diff --git media.module media.module
index 1b3500b..9e0f6b0 100644
--- media.module
+++ media.module
@@ -985,7 +985,7 @@ function media_element_info() {
     '#input' => TRUE,
     '#process' => array('media_element_process'),
     //'#value_callback' => 'media_element_value',
-    //'#element_validate' => array('file_managed_file_validate'),
+    '#element_validate' => array('media_element_validate'),
     '#theme_wrappers' => array('container'),
     '#progress_indicator' => 'throbber',
     '#extended' => FALSE,
@@ -1018,6 +1018,7 @@ function media_element_process(&$element, &$form_state, $form) {
     '#title' => $element['#title'],
     '#markup' => '',
     '#description' => $element['#description'],
+    '#required' => $element['#required'],
   );
 
   //@TODO: This should be loaded from the JS in case of a failed form submission.
@@ -1092,6 +1093,27 @@ function media_element_process(&$element, &$form_state, $form) {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Validate media form elements. The file type is validated during the upload process, but this is
+ * necessary in order to respect the #required property.
+ */
+function media_element_validate(&$element, &$form_state) {
+  if ($element['#required']) {
+    $field_name = $element['#field_name'];
+    $lang = $element['#language'];
+
+    $has_value = FALSE;
+    foreach ($form_state['values'][$field_name][$lang] as $value) {
+      if ($value['fid']) {
+        $has_value = TRUE;
+      }
+    }
+    if (!$has_value) {
+      form_error($element, t('%element_title is required.', array('%element_title' => $element['#title'])));
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+/**
  * Implements hook_filter_info().
  *
  * For performance, the media filter is allowed to be cached by default. See