diff --git a/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Validation/ErrorMessage.cs b/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Validation/ErrorMessage.cs
index ee25e528..a44a0d1d 100644
--- a/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Validation/ErrorMessage.cs
+++ b/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Validation/ErrorMessage.cs
@@ -167,6 +167,11 @@ namespace Spring.Validation
         /// <returns>Resolved error message.</returns>
         public string GetMessage(IMessageSource messageSource)
         {
+            if (messageSource == null)
+            {
+                return Id;
+            }
+
             if (Parameters == null)
             {
                 return messageSource.GetMessage(Id);
diff --git a/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Validation/ValidationErrors.cs b/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Validation/ValidationErrors.cs
index be4449f3..de96ecd6 100644
--- a/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Validation/ValidationErrors.cs
+++ b/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Validation/ValidationErrors.cs
@@ -262,6 +262,8 @@ namespace Spring.Validation
         /// </returns>
         public IList GetResolvedErrors(string provider, IMessageSource messageSource)
         {
+            AssertUtils.ArgumentNotNull(provider, "provider");
+
             IList messages = new ArrayList();
             IList errors = (IList) errorMap[provider];
             
diff --git a/src/Spring/Spring.Web/Web/UI/Controls/AbstractValidationControl.cs b/src/Spring/Spring.Web/Web/UI/Controls/AbstractValidationControl.cs
index 7a3b7b2b..7ee5acf0 100644
--- a/src/Spring/Spring.Web/Web/UI/Controls/AbstractValidationControl.cs
+++ b/src/Spring/Spring.Web/Web/UI/Controls/AbstractValidationControl.cs
@@ -20,9 +20,12 @@
 
 #region Imports
 
+using System;
 using System.Collections;
 using System.Web.UI;
 using Spring.Context;
+using Spring.Util;
+using Spring.Validation;
 using Spring.Web.UI.Validation;
 
 #endregion
@@ -42,17 +45,25 @@ namespace Spring.Web.UI.Controls
         /// Gets or sets the provider.
         /// </summary>
         /// <value>The provider.</value>
-        public string Provider
+        public virtual string Provider
         {
             get
             {
                 if (this.provider == null)
                 {
-                    return this.ID;
+                    this.provider = this.ID;
+                    if (this.provider == null)
+                    {
+                        this.provider = string.Empty;
+                    }
                 }
                 return this.provider;
             }
-            set { this.provider = value; }
+            set
+            {
+                AssertUtils.ArgumentNotNull(value, "Provider");
+                this.provider = value;
+            }
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -69,10 +80,15 @@ namespace Spring.Web.UI.Controls
                 if (this.renderer == null)
                 {
                     this.renderer = CreateValidationErrorsRenderer();
+                    AssertUtils.ArgumentNotNull(this.renderer, "Renderer", "CreateValidationErrorsRenderer must not return null");
                 }
                 return this.renderer;
             }
-            set { this.renderer = value; }
+            set
+            {
+                AssertUtils.ArgumentNotNull(value, "Renderer");
+                this.renderer = value;
+            }
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -83,7 +99,7 @@ namespace Spring.Web.UI.Controls
         /// </remarks>
         protected virtual IMessageSource MessageSource
         {
-            get { return ValidationContainer.MessageSource; }
+            get { return ValidationContainer==null ? null : ValidationContainer.MessageSource; }
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -108,6 +124,7 @@ namespace Spring.Web.UI.Controls
                         return container;
                     }                    
                 }
+//                throw new NotSupportedException(string.Format("Controls of Type {0} must be placed on a container control implementing IValidationContainer", this.GetType().Name));
                 return null;
             }
         }
@@ -116,11 +133,31 @@ namespace Spring.Web.UI.Controls
         /// Resolves the <see cref="ValidationContainer"/>'s list of validation errors to a list
         /// of <see cref="string"/> elements containing the error messages to be rendered.
         /// </summary>
-        /// <returns>a list containing <see cref="string"/> elements</returns>
+        /// <returns>a list containing <see cref="string"/> elements. May return <c>null</c></returns>
         protected virtual IList ResolveErrorMessages()
         {
             IList errorMessages;
-            errorMessages = this.ValidationContainer.ValidationErrors.GetResolvedErrors(this.Provider, this.MessageSource);
+
+            // good catch - idea & patch from Roberto Paterlini
+            if (DesignMode)
+            {
+                errorMessages = new string[] { GetType().Name + ":" + ID };
+                return errorMessages;
+            }
+
+            IValidationContainer container = this.ValidationContainer;
+            if (container == null)
+            {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            IValidationErrors validationErrors = container.ValidationErrors;
+            if (validationErrors == null)
+            {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            errorMessages = validationErrors.GetResolvedErrors(this.Provider, this.MessageSource);
             return errorMessages;
         }
 
