required input elements displays error message before submit is pressed? (IE8)

[John]

This works fine in Chrome but in IE8 the required error message is displayed as 
soon as the page is displayed before the form is submitted?

Any ideas what the issue is? Maybe I should just validate on the form submit, 
but I'd rather catch this on the client side.

John



<form t:type="form" t:id="form">

   <t:errors />

   <t:label for="username" style="width:100px;">${message:label.name}</t:label>
   <input t:type="TextField" t:id="username" t:validate="required,minlength=3"
    size="30" />
   <br />
   <t:label for="password" 
style="width:100px;">${message:label.password}</t:label>
   <input t:type="PasswordField" t:id="password" 
t:validate="required,minlength=3"
    size="30" />
   <br />
   <t:if test="kaptchaRequired">
    <br />
    ${message:kaptchawarning}
    <br />
    <t:kaptchaimage t:id="kaptcha" />
    <br />
    <t:kaptchafield image="kaptcha" />
    <br />
   </t:if>
   <br />

   <input type="submit" value="${message:button.login}" />

  </form>