diff --git a/lib/cancan/ability.rb b/lib/cancan/ability.rb
index afc3d00..c376622 100644
--- a/lib/cancan/ability.rb
+++ b/lib/cancan/ability.rb
@@ -50,12 +50,10 @@ module CanCan
     # Also see the RSpec Matchers to aid in testing.
     def can?(action, subject, *extra_args)
       raise Error, "Nom nom nom. I eated it." if action == :has && subject == :cheezburger
-      matching_can_definition(action, subject) do |can_definition|
-        unless (can = can_definition.can?(action, subject, extra_args)) == :_NOT_MATCHED
-          return can
-        end
+      match = relevant_can_definitions(action, subject).detect do |can_definition|
+        can_definition.matches_conditions?(action, subject, extra_args)
       end
-      false
+      match ? match.base_behavior : false
     end
 
     # Convenience method which works the same as "can?" but returns the opposite value.
@@ -200,12 +198,12 @@ module CanCan
     # If the ability is defined using a block then this will raise an exception since a hash of conditions cannot be
     # determined from that.
     def conditions(action, subject, options = {})
-      matched = matching_can_definition(action, subject)
-      unless matched.empty?
-        if matched.any?{|can_definition| can_definition.only_block? }
+      relevant = relevant_can_definitions(action, subject)
+      unless relevant.empty?
+        if relevant.any?{|can_definition| can_definition.only_block? }
           raise Error, "Cannot determine ability conditions from block for #{action.inspect} #{subject.inspect}"
         end
-        matched.map{|can_definition|
+        relevant.map{|can_definition|
             [can_definition.base_behavior, can_definition.conditions(options)]
         }
       else
@@ -255,7 +253,7 @@ module CanCan
     # Returns the associations used in conditions. This is usually used in the :joins option for a search.
     # See ActiveRecordAdditions#accessible_by for use in Active Record.
     def association_joins(action, subject)
-      can_definitions = matching_can_definition(action, subject)
+      can_definitions = relevant_can_definitions(action, subject)
       unless can_definitions.empty?
         if can_definitions.any?{|can_definition| can_definition.only_block? }
           raise Error, "Cannot determine association joins from block for #{action.inspect} #{subject.inspect}"
@@ -281,19 +279,12 @@ module CanCan
       @can_definitions ||= []
     end
 
-    def matching_can_definition(action, subject)
-      if block_given?
-        can_definitions.reverse.each do |can_definition|
-          can_definition.expanded_actions = expand_actions(can_definition.actions)
-          if can_definition.matches? action, subject
-            yield can_definition
-            break if can_definition.definitive?
-          end
-        end
-      else
-        matched = []
-        matching_can_definition(action, subject){|can_definition| matched << can_definition}
-        matched
+    # Returns an array of CanDefinition instances which match the action and subject
+    # This does not take into consideration any hash conditions or block statements
+    def relevant_can_definitions(action, subject)
+      can_definitions.reverse.select do |can_definition|
+        can_definition.expanded_actions = expand_actions(can_definition.actions)
+        can_definition.relevant? action, subject
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/cancan/can_definition.rb b/lib/cancan/can_definition.rb
index 4c5c8f0..69508d8 100644
--- a/lib/cancan/can_definition.rb
+++ b/lib/cancan/can_definition.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ module CanCan
   # it holds the information about a "can" call made on Ability and provides
   # helpful methods to determine permission checking and conditions hash generation.
   class CanDefinition # :nodoc:
-    attr_reader :conditions, :block, :base_behavior, :definitive
+    attr_reader :conditions, :block, :base_behavior
     include ActiveSupport::Inflector
     attr_reader :block
     attr_reader :actions
@@ -21,14 +21,20 @@ module CanCan
       @block = block
     end
 
-    def matches?(action, subject)
+    # Matches both the subject and action, not necessarily the conditions
+    def relevant?(action, subject)
       matches_action?(action) && matches_subject?(subject)
     end
 
