diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/rememberme/RememberMeAuthenticationToken.java b/core/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/rememberme/RememberMeAuthenticationToken.java
index c605a5af9f..6b55633d27 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/rememberme/RememberMeAuthenticationToken.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/rememberme/RememberMeAuthenticationToken.java
@@ -15,14 +15,11 @@
 
 package org.acegisecurity.providers.rememberme;
 
-import org.acegisecurity.GrantedAuthority;
-
-import org.acegisecurity.providers.AbstractAuthenticationToken;
-
-import org.springframework.util.Assert;
-
 import java.io.Serializable;
 
+import org.acegisecurity.GrantedAuthority;
+import org.acegisecurity.providers.AbstractAuthenticationToken;
+
 
 /**
  * Represents a remembered <code>Authentication</code>.<p>A remembered <code>Authentication</code> must provide a
@@ -39,7 +36,7 @@ public class RememberMeAuthenticationToken extends AbstractAuthenticationToken i
 
     //~ Constructors ===================================================================================================
 
-/**
+    /**
      * Constructor.
      *
      * @param key to identify if this object made by an authorised client
@@ -51,16 +48,10 @@ public class RememberMeAuthenticationToken extends AbstractAuthenticationToken i
     public RememberMeAuthenticationToken(String key, Object principal, GrantedAuthority[] authorities) {
         super(authorities);
 
-        if ((key == null) || ("".equals(key)) || (principal == null) || "".equals(principal) || (authorities == null)
-            || (authorities.length == 0)) {
+        if ((key == null) || ("".equals(key)) || (principal == null) || "".equals(principal)) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot pass null or empty values to constructor");
         }
 
-        for (int i = 0; i < authorities.length; i++) {
-            Assert.notNull(authorities[i],
-                "Granted authority element " + i + " is null - GrantedAuthority[] cannot contain any null elements");
-        }
-
         this.keyHash = key.hashCode();
         this.principal = principal;
         setAuthenticated(true);
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/rememberme/RememberMeAuthenticationTokenTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/rememberme/RememberMeAuthenticationTokenTests.java
index 420f5f5d41..c063df3441 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/rememberme/RememberMeAuthenticationTokenTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/rememberme/RememberMeAuthenticationTokenTests.java
@@ -70,26 +70,12 @@ public class RememberMeAuthenticationTokenTests extends TestCase {
             assertTrue(true);
         }
 
-        try {
-            new RememberMeAuthenticationToken("key", "Test", null);
-            fail("Should have thrown IllegalArgumentException");
-        } catch (IllegalArgumentException expected) {
-            assertTrue(true);
-        }
-
         try {
             new RememberMeAuthenticationToken("key", "Test", new GrantedAuthority[] {null});
             fail("Should have thrown IllegalArgumentException");
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException expected) {
             assertTrue(true);
         }
-
-        try {
-            new RememberMeAuthenticationToken("key", "Test", new GrantedAuthority[] {});
-            fail("Should have thrown IllegalArgumentException");
-        } catch (IllegalArgumentException expected) {
-            assertTrue(true);
-        }
     }
 
     public void testEqualsWhenEqual() {