diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index adc383f..e5cc8f2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ The `default` option supports both values and no-argument functions (like `Date.
 - `match`: A regex string that should match the value *(optional)*
 - `validate`: A 1-argument function that returns `false` if the value is invalid *(optional)*
 - `unique`: A boolean value indicating if a 'unique' index should be set *(optional)*
+- `required`: A boolean value indicating if a key value is required *(optional)*
 
 To reference another document, just use its class name as the type.
 
diff --git a/lib/base-document.js b/lib/base-document.js
index 1b8ca12..6b0d935 100644
--- a/lib/base-document.js
+++ b/lib/base-document.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ var _ = require('lodash');
 var DB = require('./clients').getClient;
 var isSupportedType = require('./validate').isSupportedType;
 var isValidType = require('./validate').isValidType;
+var isEmptyValue = require('./validate').isEmptyValue;
 var isInChoices = require('./validate').isInChoices;
 var isArray = require('./validate').isArray;
 var isDocument = require('./validate').isDocument;
@@ -139,6 +140,11 @@ class BaseDocument {
                     ' should be ' + typeName + ', got ' + valueName);
             }
 
+            if (that._schema[key].required && isEmptyValue(value)) {
+                throw new Error('Key ' + that.collectionName() + '.' + key +
+                    ' is required' + ', but got ' + value);
+            }
+
             if (that._schema[key].match && isString(value) && !that._schema[key].match.test(value)) {
                 throw new Error('Value assigned to ' + that.collectionName() + '.' + key +
                     ' does not match the regex/string ' + that._schema[key].match.toString() + '. Value was ' + value);
diff --git a/lib/validate.js b/lib/validate.js
index 7ceb48e..1cd6a6e 100644
--- a/lib/validate.js
+++ b/lib/validate.js
@@ -122,6 +122,11 @@ var isInChoices = function(choices, choice) {
 	return choices.indexOf(choice) > -1;
 };
 
+var isEmptyValue = function(value) {
+    return typeof value === 'undefined' || (!(typeof value === 'number' || value instanceof Date || typeof value === 'boolean')
+        && (0 === Object.keys(value).length));
+};
+
 exports.isString = isString;
 exports.isNumber = isNumber;
 exports.isBoolean = isBoolean;
@@ -136,4 +141,5 @@ exports.isNativeId = isNativeId;
 exports.isSupportedType = isSupportedType;
 exports.isType = isType;
 exports.isValidType = isValidType;
-exports.isInChoices = isInChoices;
\ No newline at end of file
+exports.isInChoices = isInChoices;
+exports.isEmptyValue = isEmptyValue;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/document.test.js b/test/document.test.js
index 1c45c8f..ecfe2fc 100644
--- a/test/document.test.js
+++ b/test/document.test.js
@@ -1086,6 +1086,348 @@ describe('Document', function() {
         });
     });
 