-    def can?(action, subject, extra_args)
-      result = can_without_base_behavior?(action, subject, extra_args)
-      return :_NOT_MATCHED if result == :_NOT_MATCHED || !result
-      @base_behavior ? result : !result
+    # Matches the block or conditions hash
+    def matches_conditions?(action, subject, extra_args)
+      if @block
+        call_block(action, subject, extra_args)
+      elsif @conditions.kind_of?(Hash) && subject.class != Class
+        matches_conditions_hash?(subject)
+      else
+        true
+      end
     end
 
     # Returns a hash of conditions. If the ":tableize => true" option is passed
@@ -45,10 +51,6 @@ module CanCan
       end
     end
 
-    def definitive?
-      conditions_empty? && @block.nil?
-    end
-
     def only_block?
       conditions_empty? && !@block.nil?
     end
@@ -83,24 +85,14 @@ module CanCan
       @subjects.include?(:all) || @subjects.include?(subject) || @subjects.any? { |sub| sub.kind_of?(Class) && subject.kind_of?(sub) }
     end
 
-    def can_without_base_behavior?(action, subject, extra_args)
-      if @block
-        call_block(action, subject, extra_args)
-      elsif @conditions.kind_of?(Hash) && subject.class != Class
-        matches_conditions?(subject)
-      else
-        true
-      end
-    end
-
-    def matches_conditions?(subject, conditions = @conditions)
+    def matches_conditions_hash?(subject, conditions = @conditions)
       conditions.all? do |name, value|
         attribute = subject.send(name)
         if value.kind_of?(Hash)
           if attribute.kind_of? Array
-            attribute.any? { |element| matches_conditions? element, value }
+            attribute.any? { |element| matches_conditions_hash? element, value }
           else
-            matches_conditions? attribute, value
+            matches_conditions_hash? attribute, value
           end
         elsif value.kind_of?(Array) || value.kind_of?(Range)
           value.include? attribute
diff --git a/spec/cancan/ability_spec.rb b/spec/cancan/ability_spec.rb
index 4c4858e..57b81c5 100644
--- a/spec/cancan/ability_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/cancan/ability_spec.rb
@@ -16,56 +16,63 @@ describe CanCan::Ability do
     @ability.can?(:foodfight, String).should be_false
   end
   
-  it "should return what block returns on a can call, except for nil and false" do
+  it "should pass true to `can?` when non false/nil is returned in block" do
     @ability.can :read, :all
     @ability.can :read, Symbol do |sym|
-      [ sym ]
+      "foo" # TODO test that sym is nil when no instance is passed
     end
-    @ability.can?(:read, Symbol).should == [ nil ]
-    @ability.can?(:read, :some_symbol).should == [ :some_symbol ]
+    @ability.can?(:read, :some_symbol).should == true
   end
   
   it "should pass to previous can definition, if block returns false or nil" do
-    @ability.can :read, :all
-    @ability.can :read, Symbol do |sym|
-      sym
+    @ability.can :read, Symbol
+    @ability.can :read, Integer do |i|
+      i < 5
     end
     @ability.can :read, Integer do |i|
-      i > 0
+      i > 10
     end
     @ability.can?(:read, Symbol).should be_true
-    @ability.can?(:read, :some_symbol).should == :some_symbol
+    @ability.can?(:read, 11).should be_true
     @ability.can?(:read, 1).should be_true
-    @ability.can?(:read, -1).should be_true
+    @ability.can?(:read, 6).should be_false
   end
 
   it "should pass class with object if :all objects are accepted" do
     @ability.can :preview, :all do |object_class, object|
-      [object_class, object]
+      object_class.should == Fixnum
+      object.should == 123
+      @block_called = true
     end
-    @ability.can?(:preview, 123).should == [Fixnum, 123]
+    @ability.can?(:preview, 123)
+    @block_called.should be_true
   end
 