@@ -130,8 +167,11 @@ namespace Spring.Web.UI.Controls
         /// <param name="writer"></param>
         protected override void Render(HtmlTextWriter writer)
         {
-            IList errorMessages = ResolveErrorMessages();
-            Renderer.RenderErrors(Page as Spring.Web.UI.Page, writer, errorMessages);   
+            IList errorMessages;
+
+            errorMessages = ResolveErrorMessages();
+
+            Renderer.RenderErrors(Page as Spring.Web.UI.Page, writer, errorMessages);
         }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/Spring/Spring.Core.Tests/Validation/ValidationErrorsTests.cs b/test/Spring/Spring.Core.Tests/Validation/ValidationErrorsTests.cs
index ea62791a..fd10cb36 100644
--- a/test/Spring/Spring.Core.Tests/Validation/ValidationErrorsTests.cs
+++ b/test/Spring/Spring.Core.Tests/Validation/ValidationErrorsTests.cs
@@ -44,6 +44,14 @@ namespace Spring.Validation
 		private ErrorMessage ErrorMessageTwo = new ErrorMessage("This Is Eva Green", null);
 		private ErrorMessage ErrorMessageOne = new ErrorMessage("Kissing Leads To Brain Disease", null);
 
+        [Test]
+        public void ResolveErrorsWithoutMessageSource()
+        {
+            ValidationErrors errors = new ValidationErrors();
+            errors.AddError(string.Empty, ErrorMessageOne);
+            IList resolvedErrors = errors.GetResolvedErrors(string.Empty, null);
+            Assert.AreEqual(ErrorMessageOne.Id, (string)resolvedErrors[0]);
+        }
 		[Test]
 		public void ContainsNoErrorsDirectlyAfterInstantiation()
 		{
diff --git a/test/Spring/Spring.Web.Tests/Web/UI/Controls/AbstractValidationControlTests.cs b/test/Spring/Spring.Web.Tests/Web/UI/Controls/AbstractValidationControlTests.cs
index b22eee81..6d152b69 100644
--- a/test/Spring/Spring.Web.Tests/Web/UI/Controls/AbstractValidationControlTests.cs
+++ b/test/Spring/Spring.Web.Tests/Web/UI/Controls/AbstractValidationControlTests.cs
@@ -21,10 +21,16 @@
 #region Imports
 
 using System;
+using System.Collections;
+using System.Globalization;
 using System.Web.UI;
 using NUnit.Framework;
 using Rhino.Mocks;
 using Spring.Context;
+using Spring.Context.Support;
+using Spring.Util;
+using Spring.Validation;
+using Spring.Web.UI.Validation;
 
 #endregion
 
@@ -37,42 +43,89 @@ namespace Spring.Web.UI.Controls
     [TestFixture]
     public class AbstractValidationControlTests
     {
-        public class TestValidationControl : AbstractValidationControl
+        [Test]
+        public void DefaultsToControlIDOrStringEmptyAsProviderName()
         {
-            private IValidationContainer _vc;
+            TestValidationControl vc;
 
-            public TestValidationControl()
-            {
-            }
+            vc = new TestValidationControl(null);
+            Assert.AreEqual(string.Empty, vc.Provider);
 
-            public TestValidationControl(IValidationContainer testVc)
-            {
-                _vc = testVc;
-            }
+            vc = new TestValidationControl(null);
+            vc.ID = "TestControl";
+            Assert.AreEqual(vc.ID, vc.Provider);
 
-            protected override Spring.Web.UI.Validation.IValidationErrorsRenderer CreateValidationErrorsRenderer()
-            {
-                throw new Exception("The method or operation is not implemented.");
-            }
+            vc = new TestValidationControl(null);
+            vc.ID = "TestControl";
+            vc.Provider = "TestProvider";
 
-            protected override IValidationContainer ValidationContainer
-            {
-                get
-                {
-                    if (_vc != null) return _vc;
-                    return base.ValidationContainer;
-                }
-            }
+            Assert.AreEqual("TestProvider", vc.Provider);
+        }
 
-            public IMessageSource TheMessageSource
-            {
-                get { return base.MessageSource; }
-            }
+        [Test]
+        public void ResolvesAndRendersValidationErrors()
+        {
+            TestValidationControl vc = new TestValidationControl();
+            vc.ID = "TestControl";
 
