diff --git a/dist/knockout.validation.js b/dist/knockout.validation.js
index ff7635eb..e6ab5443 100644
--- a/dist/knockout.validation.js
+++ b/dist/knockout.validation.js
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ kv.configuration = configuration;
 				//	  }
 				//  )};
 				//
-				if (params && (params.message || params.onlyIf || params.severity)) { //if it has a message, condition, or severity object, then its an object literal to use
+				if (params && !ko.isObservable(params) && (params.message || params.onlyIf || params.severity)) { //if it has a message, condition, or severity object, then its an object literal to use
 					return kv.addRule(observable, {
 						rule: ruleName,
 						message: params.message,
@@ -1207,8 +1207,8 @@ ko.extenders['validatable'] = function (observable, options) {
 			throttleEvaluation : options.throttle || config.throttle
 		};
 
-		observable.error = ko.observable(null); // holds the error message, we only need one since we stop processing validators when one is invalid and has a severity of 1
-		observable.errorSeverity = ko.observable(1);
+		observable.error = ko.observable(null); // holds the error message, we only need one since we stop processing validators when one is invalid and has and has a severity of 1
+		observable.severity = ko.observable(1);
 		
 		// observable.rules:
 		// ObservableArray of Rule Contexts, where a Rule Context is simply the name of a rule and the params to supply to it
@@ -1233,7 +1233,7 @@ ko.extenders['validatable'] = function (observable, options) {
 			var previousIsValid = observable.__valid__.peek();
 
 			observable.error(error);
-			observable.errorSeverity(severity);
+			observable.severity(severity);
 			observable.__valid__(false);
 
 			if (previousError !== error && !previousIsValid) {
diff --git a/src/api.js b/src/api.js
index 7405d3ee..ec52d0db 100644
--- a/src/api.js
+++ b/src/api.js
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@
 				//	  }
 				//  )};
 				//
-				if (params && (params.message || params.onlyIf || params.severity)) { //if it has a message, condition, or severity object, then its an object literal to use
+				if (params && !ko.isObservable(params) && (params.message || params.onlyIf || params.severity)) { //if it has a message, condition, or severity object, then its an object literal to use
 					return ko.validation.addRule(observable, {
 						rule: ruleName,
 						message: params.message,
diff --git a/src/extenders.js b/src/extenders.js
index 6e69fb50..0ab64ceb 100644
--- a/src/extenders.js
+++ b/src/extenders.js
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ ko.extenders['validatable'] = function (observable, options) {
 			throttleEvaluation : options.throttle || config.throttle
 		};
 
-		observable.error = ko.observable(null); // holds the error message, we only need one since we stop processing validators when one is invalid and has a severity of 1
-		observable.errorSeverity = ko.observable(1);
+		observable.error = ko.observable(null); // holds the error message, we only need one since we stop processing validators when one is invalid and has and has a severity of 1
+		observable.severity = ko.observable(1);
 		
 		// observable.rules:
 		// ObservableArray of Rule Contexts, where a Rule Context is simply the name of a rule and the params to supply to it
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ ko.extenders['validatable'] = function (observable, options) {
 			var previousIsValid = observable.__valid__.peek();
 
 			observable.error(error);
-			observable.errorSeverity(severity);
+			observable.severity(severity);
 			observable.__valid__(false);
 
 			if (previousError !== error && !previousIsValid) {
diff --git a/test/validation-tests.js b/test/validation-tests.js
index 2b32b758..4242812a 100644
--- a/test/validation-tests.js
+++ b/test/validation-tests.js
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ QUnit.test('message parameter receives params and observable when async', functi
 
 //#region Severity tests
 
-QUnit.module('Error Severity tests');
+QUnit.module('Severity tests');
 
 QUnit.test('isValid returns false for warning severity', function(assert) {
     var testObj = ko.observable('something').extend({
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ QUnit.test('isValid returns false for warning severity', function(assert) {
     });
     testObj('');
     assert.equal(testObj.isValid(), false);
-    assert.equal(testObj.errorSeverity(), 2, 'Severity should equal severity defined in required-validation');
+    assert.equal(testObj.severity(), 2, 'Severity should equal severity defined in required-validation');
 });
 
 QUnit.test('default severity is 1', function(assert) {
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ QUnit.test('default severity is 1', function(assert) {
     });
     testObj('');
     assert.equal(testObj.isValid(), false);
-    assert.equal(testObj.errorSeverity(), 1, 'Severity should be 1 when not defined');
+    assert.equal(testObj.severity(), 1, 'Severity should be 1 when not defined');
 });
 
 QUnit.test('Lowest invalid rule severity is returned', function(assert) {
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ QUnit.test('Lowest invalid rule severity is returned', function(assert) {
     });
     testObj('test');
     assert.equal(testObj.isValid(), false);
-    assert.equal(testObj.errorSeverity(), 2, 'Lowest broken rule severity should be 2');
+    assert.equal(testObj.severity(), 2, 'Lowest broken rule severity should be 2');
 });
 
 QUnit.test('Lowest invalid rule severity for default severity is returned', function(assert) {
@@ -486,6 +486,6 @@ QUnit.test('Lowest invalid rule severity for default severity is returned', func
     });
     testObj('');
     assert.equal(testObj.isValid(), false);
-    assert.equal(testObj.errorSeverity(), 1, 'Default severity for broken rule should be 1');
+    assert.equal(testObj.severity(), 1, 'Default severity for broken rule should be 1');
 });
 //#endregion