diff --git a/app/models/recurring_todo.rb b/app/models/recurring_todo.rb
index 1a87c305..25eb512a 100644
--- a/app/models/recurring_todo.rb
+++ b/app/models/recurring_todo.rb
@@ -29,86 +29,31 @@ class RecurringTodo < ActiveRecord::Base
   validates_length_of :description, :maximum => 100
   validates_length_of :notes, :maximum => 60000, :allow_nil => true
 
-  validate :period_specific_validations
-  validate :starts_and_ends_on_validations
-  validate :set_recurrence_on_validations
+  validate :period_validation
+  validate :pattern_specific_validations
 
-  def period_specific_validations
-    if %W[daily weekly monthly yearly].include?(recurring_period)
-      self.send("validate_#{recurring_period}")
+  def pattern_specific_validations
+    if pattern
+      pattern.validate
     else
-      errors.add(:recurring_period, "is an unknown recurrence pattern: '#{recurring_period}'")
+      errors[:recurring_todo] << "Invalid recurrence period '#{recurring_period}'"
     end
   end
 
-  def validate_daily
-    if (!only_work_days) && daily_every_x_days.blank?
-      errors[:base] << "Every other nth day may not be empty for recurrence setting"
+  def pattern
+    if valid_period?
+      @pattern = eval("RecurringTodos::#{recurring_period.capitalize}RepeatPattern.new(user)")
+      @pattern.build_from_recurring_todo(self)
     end
+    @pattern
   end
 
-  def validate_weekly
-    if weekly_every_x_week.blank?
-      errors[:base] << "Every other nth week may not be empty for recurrence setting"
-    end
-    something_set = false
-    %w{sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday}.each { |day| something_set ||= self.send("on_#{day}") }
-    errors[:base] << "You must specify at least one day on which the todo recurs" unless something_set
+  def valid_period?
+    %W[daily weekly monthly yearly].include?(recurring_period)
   end
 
-  def validate_monthly
-    case recurrence_selector
-    when 0 # 'monthly_every_x_day'
-      errors[:base] << "The day of the month may not be empty for recurrence setting" if monthly_every_x_day.blank?
-      errors[:base] << "Every other nth month may not be empty for recurrence setting" if monthly_every_x_month.blank?
-    when 1 # 'monthly_every_xth_day'
-      errors[:base] <<"Every other nth month may not be empty for recurrence setting" if monthly_every_x_month2.blank?
-      errors[:base] <<"The nth day of the month may not be empty for recurrence setting" if monthly_every_xth_day.blank?
-      errors[:base] <<"The day of the month may not be empty for recurrence setting" if monthly_day_of_week.blank?
-    else
-      raise Exception.new, "unexpected value of recurrence selector '#{recurrence_selector}'"
-    end
-  end
-
-  def validate_yearly
-    case recurrence_selector
-    when 0 # 'yearly_every_x_day'
-      errors[:base] << "The month of the year may not be empty for recurrence setting" if yearly_month_of_year.blank?
-      errors[:base] << "The day of the month may not be empty for recurrence setting" if yearly_every_x_day.blank?
-    when 1 # 'yearly_every_xth_day'
-      errors[:base] << "The month of the year may not be empty for recurrence setting" if yearly_month_of_year2.blank?
-      errors[:base] << "The nth day of the month may not be empty for recurrence setting" if yearly_every_xth_day.blank?
-      errors[:base] << "The day of the week may not be empty for recurrence setting" if yearly_day_of_week.blank?
-    else
-      raise Exception.new, "unexpected value of recurrence selector '#{recurrence_selector}'"
-    end
-  end
-
-  def starts_and_ends_on_validations
-    errors[:base] << "The start date needs to be filled in" if start_from.blank?
-    case ends_on
-    when 'ends_on_number_of_times'
-      errors[:base] << "The number of recurrences needs to be filled in for 'Ends on'" if number_of_occurences.blank?
-    when "ends_on_end_date"
-      errors[:base] << "The end date needs to be filled in for 'Ends on'" if end_date.blank?
-    else
-      errors[:base] << "The end of the recurrence is not selected" unless ends_on == "no_end_date"
-    end
-  end
-
-  def set_recurrence_on_validations
-    # show always or x days before due date. x not null
-    case target
-    when 'show_from_date'
-      # no validations
-    when 'due_date'
-      errors[:base] << "Please select when to show the action" if show_always.nil?
-      unless show_always
-        errors[:base] << "Please fill in the number of days to show the todo before the due date" if show_from_delta.blank?
-      end
-    else
-      raise Exception.new, "unexpected value of recurrence target selector '#{target}'"
-    end
+  def period_validation
+    errors.add(:recurring_period, "is an unknown recurrence pattern: '#{recurring_period}'") unless valid_period?
   end
 
