diff --git a/redirect.admin.inc b/redirect.admin.inc
index 880f596..001b43c 100644
--- a/redirect.admin.inc
+++ b/redirect.admin.inc
@@ -473,6 +473,13 @@ function redirect_element_validate_redirect($element, &$form_state) {
     form_error($element, t('The redirect path %value is not valid.', array('%value' => $value)));
   }
 
+  // validate internal URLs so redirects cannot lead to 404 pages.
+  if (variable_get('redirect_validate_internal_url') == 1) {
+    if (!drupal_valid_path($value)) {
+      form_error($element, t('The redirect path %value is not valid.', array('%value' => $value)));
+    }
+  }
+
   return $element;
 }
 
@@ -636,6 +643,11 @@ function redirect_settings_form($form, &$form_state) {
     '#description' => t('Only redirects managaged by the redirect module itself will be deleted. Redirects managed by other modules will be left alone.'),
     '#disabled' => variable_get('redirect_page_cache', 0) && !variable_get('page_cache_invoke_hooks', TRUE),
   );
+  $form['redirect_validate_internal_url'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'checkbox',
+    '#title' => t('Validate internal URLs so redirects cannot lead to 404 pages.'),
+    '#default_value' => variable_get('redirect_validate_internal_url', 0),
+  );
 
   $form['globals'] = array(
     '#type' => 'fieldset',