diff --git a/psyneulink/library/compositions/emcomposition.py b/psyneulink/library/compositions/emcomposition.py
index 093028c05e..174a19b614 100644
--- a/psyneulink/library/compositions/emcomposition.py
+++ b/psyneulink/library/compositions/emcomposition.py
@@ -1898,11 +1898,16 @@ def _validate_memory_specs(self, memory_template, memory_capacity, memory_fill,
             if all([fw is None for fw in _field_wts]):
                 raise EMCompositionError(f"The entries in 'field_weights' arg for {name} can't all be 'None' "
                                          f"since that will preclude the construction of any keys.")
-            # if all([fw in {0, None} for fw in _field_wts]):
+
             if not any(_field_wts):
                 warnings.warn(f"All of the entries in the 'field_weights' arg for {name} "
                               f"are either None or set to 0; this will result in no retrievals "
-                              f"unless/until the 0(s) is(are) changed to a positive value.")
+                              f"unless/until one or more of them are changed to a positive value.")
+
+            elif any([fw == 0 for fw in _field_wts if fw is not None]):
+                warnings.warn(f"Some of the entries in the 'field_weights' arg for {name} "
+                              f"are set to 0; those fields will be ignored during retrieval "
+                              f"unless/until they are changed to a positive value.")
 
         # If field_names has more than one value it must match the first dimension (axis 0) of memory_template:
         if field_names and len(field_names) != num_fields:
diff --git a/tests/composition/test_emcomposition.py b/tests/composition/test_emcomposition.py
index aecb35127e..6a943982de 100644
--- a/tests/composition/test_emcomposition.py
+++ b/tests/composition/test_emcomposition.py
@@ -1085,7 +1085,14 @@ def construct_em(field_weights):
                 construct_em(field_weights)
             warning_msg = ("All of the entries in the 'field_weights' arg for EM_Composition "
                            "are either None or set to 0; this will result in no retrievals "
-                           "unless/until the 0(s) is(are) changed to a positive value.")
+                           "unless/until one or more of them are changed to a positive value.")
+            assert warning_msg in str(warning[0].message)
+
+        elif any([fw == 0 for fw in field_weights]):
+            with pytest.warns(UserWarning) as warning:
+                construct_em(field_weights)
+            warning_msg = ("Some of the entries in the 'field_weights' arg for EM_Composition are set to 0; those "
+                           "fields will be ignored during retrieval unless/until they are changed to a positive value.")
             assert warning_msg in str(warning[0].message)
 
         else: