
                 var markErrors = function(value, key) {
                     console.log("name='" + key + "'");