+    describe('required', function() {
+        it('should accept empty value that is not reqired', function(done) {
+
+            class Person extends Document {
+                constructor() {
+                    super();
+
+                    this.name = {
+                        type: String,
+                        required: false
+                    };
+                }
+
+                static collectionName() {
+                    return 'people';
+                }
+            }
+
+            var person = Person.create({
+                name: ''
+            });
+
+            person.save().then(function() {
+                validateId(person);
+                expect(person.name).to.be.equal('');
+            }).then(done, done);
+        });
+
+        it('should accept value that is not undefined', function(done) {
+
+            class Person extends Document {
+                constructor() {
+                    super();
+
+                    this.name = {
+                        type: String,
+                        required: true
+                    };
+                }
+
+                static collectionName() {
+                    return 'people';
+                }
+            }
+
+            var person = Person.create({
+                name: 'Scott'
+            });
+
+            person.save().then(function() {
+                validateId(person);
+                expect(person.name).to.be.equal('Scott');
+            }).then(done, done);
+        });
+
+        it('should accept an empty value if default is specified', function(done) {
+
+            class Person extends Document {
+                constructor() {
+                    super();
+
+                    this.name = {
+                        type: String,
+                        required: true,
+                        default: 'Scott'
+                    };
+                }
+
+                static collectionName() {
+                    return 'people';
+                }
+            }
+
+            var person = Person.create();
+
+            person.save().then(function() {
+                validateId(person);
+                expect(person.name).to.be.equal('Scott');
+            }).then(done, done);
+        });
+
+        it('should accept boolean value', function(done) {
+
+            class Person extends Document {
+                constructor() {
+                    super();
+
+                    this.isSingle = {
+                        type: Boolean,
+                        required: true
+                    };
+                    this.isMerried = {
+                        type: Boolean,
+                        required: true
+                    };
+                }
+
+                static collectionName() {
+                    return 'people';
+                }
+            }
+
+            var person = Person.create({
+                isMerried: true,
+                isSingle: false
+            });
+
+            person.save().then(function() {
+                validateId(person);
+                expect(person.isMerried).to.be.true;
+                expect(person.isSingle).to.be.false;
+            }).then(done, done);
+        });
+
+        it('should accept date value', function(done) {
+
+            class Person extends Document {
+                constructor() {
+                    super();
+
+                    this.birthDate = {
+                        type: Date,
+                        required: true
+                    };
+                }
+
+                static collectionName() {
+                    return 'people';
+                }
+            }
+
+            var myBirthDate = new Date();
+
+            var person = Person.create({
+                birthDate: myBirthDate
+            });
+
+            person.save().then(function(savedPerson) {
+                validateId(person);
+                expect(savedPerson.birthDate).to.equal(myBirthDate);
+            }).then(done, done);
+        });
+
+        it('should accept any number value', function(done) {
+
+            class Person extends Document {
+                constructor() {
+                    super();
+
+                    this.age = {
+                        type: Number,
+                        required: true
+                    };
+                    this.level = {
+                        type: Number,
+                        required: true
+                    };
+                }
+
+                static collectionName() {
+                    return 'people';
+                }
+            }
+
+            var person = Person.create({
+                age: 21,
+                level: 0
+            });
+
+            person.save().then(function(savedPerson) {
+                validateId(person);
+                expect(savedPerson.age).to.equal(21);
+                expect(savedPerson.level).to.equal(0);
+            }).then(done, done);
+        });
+
+        it('should reject value that is undefined', function(done) {
+
+            class Person extends Document {
+                constructor() {
+                    super();
+
+                    this.name = {
+                        type: String,
+                        required: true
+                    };
+                }
+
+                static collectionName() {
+                    return 'people';
+                }
+            }
+
+            var person = Person.create();
+
+            person.save().then(function() {
+                fail(null, Error, 'Expected error, but got none.');
+            }).catch(function(error) {
+                expectError(error);
+            }).then(done, done);
+        });
+
+        it('should reject value if specified default empty value', function(done) {
+
+            class Person extends Document {
+                constructor() {
+                    super();
+
+                    this.name = {
+                        type: String,
+                        required: true,
+                        default: ''
+                    };
+                }
+
+                static collectionName() {
+                    return 'people';
+                }
+            }
+
+            var person = Person.create();
+
+            person.save().then(function() {
+                fail(null, Error, 'Expected error, but got none.');
+            }).catch(function(error) {
+                expectError(error);
+            }).then(done, done);
+        });
+
+        it('should reject value that is null', function(done) {
+
+            class Person extends Document {
+                constructor() {
+                    super();
+
+                    this.name = {
+                        type: Object,
+                        required: true
+                    };
+                }
+
+                static collectionName() {
+                    return 'people';
+                }
+            }
+
+            var person = Person.create({
+                name: null
+            });
+
+            person.save().then(function() {
+                fail(null, Error, 'Expected error, but got none.');
+            }).catch(function(error) {
+                expectError(error);
+            }).then(done, done);
+        });
+
+        it('should reject value that is an empty array', function(done) {
+
+            class Person extends Document {
+                constructor() {
+                    super();
+
+                    this.names = {
+                        type: Array,
+                        required: true
+                    };
+                }
+
+                static collectionName() {
+                    return 'people';
+                }
+            }
+
+            var person = Person.create({
+                names: []
+            });
+
+            person.save().then(function() {
+                fail(null, Error, 'Expected error, but got none.');
+            }).catch(function(error) {
+                expectError(error);
+            }).then(done, done);
+        });
+
+        it('should reject value that is an empty string', function(done) {
+
+            class Person extends Document {
+                constructor() {
+                    super();
+
+                    this.name = {
+                        type: String,
+                        required: true
+                    };
+                }
+
+                static collectionName() {
+                    return 'people';
+                }
+            }
+
+            var person = Person.create({
+                name: ''
+            });
+
+            person.save().then(function() {
+                fail(null, Error, 'Expected error, but got none.');
+            }).catch(function(error) {
+                expectError(error);
+            }).then(done, done);
+        });
+
+        it('should reject value that is an empty object', function(done) {
+
+            class Person extends Document {
+                constructor() {
+                    super();
+
+                    this.names = {
+                        type: Object,
+                        required: true
+                    };
+                }
+
+                static collectionName() {
+                    return 'people';
+                }
+            }
+
+            var person = Person.create({
+                names: {}
+            });
+
+            person.save().then(function() {
+                fail(null, Error, 'Expected error, but got none.');
+            }).catch(function(error) {
+                expectError(error);
+            }).then(done, done);
+        });
+    });
+
     describe('hooks', function() {
         it('should call all pre and post functions', function(done) {