diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Constraints/AbstractComparison.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Constraints/AbstractComparison.php
index fb1f1f3ef7..34466c7cb3 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Constraints/AbstractComparison.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Constraints/AbstractComparison.php
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ abstract class AbstractComparison extends Constraint
      */
     public function __construct($options = null)
     {
+        if (null === $options) {
+            $options = array();
+        }
+
         if (is_array($options) && !isset($options['value'])) {
             throw new ConstraintDefinitionException(sprintf(
                 'The %s constraint requires the "value" option to be set.',
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/AbstractComparisonValidatorTestCase.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/AbstractComparisonValidatorTestCase.php
index 9c8ce50fc3..8843e6077f 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/AbstractComparisonValidatorTestCase.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/AbstractComparisonValidatorTestCase.php
@@ -68,14 +68,21 @@ abstract class AbstractComparisonValidatorTestCase extends AbstractConstraintVal
         return $result;
     }
 
+    public function provideInvalidConstraintOptions()
+    {
+        return array(
+            array(null),
+            array(array()),
+        );
+    }
+
     /**
+     * @dataProvider provideInvalidConstraintOptions
      * @expectedException \Symfony\Component\Validator\Exception\ConstraintDefinitionException
      */
-    public function testThrowsConstraintExceptionIfNoValueOrProperty()
+    public function testThrowsConstraintExceptionIfNoValueOrProperty($options)
     {
-        $comparison = $this->createConstraint(array());
-
-        $this->validator->validate('some value', $comparison);
+        $this->createConstraint($options);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -169,9 +176,9 @@ abstract class AbstractComparisonValidatorTestCase extends AbstractConstraintVal
     abstract public function provideInvalidComparisons();
 
     /**
-     * @param array $options Options for the constraint
+     * @param array|null $options Options for the constraint
      *
      * @return Constraint
      */
-    abstract protected function createConstraint(array $options);
+    abstract protected function createConstraint(array $options = null);
 }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/EqualToValidatorTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/EqualToValidatorTest.php
index c20db1550b..b396601396 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/EqualToValidatorTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/EqualToValidatorTest.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class EqualToValidatorTest extends AbstractComparisonValidatorTestCase
         return new EqualToValidator();
     }
 
-    protected function createConstraint(array $options)
+    protected function createConstraint(array $options = null)
     {
         return new EqualTo($options);
     }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/GreaterThanOrEqualValidatorTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/GreaterThanOrEqualValidatorTest.php
index 41708f65c9..923c7e61a0 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/GreaterThanOrEqualValidatorTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/GreaterThanOrEqualValidatorTest.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class GreaterThanOrEqualValidatorTest extends AbstractComparisonValidatorTestCas
         return new GreaterThanOrEqualValidator();
     }
 
-    protected function createConstraint(array $options)
+    protected function createConstraint(array $options = null)
     {
         return new GreaterThanOrEqual($options);
     }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/GreaterThanValidatorTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/GreaterThanValidatorTest.php
index 85a2b1dad1..094949d97d 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/GreaterThanValidatorTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/GreaterThanValidatorTest.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class GreaterThanValidatorTest extends AbstractComparisonValidatorTestCase
         return new GreaterThanValidator();
     }
 
-    protected function createConstraint(array $options)
+    protected function createConstraint(array $options = null)
     {
         return new GreaterThan($options);
     }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/IdenticalToValidatorTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/IdenticalToValidatorTest.php
index 0b6a4e411a..d7db609e17 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/IdenticalToValidatorTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/IdenticalToValidatorTest.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class IdenticalToValidatorTest extends AbstractComparisonValidatorTestCase
         return new IdenticalToValidator();
     }
 
-    protected function createConstraint(array $options)
+    protected function createConstraint(array $options = null)
     {
         return new IdenticalTo($options);
     }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/LessThanOrEqualValidatorTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/LessThanOrEqualValidatorTest.php
index 7518135510..8f1666ea81 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/LessThanOrEqualValidatorTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/LessThanOrEqualValidatorTest.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class LessThanOrEqualValidatorTest extends AbstractComparisonValidatorTestCase
         return new LessThanOrEqualValidator();
     }
 
-    protected function createConstraint(array $options)
+    protected function createConstraint(array $options = null)
     {
         return new LessThanOrEqual($options);
     }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/LessThanValidatorTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/LessThanValidatorTest.php
index d555870c12..6d216e3164 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/LessThanValidatorTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/LessThanValidatorTest.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class LessThanValidatorTest extends AbstractComparisonValidatorTestCase
         return new LessThanValidator();
     }
 
-    protected function createConstraint(array $options)
+    protected function createConstraint(array $options = null)
     {
         return new LessThan($options);
     }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/NotEqualToValidatorTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/NotEqualToValidatorTest.php
index bc2c348efa..c969e2a2af 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/NotEqualToValidatorTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/NotEqualToValidatorTest.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class NotEqualToValidatorTest extends AbstractComparisonValidatorTestCase
         return new NotEqualToValidator();
     }
 
-    protected function createConstraint(array $options)
+    protected function createConstraint(array $options = null)
     {
         return new NotEqualTo($options);
     }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/NotIdenticalToValidatorTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/NotIdenticalToValidatorTest.php
index 43149847b9..3aed5b7bf6 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/NotIdenticalToValidatorTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Validator/Tests/Constraints/NotIdenticalToValidatorTest.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class NotIdenticalToValidatorTest extends AbstractComparisonValidatorTestCase
         return new NotIdenticalToValidator();
     }
 
-    protected function createConstraint(array $options)
+    protected function createConstraint(array $options = null)
     {
         return new NotIdenticalTo($options);
     }