diff --git a/CHANGELOG-5.0.md b/CHANGELOG-5.0.md
index 48447347bb..1857872c21 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG-5.0.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG-5.0.md
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ All notable changes are documented here. The format is based on [Keep a Changelo
 - Faster item storage, lookup, removal and JSON serialization in `Phalcon\Support\Collection`. [#17683](https://github.com/phalcon/cphalcon/issues/17683)
 - Faster route index build in `Phalcon\Mvc\Router` for routes with no host name. [#17693](https://github.com/phalcon/cphalcon/issues/17693)
 - Faster service registration in `Phalcon\Factory\AbstractFactory` and the factories that extend it. [#17696](https://github.com/phalcon/cphalcon/issues/17696)
+- Faster construction of the validators in `Phalcon\Filter\Validation`. [#17697](https://github.com/phalcon/cphalcon/issues/17697)
 
 ### Added
 
diff --git a/phalcon/Filter/Validation/AbstractValidator.zep b/phalcon/Filter/Validation/AbstractValidator.zep
index 4de94ee493..93fe48722f 100644
--- a/phalcon/Filter/Validation/AbstractValidator.zep
+++ b/phalcon/Filter/Validation/AbstractValidator.zep
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ use Phalcon\Contracts\Filter\FilterTypes;
 use Phalcon\Filter\Validation;
 use Phalcon\Filter\Validation\Exceptions\FieldNotPrintable;
 use Phalcon\Messages\Message;
-use Phalcon\Support\Helper\Arr\Whitelist;
 
 /**
  * This is a base class for validators
@@ -60,10 +59,17 @@ abstract class AbstractValidator implements ValidatorInterface
      */
     public function __construct(array options = [])
     {
-        var template, whitelist;
+        var key, value,
+            template = false;
 
-        let whitelist = new Whitelist(),
-            template  = current(whitelist->__invoke(options, ["template", "message", 0]));
+        // Find the first "template", "message" or 0 key, in the order of the options
+        for key, value in options {
+            if key === "template" || key === "message" || key === 0 {
+                let template = options[key];
+
+                break;
+            }
+        }
 
         if typeof template == "array" {
             this->setTemplates(template);
diff --git a/tests/unit/Filter/Validation/Validator/ConstructTest.php b/tests/unit/Filter/Validation/Validator/ConstructTest.php
index 0fc1b85c4f..ee62ab1983 100755
--- a/tests/unit/Filter/Validation/Validator/ConstructTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/Filter/Validation/Validator/ConstructTest.php
@@ -74,6 +74,55 @@ public static function getExamples(): array
         ];
     }
 
+    public static function getTemplateCases(): array
+    {
+        $default = 'Field :field is required';
+
+        // options, expected options, expected template, template changed, expected templates
+        return [
+            'no options'         => [[], [], $default, false, []],
+            'other option'       => [['allowEmpty' => true], ['allowEmpty' => true], $default, false, []],
+            'template'           => [
+                ['template' => 'Tpl', 'allowEmpty' => true],
+                ['allowEmpty' => true, 'message' => 'Tpl'],
+                'Tpl',
+                true,
+                [],
+            ],
+            'integer key'        => [
+                ['Msg0', 'allowEmpty' => true],
+                ['allowEmpty' => true, 'message' => 'Msg0'],
+                'Msg0',
+                true,
+                [],
+            ],
+            'message first'      => [['message' => 'Msg', 'template' => 'Tpl'], ['message' => 'Msg'], 'Msg', true, []],
+            'template first'     => [['template' => 'Tpl', 'message' => 'Msg'], ['message' => 'Tpl'], 'Tpl', true, []],
+            'empty string first' => [
+                ['template' => '', 'message' => 'Msg'],
+                ['template' => '', 'message' => 'Msg'],
+                '',
+                true,
+                [],
+            ],
+            'null first'         => [
+                ['message' => null, 'template' => 'Tpl'],
+                ['message' => null, 'template' => 'Tpl'],
+                $default,
+                false,
+                [],
+            ],
+            'array templates'    => [
+                ['message' => ['name' => 'Name msg']],
+                ['message' => ['name' => 'Name msg']],
+                $default,
+                false,
+                ['name' => 'Name msg'],
+            ],
+            'other integer key'  => [[1 => 'One'], [1 => 'One'], $default, false, []],
+        ];
+    }
+
     /**
      * @author       Phalcon Team <team@phalcon.io>
      * @since        2018-11-13
@@ -120,6 +169,56 @@ public function testFilterValidationValidatorConstruct(): void
         $this->assertSame($expected, $actual);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @author Phalcon Team <team@phalcon.io>
+     * @since  2026-10-27
+     */
+    #[DataProvider('getTemplateCases')]
+    public function testFilterValidationValidatorConstructTemplate(
+        array $options,
+        array $expectedOptions,
+        string $expectedTemplate,
+        bool $expectedChanged,
+        array $expectedTemplates
+    ): void {
+        $validator = new PresenceOf($options);
+
+        $actual = $this->getProtectedProperty($validator, 'options');
+        $this->assertSame($expectedOptions, $actual);
+
+        $actual = $this->getProtectedProperty($validator, 'template');
+        $this->assertSame($expectedTemplate, $actual);
+
+        $actual = $this->getProtectedProperty($validator, 'templateChanged');
+        $this->assertSame($expectedChanged, $actual);
+
+        $actual = $validator->getTemplates();
+        $this->assertSame($expectedTemplates, $actual);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @author Phalcon Team <team@phalcon.io>
+     * @since  2026-10-27
+     */
+    public function testFilterValidationValidatorConstructTemplateReference(): void
+    {
+        $message   = 'Msg';
+        $validator = new PresenceOf(['message' => &$message]);
+
+        $actual = $this->getProtectedProperty($validator, 'template');
+        $this->assertSame('Msg', $actual);
+
+        $actual = $this->getProtectedProperty($validator, 'templateChanged');
+        $this->assertTrue($actual);
+
+        $templates = ['name' => 'Name msg'];
+        $validator = new PresenceOf(['message' => &$templates]);
+
+        $expected = ['name' => 'Name msg'];
+        $actual   = $validator->getTemplates();
+        $this->assertSame($expected, $actual);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @author Phalcon Team <team@phalcon.io>
      * @since  2018-11-13