diff --git a/request/amplify.request.js b/request/amplify.request.js
index 5e84941..64775a3 100644
--- a/request/amplify.request.js
+++ b/request/amplify.request.js
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ if ( amplify.store ) {
 			}
 			var success = ajaxSettings.success;
 			ajaxSettings.success = function( data ) {	
-				amplify.store[ type]( cacheKey, data , { expires: resource.cache.expires } );
+				amplify.store[ type ]( cacheKey, data, { expires: resource.cache.expires } );
 				success.apply( this, arguments );
 			};
 		};
@@ -210,9 +210,8 @@ if ( amplify.store ) {
 amplify.subscribe( "request.before.ajax", function( resource ) {
 	var cacheType = resource.cache;
 	if ( cacheType ) {
-		if ( typeof cacheType === 'object' ) {
-			cacheType = cacheType.type;
-		}
+		// normalize between objects and strings/booleans/numbers
+		cacheType = cacheType.type || cacheType;
 		return cache[ cacheType in cache ? cacheType : "_default" ]
 			.apply( this, arguments );
 	}
diff --git a/request/test/unit.js b/request/test/unit.js
index 86567b7..fd45926 100644
--- a/request/test/unit.js
+++ b/request/test/unit.js
@@ -835,7 +835,7 @@ asyncTest( "cache: Number", function() {
 });
 
 if ( amplify.store ) {
-	asyncTest( "cache: persist - no expires", {
+	var storeExpiresLifecycle = {
 		setup: function() {
 			$.each( amplify.store(), function( key ) {
 				if ( /^request/.test( key ) ) {
@@ -843,7 +843,8 @@ if ( amplify.store ) {
 				}
 			});
 		}
-	}, function() {
+	};
+	asyncTest( "cache: persist - no expires", storeExpiresLifecycle, function() {
 		expect( 15 );
 
 		var ajaxCalls = 0;
@@ -887,80 +888,71 @@ if ( amplify.store ) {
 			});
 		});
 	});
-	
-	asyncTest( "cache: persist - with cache options", {
-		setup: function() {
-			$.each( amplify.store(), function( key ) {
-				if ( /^request/.test( key ) ) {
-					amplify.store( key, null );
-				}
-			});
-		}
-	}, function() {
-		expect( 17 );
-		
-		var ajaxCalls = 0;
+
+	asyncTest( "cache: persist - expires", storeExpiresLifecycle, function() {
+		expect( 24 );
+
+		var shouldCache = false;
 		$( "#ajax-listener" ).ajaxComplete(function( event, xhr ) {
 			if ( xhr.statusText !== "abort" ) {
-				ok( !ajaxCalls++, "ajax call completed" );
+				ok( !shouldCache, "ajax call completed" );
 			}
 		});
-		
+
 		amplify.request.define( "persist-cache", "ajax", {
 			url: "data/data.json",
 			dataType: "json",
-			cache: { type: 'persist', expires: 450 }
+			cache: { type: "persist", expires: 450 }
 		});
-		
-		// should execute for both requests
+
+		// should execute for 3 requests
 		subscribe( "request.before", function( settings ) {
 			equal( settings.resourceId, "persist-cache", "before message: settings.resourceId" );
 		});
-		// should execute for first request only
+		// should execute for 2 requests
 		subscribe( "request.before.ajax", function( resource ) {
 			equal( resource.resourceId, "persist-cache", "before.ajax message: resource.resourceId" );
 			equal( resource.cache.expires, 450, "before.ajax message: resource.expires");
 		});
-		// should execute for both requests
+		// should execute 3 requests
 		subscribe( "request.success", function( settings, data ) {
 			equal( settings.resourceId, "persist-cache", "success message: settings.resourceId" );
 			deepEqual( data, { foo: "bar" }, "success message: data" );
 		});
-		// should execute for both requests
+		// should execute for 3 requests
 		subscribe( "request.complete", function( settings, data ) {
 			equal( settings.resourceId, "persist-cache", "complete message: settings.resourceId" );
-			deepEqual( data, { foo: "bar" }, "complete message: data" );			
+			deepEqual( data, { foo: "bar" }, "complete message: data" );
 		});
 		subscribe( "request.error", function() {
 			ok( false, "error message published" );
 		});
-		
+
 		amplify.request( "persist-cache", function( data ) {
+			// delay setting the flag because the success callback will be invoked
+			// before the ajaxComplete event is triggered
+			setTimeout(function() {
+				shouldCache = true;
+			}, 1 );
 			deepEqual( data, { foo: "bar" }, "first request callback" );
 			amplify.request( "persist-cache", function( data ) {
 				deepEqual( data, { foo: "bar" }, "second request callback" );
 			});
+			setTimeout(function() {
+				shouldCache = false;
+				amplify.request( "persist-cache", function( data ) {
+					deepEqual( data, { foo: "bar" }, "third request callback" );
+					start();
+				});
+			}, 500 );
 		});
-		
-		setTimeout( function() {
-			deepEqual( amplify.store( amplify.request.cache._key( "persist-cache", "" ) ), { foo: "bar" }, "data not expired: 300" );
-		}, 300 );
-		
-		setTimeout( function() {
-			deepEqual( amplify.store( amplify.request.cache._key( "persist-cache", "" ) ), undefined, "data should be expired: 500" );
-			start();
-		}, 500 );
-		
-		
-		
 	});
-		
+
 	test( "cache types", function() {
 		$.each( amplify.store.types, function( type ) {
 			ok( type in amplify.request.cache, type );
 		});
 	});
-
 }
 
 asyncTest( "decoder: Function - success", function() {