diff --git a/ccm-cms-types-mparticle/src/com/arsdigita/cms/contenttypes/ArticleSectionMetadataProvider.java b/ccm-cms-types-mparticle/src/com/arsdigita/cms/contenttypes/ArticleSectionMetadataProvider.java
index 51232685f..4e290c81d 100755
--- a/ccm-cms-types-mparticle/src/com/arsdigita/cms/contenttypes/ArticleSectionMetadataProvider.java
+++ b/ccm-cms-types-mparticle/src/com/arsdigita/cms/contenttypes/ArticleSectionMetadataProvider.java
@@ -20,10 +20,8 @@ package com.arsdigita.cms.contenttypes;
 
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 
-import com.arsdigita.cms.ContentPage;
 import com.arsdigita.cms.search.ContentPageMetadataProvider;
 import com.arsdigita.domain.DomainObject;
-import com.arsdigita.util.StringUtils;
 
 /**
  * This class is an implementation of the Search metadata provider that 
@@ -51,8 +49,9 @@ extends ContentPageMetadataProvider {
             	title.append(": ");
             }
         }
+        if (pageTitle != null) {
         title.append(pageTitle);
-        
+        }
         
         return title.toString();
     }
diff --git a/ccm-cms-types-mparticle/src/com/arsdigita/cms/contenttypes/ui/mparticle/MultiPartArticleForm.java b/ccm-cms-types-mparticle/src/com/arsdigita/cms/contenttypes/ui/mparticle/MultiPartArticleForm.java
index 220a5e105..1147d25a8 100755
--- a/ccm-cms-types-mparticle/src/com/arsdigita/cms/contenttypes/ui/mparticle/MultiPartArticleForm.java
+++ b/ccm-cms-types-mparticle/src/com/arsdigita/cms/contenttypes/ui/mparticle/MultiPartArticleForm.java
@@ -152,7 +152,9 @@ public abstract class MultiPartArticleForm extends FormSection
 
         add(new Label(MPArticleGlobalizationUtil.globalize("cms.contenttypes.ui.mparticle.summary")));
         TextArea summaryWidget = new TextArea(new TrimmedStringParameter(SUMMARY));
-        summaryWidget.addValidationListener(new NotNullValidationListener());
+	if (ContentSection.getConfig().mandatoryDescriptions()) {
+	    summaryWidget.addValidationListener(new NotEmptyValidationListener(GlobalizationUtil.globalize("cms.contenttypes.ui.description_missing")));
+	}	
         summaryWidget.setRows(5);
         summaryWidget.setCols(30);
         add(summaryWidget);