diff --git a/internal/evaluator/builder.go b/internal/evaluator/builder.go
index c74ba2b..7e4c7e4 100644
--- a/internal/evaluator/builder.go
+++ b/internal/evaluator/builder.go
@@ -207,18 +207,12 @@ func (bldr *Builder) buildField(
 		Descriptor: fieldDescriptor,
 		Required:   fieldConstraints.GetRequired(),
 		IgnoreEmpty: fieldDescriptor.HasPresence() ||
-			fieldConstraints.GetIgnoreEmpty() ||
-			fieldConstraints.GetIgnore() == validate.Ignore_IGNORE_IF_UNPOPULATED ||
-			fieldConstraints.GetIgnore() == validate.Ignore_IGNORE_IF_DEFAULT_VALUE,
-		IgnoreDefault: fieldDescriptor.HasPresence() && fieldConstraints.GetIgnore() == validate.Ignore_IGNORE_IF_DEFAULT_VALUE,
+			bldr.shouldIgnoreEmpty(fieldConstraints),
+		IgnoreDefault: fieldDescriptor.HasPresence() &&
+			bldr.shouldIgnoreDefault(fieldConstraints),
 	}
 	if fld.IgnoreDefault {
-		if fieldDescriptor.Kind() == protoreflect.MessageKind && fieldDescriptor.Cardinality() != protoreflect.Repeated {
-			msg := dynamicpb.NewMessage(fieldDescriptor.Message())
-			fld.Zero = protoreflect.ValueOfMessage(msg)
-		} else {
-			fld.Zero = fieldDescriptor.Default()
-		}
+		fld.Zero = bldr.zeroValue(fieldDescriptor, false)
 	}
 	err := bldr.buildValue(fieldDescriptor, fieldConstraints, false, &fld.Value, cache)
 	return fld, err
@@ -266,21 +260,9 @@ func (bldr *Builder) processIgnoreEmpty(
 ) error {
 	// the only time we need to ignore empty on a value is if it's evaluating a
 	// field item (repeated element or map key/value).
-	val.IgnoreEmpty = forItems && (constraints.GetIgnoreEmpty() ||
-		constraints.GetIgnore() == validate.Ignore_IGNORE_IF_UNPOPULATED ||
-		constraints.GetIgnore() == validate.Ignore_IGNORE_IF_DEFAULT_VALUE)
-	switch {
-	case !val.IgnoreEmpty:
-		// only need the zero value for checking ignore_empty constraint
-		return nil
-	case fdesc.IsList():
-		msg := dynamicpb.NewMessage(fdesc.ContainingMessage())
-		val.Zero = msg.Get(fdesc).List().NewElement()
-	case fdesc.Kind() == protoreflect.MessageKind:
-		msg := dynamicpb.NewMessage(fdesc.Message())
-		val.Zero = protoreflect.ValueOfMessage(msg)
-	default:
-		val.Zero = fdesc.Default()
+	val.IgnoreEmpty = forItems && bldr.shouldIgnoreEmpty(constraints)
+	if val.IgnoreEmpty {
+		val.Zero = bldr.zeroValue(fdesc, forItems)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -320,9 +302,9 @@ func (bldr *Builder) processEmbeddedMessage(
 	cache MessageCache,
 ) error {
 	if fdesc.Kind() != protoreflect.MessageKind ||
-		rules.GetSkipped() ||
-		rules.GetIgnore() == validate.Ignore_IGNORE_ALWAYS ||
-		fdesc.IsMap() || (fdesc.IsList() && !forItems) {
+		bldr.shouldSkip(rules) ||
+		fdesc.IsMap() ||
+		(fdesc.IsList() && !forItems) {
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -345,9 +327,9 @@ func (bldr *Builder) processWrapperConstraints(
 	cache MessageCache,
 ) error {
 	if fdesc.Kind() != protoreflect.MessageKind ||
-		rules.GetSkipped() ||
-		rules.GetIgnore() == validate.Ignore_IGNORE_ALWAYS ||
-		fdesc.IsMap() || (fdesc.IsList() && !forItems) {
+		bldr.shouldSkip(rules) ||
+		fdesc.IsMap() ||
+		(fdesc.IsList() && !forItems) {
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -486,6 +468,35 @@ func (bldr *Builder) processRepeatedConstraints(
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (bldr *Builder) shouldSkip(constraints *validate.FieldConstraints) bool {
+	return constraints.GetSkipped() ||
+		constraints.GetIgnore() == validate.Ignore_IGNORE_ALWAYS
+}
+
+func (bldr *Builder) shouldIgnoreEmpty(constraints *validate.FieldConstraints) bool {
+	return constraints.GetIgnoreEmpty() ||
+		constraints.GetIgnore() == validate.Ignore_IGNORE_IF_UNPOPULATED ||
+		constraints.GetIgnore() == validate.Ignore_IGNORE_IF_DEFAULT_VALUE
+}
+
+func (bldr *Builder) shouldIgnoreDefault(constraints *validate.FieldConstraints) bool {
+	return constraints.GetIgnore() == validate.Ignore_IGNORE_IF_DEFAULT_VALUE
+}
+
+func (bldr *Builder) zeroValue(fdesc protoreflect.FieldDescriptor, forItems bool) protoreflect.Value {
+	switch {
+	case forItems && fdesc.IsList():
+		msg := dynamicpb.NewMessage(fdesc.ContainingMessage())
+		return msg.Get(fdesc).List().NewElement()
+	case fdesc.Kind() == protoreflect.MessageKind &&
+		fdesc.Cardinality() != protoreflect.Repeated:
+		msg := dynamicpb.NewMessage(fdesc.Message())
+		return protoreflect.ValueOfMessage(msg)
+	default:
+		return fdesc.Default()
+	}
+}
+
 type MessageCache map[protoreflect.MessageDescriptor]*message
 
 func (c MessageCache) Clone() MessageCache {