-            public IValidationContainer TheValidationContainer
+            Page page = new Page();
+            page.Controls.Add(vc);
+            page.ValidationErrors.AddError(vc.Provider, new ErrorMessage("msgId"));
+            StaticMessageSource msgSrc = new StaticMessageSource();
+            msgSrc.AddMessage("msgId", CultureInfo.CurrentUICulture, "Resolved Message Text");
+            page.MessageSource = msgSrc;
+
+            vc.TestRender(null);
+            Assert.AreEqual("Resolved Message Text", vc.LastErrorsRendered[0]);
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void ThrowsIfCreateValidationErrorsRendererReturnsNull()
+        {
+            TestValidationControl vc = new TestValidationControl(null);
+            vc.ID = "TestControl";
+
+            Page page = new Page();
+            page.Controls.Add(vc);
+            page.ValidationErrors.AddError(vc.Provider, new ErrorMessage("msgId"));
+
+            try
             {
-                get { return base.ValidationContainer; }
+                vc.TestRender(null);
+                Assert.Fail();
             }
+            catch (ArgumentNullException ane)
+            {
+                Assert.AreEqual("Renderer", ane.ParamName);
+            }
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void NoExceptionWhenNoValidationContainer()
+        {
+            TestValidationControl vc = new TestValidationControl();
+            Assert.IsFalse(vc.TheDesignMode);
+            Assert.IsNull(vc.TheMessageSource);
+            Assert.IsNull(vc.TheValidationContainer);
+
+            vc.TestRender(null);
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void NoExceptionWhenNoErrors()
+        {
+            Page page = new Page();
+            page.MessageSource = new StaticMessageSource();
+            TestValidationControl vc = new TestValidationControl();
+            page.Controls.Add(vc);
+
+            // assert assumptions
+            Assert.IsFalse(vc.TheDesignMode);
+            Assert.AreSame(page, vc.TheValidationContainer);
+            Assert.AreSame( page.MessageSource, vc.TheMessageSource );
+            Assert.AreEqual(0, page.ValidationErrors.GetResolvedErrors(vc.Provider, vc.TheMessageSource).Count);
+
+            vc.TestRender(null);
         }
 
         [Test]
@@ -116,13 +169,82 @@ namespace Spring.Web.UI.Controls
         {
             MockRepository mocks = new MockRepository();
             IMessageSource messageSource = (IMessageSource)mocks.DynamicMock(typeof(IMessageSource));
-            IValidationContainer container = (IValidationContainer)mocks.DynamicMock(typeof(IValidationContainer));
-            TestValidationControl ctl = new TestValidationControl(container);
+            //            IValidationContainer container = (IValidationContainer)mocks.DynamicMock(typeof(IValidationContainer));
 
-            Expect.Call(container.MessageSource).Return(messageSource);
-            mocks.ReplayAll();
+            Page page = new Page();
+            page.MessageSource = messageSource;
+            TestValidationControl ctl = new TestValidationControl();
+            page.Controls.Add(ctl);
 
             Assert.AreEqual(messageSource, ctl.TheMessageSource);
         }
+
+        #region TestValidationControl
+
+        private class TestValidationControl : AbstractValidationControl
+        {
+            public class CapturingRenderer : IValidationErrorsRenderer
+            {
+                public IList LastErrorsRendered;
+                private readonly IValidationErrorsRenderer _inner;
+
+                public CapturingRenderer(IValidationErrorsRenderer inner)
+                {
+                    _inner = inner;
+                }
+
+                public void RenderErrors(Page page, HtmlTextWriter writer, IList errors)
+                {
+                    LastErrorsRendered = errors;
+                    if (_inner != null)
+                    {
+                        _inner.RenderErrors(page, writer, errors);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            private readonly IValidationErrorsRenderer _ver;
+
+            public TestValidationControl()
+                : this(new CapturingRenderer(null))
+            { }
+
+            public TestValidationControl(IValidationErrorsRenderer renderer)
+            {
+                _ver =renderer;
+            }
+
+            public void TestRender(HtmlTextWriter writer)
+            {
+                base.Render(writer);
+            }
+
+            protected override IValidationErrorsRenderer CreateValidationErrorsRenderer()
+            {
+                return _ver;
+            }
+
+            public IList LastErrorsRendered
+            {
+                get { return ((CapturingRenderer)_ver).LastErrorsRendered; }
+            }
+
+            public IMessageSource TheMessageSource
+            {
+                get { return base.MessageSource; }
+            }
+
+            public IValidationContainer TheValidationContainer
+            {
+                get { return base.ValidationContainer; }
+            }
+
+            public bool TheDesignMode
+            {
+                get { return base.DesignMode; }
+            }
+        }
+
+        #endregion
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file