   it "should pass class with no object if :all objects are accepted and class is passed directly" do
     @ability.can :preview, :all do |object_class, object|
-      [object_class, object]
+      object_class.should == Hash
+      object.should be_nil
+      @block_called = true
     end
-    @ability.can?(:preview, Hash).should == [Hash, nil]
+    @ability.can?(:preview, Hash)
+    @block_called.should be_true
   end
 
   it "should pass action and object for global manage actions" do
     @ability.can :manage, Array do |action, object|
-      [action, object]
+      action.should == :stuff
+      object.should == [1, 2]
+      @block_called = true
     end
-    @ability.can?(:stuff, [1, 2]).should == [:stuff, [1, 2]]
-    @ability.can?(:stuff, Array).should == [:stuff, nil]
+    @ability.can?(:stuff, [1, 2]).should
+    @block_called.should be_true
   end
 
   it "should alias update or destroy actions to modify action" do
     @ability.alias_action :update, :destroy, :to => :modify
-    @ability.can(:modify, :all) { :modify_called }
-    @ability.can?(:update, 123).should == :modify_called
-    @ability.can?(:destroy, 123).should == :modify_called
+    @ability.can :modify, :all
+    @ability.can?(:update, 123).should be_true
+    @ability.can?(:destroy, 123).should be_true
   end
 
   it "should allow deeply nested aliased actions" do
@@ -77,10 +84,13 @@ describe CanCan::Ability do
 
   it "should return block result for action, object_class, and object for any action" do
     @ability.can :manage, :all do |action, object_class, object|
-      [action, object_class, object]
+      action.should == :foo
+      object_class.should == Fixnum
+      object.should == 123
+      @block_called = true
     end
-    @ability.can?(:foo, 123).should == [:foo, Fixnum, 123]
-    @ability.can?(:bar, Fixnum).should == [:bar, Fixnum, nil]
+    @ability.can?(:foo, 123)
+    @block_called.should be_true
   end
 
   it "should automatically alias index and show into read calls" do
@@ -90,10 +100,10 @@ describe CanCan::Ability do
   end
 
   it "should automatically alias new and edit into create and update respectively" do
-    @ability.can(:create, :all) { :create_called }
-    @ability.can(:update, :all) { :update_called }
-    @ability.can?(:new, 123).should == :create_called
-    @ability.can?(:edit, 123).should == :update_called
+    @ability.can :create, :all
+    @ability.can :update, :all
+    @ability.can?(:new, 123).should be_true
+    @ability.can?(:edit, 123).should be_true
   end
 
   it "should not respond to prepare (now using initialize)" do
@@ -260,7 +270,10 @@ describe CanCan::Ability do
     @ability.cannot :read, SqlSanitizer
     @ability.can :read, SqlSanitizer, :blocked => false, :user_id => 1
     
-    @ability.sql_conditions(:read, SqlSanitizer).should == 'blocked=false AND user_id=1'
+    result = @ability.sql_conditions(:read, SqlSanitizer)
+    result.should include("blocked=false")
+    result.should include(" AND ")
+    result.should include("user_id=1")
   end 
 
   it "should return `true condition` for single `can` definition in front of default `can` condition" do
@@ -287,7 +300,11 @@ describe CanCan::Ability do
     @ability.can :read, SqlSanitizer
     @ability.cannot :read, SqlSanitizer, :blocked => true, :user_id => 1
     
-    @ability.sql_conditions(:read, SqlSanitizer).should == 'not (blocked=true AND user_id=1)'
+    result = @ability.sql_conditions(:read, SqlSanitizer)
+    result.should include("not ")
+    result.should include("blocked=true")
+    result.should include(" AND ")
+    result.should include("user_id=1")
   end
   
   it "should return appropriate sql conditions in complex case" do
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index 6001ea4..2654c31 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ end
 class Person
 end
 
+# Maybe we can use ActiveRecord directly here instead of duplicating the behavior
 class SqlSanitizer
   def self.sanitize_sql(hash_cond)
     case hash_cond