diff --git a/src/validate/ValidStateMonitor.js b/src/validate/ValidStateMonitor.js
index 586146e..cc79c93 100644
--- a/src/validate/ValidStateMonitor.js
+++ b/src/validate/ValidStateMonitor.js
@@ -55,11 +55,10 @@ module.exports = Class( 'ValidStateMonitor' )
      */
     'public update': function( data, failures )
     {
-        var fixed = this.detectFixes( data, this._failures, failures );
+        var fixed     = this.detectFixes( data, this._failures, failures ),
+            count_new = this.mergeFailures( this._failures, failures );
 
-        this.mergeFailures( this._failures, failures );
-
-        if ( this.hasFailures() )
+        if ( this.hasFailures() && ( count_new > 0 ) )
         {
             this.emit( 'failure', this._failures );
         }
@@ -136,10 +135,12 @@ module.exports = Class( 'ValidStateMonitor' )
      * @param {Object} past     past failures to merge with
      * @param {Object} failures new failures
      *
-     * @return {undefined}
+     * @return {number} number of new failures
      */
     'virtual protected mergeFailures': function( past, failures )
     {
+        var count_new = 0;
+
         for ( var name in failures )
         {
             past[ name ] = past[ name ] || [];
@@ -148,8 +149,11 @@ module.exports = Class( 'ValidStateMonitor' )
             for ( var i in failures[ name ] )
             {
                 past[ name ][ i ] = failures[ name ][ i ];
+                count_new++;
             }
         }
+
+        return count_new;
     },
 
 
diff --git a/test/validate/ValidStateMonitorTest.js b/test/validate/ValidStateMonitorTest.js
index ea743d0..54fcad7 100644
--- a/test/validate/ValidStateMonitorTest.js
+++ b/test/validate/ValidStateMonitorTest.js
@@ -151,6 +151,22 @@ describe( 'ValidStateMonitor', function()
                     } )
                     .update( data, {} );
             } );
+
+
+            it( 'does not trigger failure event for existing', function()
+            {
+                var called = 0;
+
+                Sut()
+                    .on( 'failure', function()
+                    {
+                        called++;
+                    } )
+                    .update( {}, { foo: [ 'bar' ] } )
+                    .update( {}, {} );  // do not trigger failure event
+
+                expect( called ).to.equal( 1 );
+            } );
         } );