   # the following recurrence patterns can be stored:
@@ -627,7 +572,7 @@ class RecurringTodo < ActiveRecord::Base
   def remove_from_project!
     self.project = nil
     self.save
-  end
+  end  
 
   def clear_todos_association
     unless todos.nil?
diff --git a/app/models/recurring_todos/abstract_repeat_pattern.rb b/app/models/recurring_todos/abstract_repeat_pattern.rb
index 028d9ebf..5c7ac546 100644
--- a/app/models/recurring_todos/abstract_repeat_pattern.rb
+++ b/app/models/recurring_todos/abstract_repeat_pattern.rb
@@ -8,6 +8,30 @@ module RecurringTodos
       @user = user
     end
 
+    def start_from
+      get :start_from
+    end
+
+    def end_date
+      get :end_date
+    end
+
+    def ends_on
+      get :ends_on
+    end
+
+    def target
+      get :target
+    end
+
+    def show_always
+      get :show_always
+    end
+
+    def show_from_delta
+      get :show_from_delta
+    end
+
     def build_recurring_todo(attributes)
       @recurring_todo = @user.recurring_todos.build(attributes)
     end
@@ -16,7 +40,53 @@ module RecurringTodos
       recurring_todo.assign_attributes(attributes)
       recurring_todo
     end
-    
+
+    def build_from_recurring_todo(recurring_todo)
+      @recurring_todo = recurring_todo
+      @attributes = recurring_todo.attributes
+    end
+
+    def validate
+      starts_and_ends_on_validations
+      set_recurrence_on_validations
+    end
+
+    def starts_and_ends_on_validations
+      errors[:base] << "The start date needs to be filled in" if start_from.blank?
+      case ends_on
+      when 'ends_on_number_of_times'
+        errors[:base] << "The number of recurrences needs to be filled in for 'Ends on'" if number_of_occurences.blank?
+      when "ends_on_end_date"
+        errors[:base] << "The end date needs to be filled in for 'Ends on'" if end_date.blank?
+      else
+        errors[:base] << "The end of the recurrence is not selected" unless ends_on == "no_end_date"
+      end
+    end
+
+    def set_recurrence_on_validations
+      # show always or x days before due date. x not null
+      case target
+      when 'show_from_date'
+        # no validations
+      when 'due_date'
+        errors[:base] << "Please select when to show the action" if show_always.nil?
+        unless show_always
+          errors[:base] << "Please fill in the number of days to show the todo before the due date" if show_from_delta.blank?
+        end
+      else
+        raise Exception.new, "unexpected value of recurrence target selector '#{target}'"
+      end
+    end
+
+    def errors
+      @recurring_todo.errors
+    end
+
+    def get attribute
+      # handle attribute as symbol and as string
+      @attributes[attribute] || @attributes[attribute.to_s]
+    end
+
   end
   
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/models/recurring_todos/daily_repeat_pattern.rb b/app/models/recurring_todos/daily_repeat_pattern.rb
index 6b742018..87f14350 100644
--- a/app/models/recurring_todos/daily_repeat_pattern.rb
+++ b/app/models/recurring_todos/daily_repeat_pattern.rb
@@ -7,9 +7,19 @@ module RecurringTodos
     end
 
     def every_x_days
-      @recurring_todo.every_other1
+      get :every_other1
     end
 
+    def only_work_days?
+      get :only_work_days
+    end
+
+    def validate
+      super
+      errors[:base] << "Every other nth day may not be empty for this daily recurrence setting" if (!only_work_days?) && every_x_days.blank?
+    end
+
+
   end
   
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/models/recurring_todos/monthly_repeat_pattern.rb b/app/models/recurring_todos/monthly_repeat_pattern.rb
index 57c0027c..703849a8 100644
--- a/app/models/recurring_todos/monthly_repeat_pattern.rb
+++ b/app/models/recurring_todos/monthly_repeat_pattern.rb
@@ -6,12 +6,49 @@ module RecurringTodos
       super user
     end
 
