diff --git a/lib/schema.js b/lib/schema.js
index f7c5c95..9952402 100644
--- a/lib/schema.js
+++ b/lib/schema.js
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ Schema.prototype.validate = function(data) {
     var schema = this.schema[params[i]];
 
     try {
-
       // if undefined, don't store it.
       value = rules.create(params[i], schema).apply(get(params[i]));
 
@@ -72,16 +71,21 @@ Schema.prototype.validate = function(data) {
       }
 
       // does this rule contain embedded schemas
-      if (typeof(schema.schema) == "object" && !_.isArray(schema.schema) && _.keys(schema.schema).length && !_.isUndefined(values[params[i]])) {
-        if (schema.type == "object") {
-          //checkObject(schema, params[i], errors, values, get);
-          var results = (new Schema(schema.schema)).validate(values[params[i]]);
-
-          if(!results.valid)
-            errors[params[i]] = results.errors;
-          values[params[i]] = results.data;
-        } else if (schema.type == "array") {
-          checkArray(schema, params[i], errors, values, get);
+      if (typeof(schema.schema) == "object" && 
+          !_.isArray(schema.schema) && 
+          _.keys(schema.schema).length && 
+          !_.isUndefined(values[params[i]])) {
+
+        if(!(schema.allownull && _.isNull(values[params[i]]))) {
+          if (schema.type == "object") {
+            var results = (new Schema(schema.schema)).validate(values[params[i]]);
+
+            if(!results.valid)
+              errors[params[i]] = results.errors;
+            values[params[i]] = results.data;
+          } else if (schema.type == "array") {
+            checkArray(schema, params[i], errors, values, get);
+          }
         }
       }
     } catch (error) {
diff --git a/test/complex.js b/test/complex.js
index 2dddf11..e8992dd 100644
--- a/test/complex.js
+++ b/test/complex.js
@@ -17,16 +17,33 @@ describe("complex schemas", function()
             }
           }
       });
+
+      var schema2 = schemajs.create(
+      {
+          input: 
+          {
+            type:'array',
+            schema:
+            {
+               type: 'number'
+            },
+            allownull: true
+          }
+      });
       
       var input1 = schema.validate({input: 'username'});
       var input2 = schema.validate({input: [112390123]});
       var input3 = schema.validate({input: [112390123, 'username']});
       var input4 = schema.validate({});
-   
+      var input5 = schema.validate({input: null});
+      var input6 = schema2.validate({input: null});
+  
       expect(!input1.valid).to.be.ok;
       expect(input2.valid).to.be.ok;
       expect(!input3.valid).to.be.ok;
       expect(input4.valid).to.be.ok;
+      expect(!input5.valid).to.be.ok;
+      expect(input6.valid).to.be.ok;
    });
 
    it("arrays and objects", function()
@@ -76,15 +93,33 @@ describe("complex schemas", function()
             }
           }
       });
+
+      var schema2 = schemajs.create(
+      {
+          input: 
+          {
+            type:'object',
+            schema:
+            {
+               name:  { type: "string", properties: { max: 255 }, required: true},
+               email: { type: "email", error: "email is not a valid email address"}
+            },
+            allownull: true
+          }
+      });
       
       var input1 = schema.validate({input: 'username'});
       var input2 = schema.validate({input: {name:"x", email:"x@xyz.com"}});
       var input3 = schema.validate({input: {name:123, email:"x@xyz.com"}});
       var input4 = schema.validate({});
-   
+      var input5 = schema.validate({input:null});
+      var input6 = schema2.validate({input:null});
+
       expect(!input1.valid).to.be.ok;
       expect(input2.valid).to.be.ok;
       expect(input2.valid).to.be.ok;
       expect(input4.valid).to.be.ok;
+      expect(!input5.valid).to.be.ok;
+      expect(input6.valid).to.be.ok;
    });
 });