diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/Builder/ArrayNodeDefinition.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/Builder/ArrayNodeDefinition.php
index 69064e2ec4..669ced43a6 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/Builder/ArrayNodeDefinition.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/Builder/ArrayNodeDefinition.php
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ namespace Symfony\Component\Config\Definition\Builder;
 
 use Symfony\Component\Config\Definition\ArrayNode;
 use Symfony\Component\Config\Definition\PrototypedArrayNode;
+use Symfony\Component\Config\Definition\Exception\InvalidDefinitionException;
 
 /**
  * This class provides a fluent interface for defining an array node.
@@ -259,13 +260,38 @@ class ArrayNodeDefinition extends NodeDefinition implements ParentNodeDefinition
     protected function createNode()
     {
         if (null === $this->prototype) {
-            $node = new ArrayNode($this->name, $this->parent);
+            if (null !== $this->key) {
+                throw new InvalidDefinitionException(
+                    sprintf('%s::useAttributeAsKey() is not applicable to concrete nodes.', __CLASS__)
+                );
+            }
 
+            if (true === $this->atLeastOne) {
+                throw new InvalidDefinitionException(
+                    sprintf('%s::requiresAtLeastOneElement() is not applicable to concrete nodes.', __CLASS__)
+                );
+            }
+
+            if ($this->default) {
+                throw new InvalidDefinitionException(
+                    sprintf('%s::defaultValue() is not applicable to concrete nodes.', __CLASS__)
+                );
+            }
+
+            $node = new ArrayNode($this->name, $this->parent);
+            $node->setAddIfNotSet($this->addDefaults);
+            
             foreach ($this->children as $child) {
                 $child->parent = $node;
                 $node->addChild($child->getNode());
             }
         } else {
+            if ($this->addDefaults) {
+                throw new InvalidDefinitionException(
+                    sprintf('%s::addDefaultsIfNotSet() is not applicable to prototype nodes.', __CLASS__)
+                );
+            }
+
             $node = new PrototypedArrayNode($this->name, $this->parent);
 
             if (null !== $this->key) {
@@ -284,7 +310,6 @@ class ArrayNodeDefinition extends NodeDefinition implements ParentNodeDefinition
             $node->setPrototype($this->prototype->getNode());
         }
 
-        $node->setAddIfNotSet($this->addDefaults);
         $node->setAllowNewKeys($this->allowNewKeys);
         $node->addEquivalentValue(null, $this->nullEquivalent);
         $node->addEquivalentValue(true, $this->trueEquivalent);
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/Builder/NodeDefinition.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/Builder/NodeDefinition.php
index 0393378f2a..561143bc61 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/Builder/NodeDefinition.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/Builder/NodeDefinition.php
@@ -325,6 +325,8 @@ abstract class NodeDefinition implements NodeParentInterface
      * Instantiate and configure the node according to this definition
      *
      * @return NodeInterface $node The node instance
+     *
+     * @throws Symfony\Component\Config\Definition\Exception\InvalidDefinitionException When the definition is invalid
      */
     abstract protected function createNode();
 
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/Exception/InvalidDefinitionException.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/Exception/InvalidDefinitionException.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..98310dae02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/Exception/InvalidDefinitionException.php
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Symfony package.
+ *
+ * (c) Fabien Potencier <fabien@symfony.com>
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ * file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+namespace Symfony\Component\Config\Definition\Exception;
+
+/**
+ * Thrown when an error is detected in a node Definition.
+ *
+ * @author Victor Berchet <victor.berchet@suumit.com>
+ */
+class InvalidDefinitionException extends Exception
+{
+}
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/PrototypedArrayNode.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/PrototypedArrayNode.php
index 7d5fa1a098..e49d0d49f0 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/PrototypedArrayNode.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Config/Definition/PrototypedArrayNode.php
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ namespace Symfony\Component\Config\Definition;
 use Symfony\Component\Config\Definition\Exception\InvalidConfigurationException;
 use Symfony\Component\Config\Definition\Exception\DuplicateKeyException;
 use Symfony\Component\Config\Definition\Exception\UnsetKeyException;
+use Symfony\Component\Config\Definition\Exception\Exception;
 
 /**
  * Represents a prototyped Array node in the config tree.
@@ -158,7 +159,7 @@ class PrototypedArrayNode extends ArrayNode
      */
     public function addChild(NodeInterface $node)
     {
-        throw new \RuntimeException('A prototyped array node can not have concrete children.');
+        throw new Exception('A prototyped array node can not have concrete children.');
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/Config/Definition/Builder/ArrayNodeDefinitionTest.php b/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/Config/Definition/Builder/ArrayNodeDefinitionTest.php
index 7b34b17bdd..337d8ee428 100644
--- a/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/Config/Definition/Builder/ArrayNodeDefinitionTest.php
+++ b/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/Config/Definition/Builder/ArrayNodeDefinitionTest.php
@@ -32,6 +32,38 @@ class ArrayNodeDefinitionTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $this->assertTrue(in_array($child, $this->getField($parent, 'children')));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @expectedException Symfony\Component\Config\Definition\Exception\InvalidDefinitionException
+     * @dataProvider providePrototypeNodeSpecificCalls
+     */
+    public function testPrototypeNodeSpecificOption($method, $args)
+    {
+        $node = new ArrayNodeDefinition('root');
+
+        call_user_method_array($method, $node, $args);
+
+        $node->getNode();
+    }
+
+    public function providePrototypeNodeSpecificCalls()
+    {
+        return array(
+            array('defaultValue', array(array())),
+            array('requiresAtLeastOneElement', array()),
+            array('useAttributeAsKey', array('foo'))
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @expectedException Symfony\Component\Config\Definition\Exception\InvalidDefinitionException
+     */
+    public function testConcreteNodeSpecificOption()
+    {
+        $node = new ArrayNodeDefinition('root');
+        $node->addDefaultsIfNotSet()->prototype('array');
+        $node->getNode();
+    }
+
     protected function getField($object, $field)
     {
         $reflection = new \ReflectionProperty($object, $field);