+    def recurrence_selector
+      get :recurrence_selector
+    end
+
     def every_x_day?
-      @recurring_todo.recurrence_selector == 0
+      get(:recurrence_selector) == 0
     end
 
     def every_xth_day?
-      @recurring_todo.recurrence_selector == 1
+      get(:recurrence_selector) == 1
+    end
+
+    def every_x_month
+      # in case monthly pattern is every day x, return every_other2 otherwise
+      # return a default value
+      get(:recurrence_selector) == 0 ? get(:every_other2) : 1
+    end
+
+    def every_x_month2
+      # in case monthly pattern is every xth day, return every_other2 otherwise
+      # return a default value
+      get(:recurrence_selector) == 1 ? get(:every_other2) : 1
+    end
+
+    def every_xth_day(default=nil)
+      get(:every_other3) || default
+    end
+
+    def day_of_week
+      get :every_count
+    end
+
+    def validate
+      super
+      case recurrence_selector
+      when 0 # 'monthly_every_x_day'
+        errors[:base] << "Every other nth month may not be empty for recurrence setting" if every_x_month.blank?
+      when 1 # 'every_xth_day'
+        errors[:base] <<"Every other nth month may not be empty for recurrence setting" if every_x_month2.blank?
+        errors[:base] <<"The day of the month may not be empty for recurrence setting" if day_of_week.blank?
+      else
+        raise Exception.new, "unexpected value of recurrence selector '#{recurrence_selector}'"
+      end
     end
 
   end
diff --git a/app/models/recurring_todos/weekly_repeat_pattern.rb b/app/models/recurring_todos/weekly_repeat_pattern.rb
index 484e01e3..dbe5e65d 100644
--- a/app/models/recurring_todos/weekly_repeat_pattern.rb
+++ b/app/models/recurring_todos/weekly_repeat_pattern.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,27 @@ module RecurringTodos
       super user
     end
 
+    def every_x_week
+      get :every_other1
+    end
+
+    { monday: 1, tuesday: 2, wednesday: 3, thursday: 4, friday: 5, saturday: 6, sunday: 0 }.each do |day, number|
+      define_method("on_#{day}") do
+        on_xday number
+      end
+    end
+
+    def on_xday(n)
+      get(:every_day) && get(:every_day)[n, 1] != ' '
+    end
+
+    def validate
+      super
+      errors[:base] << "Every other nth week may not be empty for weekly recurrence setting" if every_x_week.blank?
+      something_set = %w{sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday}.inject(false) { |set, day| set || self.send("on_#{day}") }
+      errors[:base] << "You must specify at least one day on which the todo recurs" unless something_set
+    end
+
   end
   
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/models/recurring_todos/yearly_repeat_pattern.rb b/app/models/recurring_todos/yearly_repeat_pattern.rb
index a9688019..27a34ce0 100644
--- a/app/models/recurring_todos/yearly_repeat_pattern.rb
+++ b/app/models/recurring_todos/yearly_repeat_pattern.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,47 @@ module RecurringTodos
       super user
     end
 
+    def recurrence_selector
+      get :recurrence_selector
+    end
+
+    def month_of_year
+      get :every_other2
+    end
+
+    def every_x_day
+      get :every_other1
+    end
+
+    def every_xth_day
+      get :every_other3
+    end
+
+    def day_of_week
+      get :every_count
+    end
+
+    def month_of_year2
+      # if recurrence pattern is every xth day in a month, return month otherwise
+      # return a default value
+      get(:recurrence_selector) == 1 ? get(:every_other2) : Time.zone.now.month
+    end
+
+    def validate
+      super
+      case recurrence_selector
+      when 0 # 'yearly_every_x_day'
+        errors[:base] << "The month of the year may not be empty for recurrence setting" if month_of_year.blank?
+        errors[:base] << "The day of the month may not be empty for recurrence setting" if every_x_day.blank?
+      when 1 # 'yearly_every_xth_day'
+        errors[:base] << "The month of the year may not be empty for recurrence setting" if month_of_year2.blank?
+        errors[:base] << "The nth day of the month may not be empty for recurrence setting" if every_xth_day.blank?
+        errors[:base] << "The day of the week may not be empty for recurrence setting" if day_of_week.blank?
+      else
+        raise "unexpected value of recurrence selector '#{recurrence_selector}'"
+      end      
+    end
+
   end
   
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/models/recurring_todo_test.rb b/test/models/recurring_todo_test.rb
index a1bd2d1e..18ee005d 100644
--- a/test/models/recurring_todo_test.rb
+++ b/test/models/recurring_todo_test.rb
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ class RecurringTodoTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
   def test_toggle_completion
     assert @yearly.active?
-    assert @yearly.toggle_completion!
+    assert @yearly.toggle_completion!, "toggle of completion should succeed"
     assert @yearly.completed?
 
     # entering completed state should set completed_at
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ class RecurringTodoTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     assert_raise(Exception){ @every_month.valid? }
 
     @yearly.recurrence_selector = 99
-    assert_raise(Exception){ @yearly.valid? }
+    assert_raise(RuntimeError){ @yearly.valid? }
   end
 
   def test_every_n_the_day_must_be_filled