diff --git a/lib/devise/models/authenticatable.rb b/lib/devise/models/authenticatable.rb
index 9221a4a9..a0c676a0 100644
--- a/lib/devise/models/authenticatable.rb
+++ b/lib/devise/models/authenticatable.rb
@@ -102,24 +102,10 @@ module Devise
 
         # Find an initialize a record setting an error if it can't be found.
         def find_or_initialize_with_error_by(attribute, value, error=:invalid) #:nodoc:
-          if value.present?
-            conditions = { attribute => value }
-            record = find(:first, :conditions => conditions)
-          end
-
-          unless record
-            record = new
-            if value.present?
-              record.send(:"#{attribute}=", value)
-            else
-              error = :blank
-            end
-            record.errors.add(attribute, error)
-          end
-
-          record
+          find_or_initialize_with_errors([attribute], { attribute => value }, error)
         end
-        
+
+        # Find an initialize a group of attributes based on a list of required attributes.
         def find_or_initialize_with_errors(required_attributes, attributes, error=:invalid) #:nodoc:
           attributes = attributes.slice(*required_attributes)
           attributes.delete_if { |key, value| value.blank? }
@@ -132,12 +118,8 @@ module Devise
             record = new
             record.send(:attributes=, attributes, false)
 
-            if attributes.size == required_attributes.size
-              record.errors.add(:base, error)
-            else
-              required_attributes.reject { |k| attributes[k].present? }.each do |attribute|
-                record.errors.add(attribute, :blank)
-              end
+            required_attributes.each do |key|
+              record.errors.add(key, attributes[key].present? ? error : :blank)
             end
           end
 
diff --git a/test/models/lockable_test.rb b/test/models/lockable_test.rb
index 6f09c41e..ff34817f 100644
--- a/test/models/lockable_test.rb
+++ b/test/models/lockable_test.rb
@@ -175,9 +175,9 @@ class LockableTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
   test 'should add error to new user email if no email was found' do
     unlock_user = User.send_unlock_instructions(:email => "invalid@email.com")
-    assert_equal 'not found', unlock_user.errors[:base].join
+    assert_equal 'not found', unlock_user.errors[:email].join
   end
-  
+
   test 'should find a user to send unlock instructions by authentication_keys' do
     swap Devise, :authentication_keys => [:username, :email] do
       user = create_user
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ class LockableTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       assert_equal unlock_user, user
     end
   end
-  
+
   test 'should require all authentication_keys' do
     swap Devise, :authentication_keys => [:username, :email] do
       user = create_user
@@ -201,5 +201,4 @@ class LockableTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     assert_not user.access_locked?
     assert_equal 'was not locked', user.errors[:email].join
   end
-
 end
diff --git a/test/models/recoverable_test.rb b/test/models/recoverable_test.rb
index 69c29eb3..564e392d 100644
--- a/test/models/recoverable_test.rb
+++ b/test/models/recoverable_test.rb
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class RecoverableTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   test 'should return a new record with errors if user was not found by e-mail' do
     reset_password_user = User.send_reset_password_instructions(:email => "invalid@email.com")
     assert_not reset_password_user.persisted?
-    assert_equal "not found", reset_password_user.errors[:base].join
+    assert_equal "not found", reset_password_user.errors[:email].join
   end
   
   test 'should find a user to send instructions by authentication_keys' do