diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index 0d586e42b59013d14054295073c7816782b2bbc7..9cb4848ebcb9428e5c7b648d4017ccb1d4c42895 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ Backward compatibile changes:
 
   BUGFIXES: 
 
+  ZOOKEEPER-189. forrest build not validated xml of input documents
+  (robbie via phunt)
+
   ZOOKEEPER-188. Check that election port is present for all servers
   (Flavio Paiva Junqueira via phunt)
 
diff --git a/src/docs/forrest.properties b/src/docs/forrest.properties
index f4f04c8de25dfbf674dada66bf0dc2f0b900f6fd..4c17ab76c6d77d8612ac0ee0c402aa63f2978876 100644
--- a/src/docs/forrest.properties
+++ b/src/docs/forrest.properties
@@ -65,16 +65,16 @@
 # This set of properties determine if validation is performed
 # Values are inherited unless overridden.
 # e.g. if forrest.validate=false then all others are false unless set to true.
-#forrest.validate=true
-#forrest.validate.xdocs=${forrest.validate}
-#forrest.validate.skinconf=${forrest.validate}
-#forrest.validate.sitemap=${forrest.validate}
-#forrest.validate.stylesheets=${forrest.validate}
-#forrest.validate.skins=${forrest.validate}
-#forrest.validate.skins.stylesheets=${forrest.validate.skins}
+forrest.validate=true
+forrest.validate.xdocs=${forrest.validate}
+forrest.validate.skinconf=${forrest.validate}
+forrest.validate.sitemap=${forrest.validate}
+forrest.validate.stylesheets=${forrest.validate}
+forrest.validate.skins=${forrest.validate}
+forrest.validate.skins.stylesheets=${forrest.validate.skins}
 
 # *.failonerror=(true|false) - stop when an XML file is invalid
-#forrest.validate.failonerror=true
+forrest.validate.failonerror=true
 
 # *.excludes=(pattern) - comma-separated list of path patterns to not validate
 # e.g.