diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelper.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelper.php
index 8abec46007..9c5c4b7c88 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelper.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelper.php
@@ -34,11 +34,11 @@ class SymfonyQuestionHelper extends QuestionHelper
         $question->setValidator(function ($value) use ($validator) {
             if (null !== $validator) {
                 $value = $validator($value);
-            }
-
-            // make required
-            if (!is_array($value) && !is_bool($value) && 0 === strlen($value)) {
-                throw new \Exception('A value is required.');
+            } else {
+                // make required
+                if (!is_array($value) && !is_bool($value) && 0 === strlen($value)) {
+                    throw new \Exception('A value is required.');
+                }
             }
 
             return $value;
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelperTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelperTest.php
index 032e153f06..27e0abd79d 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelperTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelperTest.php
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use Symfony\Component\Console\Helper\FormatterHelper;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Helper\HelperSet;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Helper\SymfonyQuestionHelper;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Output\StreamOutput;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Question\Question;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Question\ChoiceQuestion;
 
 /**
@@ -73,6 +74,15 @@ class SymfonyQuestionHelperTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $this->assertOutputContains('What is your favorite superhero? [Superman, Batman]', $output);
     }
 
+    public function testAskReturnsNullIfValidatorAllowsIt()
+    {
+        $questionHelper = new SymfonyQuestionHelper();
+        $questionHelper->setInputStream($this->getInputStream("\n"));
+        $question = new Question('What is your favorite superhero?');
+        $question->setValidator(function ($value) { return $value; });
+        $this->assertNull($questionHelper->ask($this->createInputInterfaceMock(), $this->createOutputInterface(), $question));
+    }
+
     protected function getInputStream($input)
     {
         $stream = fopen('php://memory', 'r+', false);