diff --git a/lib/metadata/metadatautil.inc.php b/lib/metadata/metadatautil.inc.php
index 32c7bad..ddb1e9f 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/metadatautil.inc.php
+++ b/lib/metadata/metadatautil.inc.php
@@ -105,6 +105,14 @@ class KTMetadataUtil {
         }
 
         $GLOBALS['default']->log->debug('KTMetadataUtil::_getNextForBehaviour, final values are ' . print_r($aValues, true));
+        
+        // now we need to clean this up: remove no-value entries.
+        $temp = $aValues;
+        foreach ($temp as $k => $v) {
+            if (empty($v)) {
+                unset($aValues[$k]);
+            }
+        }
         return $aValues;
     }
     // }}}
@@ -560,12 +568,12 @@ class KTMetadataUtil {
             $aFields = DBUtil::getResultArrayKey($aQuery, 'field_id');
             $GLOBALS['default']->log->debug("   actual fields are " . print_r($aNextFields, true));
             foreach ($aNextFields as $iFieldId) {
-                if (!in_array($iFieldId, $aFields)) {
+                /*if (!in_array($iFieldId, $aFields)) {
                     $GLOBALS['default']->log->debug("   field $iFieldId is not included, failing");
                     $oChildField =& DocumentField::get($iFieldId);
                     $sChildFieldName = $oChildField->getName();
                     return PEAR::raiseError("Child field $sChildFieldName of parent field $sParentFieldName has no selectable values in behaviour $sBehaviourHumanName ($sBehaviourName)");
-                }
+                }*/
             }
         }
         $GLOBALS['default']->log->debug("Got through: passed!");
diff --git a/lib/widgets/fieldsetDisplay.inc.php b/lib/widgets/fieldsetDisplay.inc.php
index 163b299..bf73c82 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/fieldsetDisplay.inc.php
+++ b/lib/widgets/fieldsetDisplay.inc.php
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ require_once(KT_LIB_DIR . "/widgets/fieldWidgets.php");
 
 
 /* it may be useful to move this to a factory, eventually? */
-function getWidgetForMetadataField($field, $current_value, $page, $errors = null, $vocab = null) {
+function getWidgetForMetadataField($field, $current_value, $page, $errors = null, $vocab = null, $aOptions = null) {
     // all fields have these elements.
     $fieldLabel = $field->getName();
     $fieldDescription = $field->getDescription();
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ function getWidgetForMetadataField($field, $current_value, $page, $errors = null
     $fieldErrors = $errors; // array of strings
     $fieldName = 'metadata_' . $field->getID();
     $fieldOptions = array();
-    $fieldRequired = $field->getIsMandatory();
+    $fieldRequired = $field->getIsMandatory() || KTUtil::arrayGet($aOptions, 'required', false);
     if ($fieldRequired == 1) {
         $fieldRequired = true;
     }
diff --git a/presentation/lookAndFeel/knowledgeTree/ajaxConditional.php b/presentation/lookAndFeel/knowledgeTree/ajaxConditional.php
index 3357ab1..bcfb3e8 100644
--- a/presentation/lookAndFeel/knowledgeTree/ajaxConditional.php
+++ b/presentation/lookAndFeel/knowledgeTree/ajaxConditional.php
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ class AjaxConditionalDispatcher extends KTStandardDispatcher {
             $vocab = array();
             $vocab[''] = 'Unset';
             foreach ($aFieldInfo['values'] as $md_v) { $vocab[$md_v->getName()] = $md_v->getName(); }
-            $oWidget = getWidgetForMetadataField($aFieldInfo['field'], null, $main, null, $vocab) ;
+            $oWidget = getWidgetForMetadataField($aFieldInfo['field'], null, $main, null, $vocab, array('required' => true)) ;
             $sWidgets .= $oWidget->render();
         }