diff --git a/cmdarg.sh b/cmdarg.sh
index 282b05c..f61f5a9 100644
--- a/cmdarg.sh
+++ b/cmdarg.sh
@@ -53,18 +53,16 @@ function cmdarg
     elif [[ "$argtype" != "" ]]; then
 	CMDARG_FLAGS[$shortopt]=${argtypemap["$argtype"]}
 	if [[ "${1:2:4}" == "[]" ]]; then
-	    declare -p ${key} >/dev/null 2>&1
-	    if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
-		echo 'Array variable '"${key}"' does not exist. Array variables MUST be declared by the user!' >&2
-		${CMDARG_ERROR_BEHAVIOR} 1
-	    fi
+	    declare -p ${key} >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
+            echo 'Array variable '"${key}"' does not exist. Array variables MUST be declared by the user!' >&2
+            ${CMDARG_ERROR_BEHAVIOR} 1
+        }
 	    CMDARG_TYPES[$key]=$CMDARG_TYPE_ARRAY
 	elif [[ "${1:2:4}" == "{}" ]]; then
-	    declare -p ${key} >/dev/null 2>&1
-	    if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
-		echo 'Hash variable '"${key}"' does not exist. Hash variables MUST be declared by the user!' >&2
-		${CMDARG_ERROR_BEHAVIOR} 1
-	    fi
+	    declare -p ${key} >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
+            echo 'Hash variable '"${key}"' does not exist. Hash variables MUST be declared by the user!' >&2
+            ${CMDARG_ERROR_BEHAVIOR} 1
+        }
 	    CMDARG_TYPES[$key]=$CMDARG_TYPE_HASH
 	else
 	    CMDARG_TYPES[$key]=$CMDARG_TYPE_STRING
@@ -198,11 +196,10 @@ function cmdarg_validate
 
     local shortopt=${CMDARG_REV[$longopt]}
     if [ "${CMDARG_VALIDATORS[$shortopt]}" != "" ]; then
-        ( ${CMDARG_VALIDATORS[${shortopt}]} "$value" "$hashkey")
-	if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-	    echo "Invalid value for -$shortopt : ${value}" >&2
-	    ${CMDARG_ERROR_BEHAVIOR} 1
-	fi
+        ${CMDARG_VALIDATORS[${shortopt}]} "$value" "$hashkey" || {
+            echo "Invalid value for -$shortopt : ${value}" >&2
+            ${CMDARG_ERROR_BEHAVIOR} 1
+        }
     fi
     return 0
 }
diff --git a/tests/test_validators.sh b/tests/test_validators.sh
index 7f59328..86752dc 100644
--- a/tests/test_validators.sh
+++ b/tests/test_validators.sh
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@ function shunittest_validator_for_hash
 	echo "my_hash_validator $value" >&2
 	[[ "$value" == "value" ]]
     }
-    
+
     declare -A something
-    
+
     cmdarg_purge
     cmdarg 'x:{}' 'something' 'something' '' my_hash_validator || return 1
     set -x
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ function shunittest_validator_for_array
 	echo "my_array_validator $value" >&2
 	[[ "$value" == "value" ]]
     }
-    
+
     declare -a something
-    
+
     cmdarg_purge
     cmdarg 'x:[]' 'something' 'something' '' my_array_validator || return 1
     cmdarg_parse --something notavalue && return 1
@@ -46,9 +46,28 @@ function shunittest_validator_failure_recognized
 	echo "my_validator $value" >&2
 	[[ "$value" == "value" ]]
     }
-    
+
     cmdarg_purge
     cmdarg 'x:' 'something' 'something' '' my_validator
     cmdarg_parse --something notavalue || return 0
     return 1
 }
+
+function shunittest_validator_works_with_set_e
+{
+    set -e
+
+    function my_validator
+    {
+	value=${1:-$OPTARG}
+	echo "my_validator $value" >&2
+	[[ "$value" == "value" ]]
+    }
+
+    cmdarg_purge
+    cmdarg 'x:' 'something' 'something' '' my_validator
+    cmdarg_parse --something notavalue || return 0
+    return 1
+
+    set +e
+}