diff --git a/platform/forms/src/controllers/CompositeController.js b/platform/forms/src/controllers/CompositeController.js
index 2e91118fb5..36680a1eb0 100644
--- a/platform/forms/src/controllers/CompositeController.js
+++ b/platform/forms/src/controllers/CompositeController.js
@@ -5,18 +5,39 @@ define(
     function () {
         "use strict";
 
+        /**
+         * The CompositeController supports the "composite" control type,
+         * which provides an array of other controls. It is used specifically
+         * to support validation when a particular row is not marked as
+         * required; in this case, empty input should be allowed, but partial
+         * input (where some but not all of the composite controls have been
+         * filled in) should be disallowed. This is enforced in the template
+         * by an ng-required directive, but that is supported by the
+         * isNonEmpty check that this controller provides.
+         * @constructor
+         */
         function CompositeController() {
+            // Check if an element is defined; the map step of isNonEmpty
             function isDefined(element) {
                 return typeof element !== 'undefined';
             }
 
+            // Boolean or; the reduce step of isNonEmpty
             function or(a, b) {
                 return a || b;
             }
 
             return {
+                /**
+                 * Check if an array contains anything other than
+                 * undefined elements.
+                 * @param {Array} value the array to check
+                 * @returns {boolean} true if any non-undefined
+                 *          element is in the array
+                 */
                 isNonEmpty: function (value) {
-                    return (value || []).map(isDefined).reduce(or, false);
+                    return Array.isArray(value) &&
+                        value.map(isDefined).reduce(or, false);
                 }
             };
         }
diff --git a/platform/forms/test/controllers/CompositeControllerSpec.js b/platform/forms/test/controllers/CompositeControllerSpec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0051c20eb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platform/forms/test/controllers/CompositeControllerSpec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*global define,describe,it,expect,beforeEach,waitsFor,jasmine*/
+
+define(
+    ["../../src/controllers/CompositeController"],
+    function (CompositeController) {
+        "use strict";
+
+        describe("The composite controller", function () {
+            var controller;
+
+            beforeEach(function () {
+                controller = new CompositeController();
+            });
+
+            it("detects non-empty arrays", function () {
+                expect(controller.isNonEmpty(["a", "b", undefined]))
+                    .toBeTruthy();
+                expect(controller.isNonEmpty([3]))
+                    .toBeTruthy();
+            });
+
+            it("detects empty arrays", function () {
+                expect(controller.isNonEmpty([undefined, undefined, undefined]))
+                    .toBeFalsy();
+                expect(controller.isNonEmpty([]))
+                    .toBeFalsy();
+            });
+
+            it("ignores non-arrays", function () {
+                expect(controller.isNonEmpty("this is not an array"))
+                    .toBeFalsy();
+            });
+
+        });
+    }
+);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/platform/forms/test/suite.json b/platform/forms/test/suite.json
index b86d7b9178..f69c3a325e 100644
--- a/platform/forms/test/suite.json
+++ b/platform/forms/test/suite.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 [
     "MCTControl",
     "MCTForm",
+    "controllers/CompositeController",
     "controllers/DateTimeController"
 ]
\ No newline at end of file