diff --git a/components/date.inc b/components/date.inc
index 6121046..d311643 100644
--- a/components/date.inc
+++ b/components/date.inc
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ function _webform_defaults_date() {
       'title_display' => 0,
       'description' => '',
       'private' => FALSE,
+      'required_error' => '',
     ),
   );
 }
@@ -275,7 +276,13 @@ function webform_validate_date($element, $form_state) {
   // Check if the user filled the required fields.
   foreach (array('day', 'month', 'year') as $field_type) {
     if (!is_numeric($element[$field_type]['#value']) && $element['#required']) {
-      form_error($element, t('!name field is required.', array('!name' => $element['#title'])));
+      $component = $element['#webform_component'];
+      if (isset($component['extra']['required_error']) && drupal_strlen($component['extra']['required_error'])) {
+        form_error($element, $component['extra']['required_error']);
+      }
+      else {
+        form_error($element, t('!name field is required.', array('!name' => $element['#title'])));
+      }
       return;
     }
   }
diff --git a/components/email.inc b/components/email.inc
index a096709..b35a1da 100644
--- a/components/email.inc
+++ b/components/email.inc
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ function _webform_defaults_email() {
       'description' => '',
       'attributes' => array(),
       'private' => FALSE,
+      'required_error' => '',
     ),
   );
 }
@@ -143,6 +144,11 @@ function _webform_render_email($component, $value = NULL, $filter = TRUE) {
     $element['#size'] = $component['extra']['width'];
   }
 
+  // If needed set custom validation error for mandatory element.
+  if ($component['mandatory'] && isset($component['extra']['required_error']) && drupal_strlen($component['extra']['required_error'])) {
+    $element['#required_error'] = $component['extra']['required_error'];
+  }
+
   return $element;
 }
 
diff --git a/components/file.inc b/components/file.inc
index c44541c..5a415fe 100644
--- a/components/file.inc
+++ b/components/file.inc
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ function _webform_defaults_file() {
       'description' => '',
       'attributes' => array(),
       'private' => FALSE,
+      'required_error' => '',
     ),
   );
 }
@@ -417,7 +418,12 @@ function _webform_required_file($element, $form_state) {
 
   if (!$found || (empty($values['_fid']) && empty($values['_old']))) {
     if (empty($_FILES['files']['name'][$form_key]) && $component['mandatory']) {
-      form_error($element, t('%field field is required.', array('%field' => $component['name'])));
+      if (isset($component['extra']['required_error']) && drupal_strlen($component['extra']['required_error'])) {
+        form_error($element, $component['extra']['required_error']);
+      }
+      else {
+        form_error($element, t('%field field is required.', array('%field' => $component['name'])));
+      }
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/components/grid.inc b/components/grid.inc
index 548999d..e696a93 100644
--- a/components/grid.inc
+++ b/components/grid.inc
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ function _webform_defaults_grid() {
       'custom_question_keys' => 0,
       'description' => '',
       'private' => FALSE,
+      'required_error' => '',
     ),
   );
 }
@@ -163,6 +164,11 @@ function _webform_render_grid($component, $value = NULL, $filter = TRUE) {
     $element['#default_value'] = $value;
   }
 
+  // If needed set custom validation error for mandatory element.
+  if ($component['mandatory'] && isset($component['extra']['required_error']) && drupal_strlen($component['extra']['required_error'])) {
+    $element['#required_error'] = $component['extra']['required_error'];
+  }
+
   return $element;
 }
 
diff --git a/components/select.inc b/components/select.inc
index 5f32b72..ed5d2b0 100644
--- a/components/select.inc
+++ b/components/select.inc
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ function _webform_defaults_select() {
       'custom_keys' => FALSE,
       'options_source' => '',
       'private' => FALSE,
+      'required_error' => '',
     ),
   );
 }
@@ -378,6 +379,11 @@ function _webform_render_select($component, $value = NULL, $filter = TRUE) {
     }
   }
 
+  // If needed set custom validation error for mandatory element.
+  if ($component['mandatory'] && isset($component['extra']['required_error']) && drupal_strlen($component['extra']['required_error'])) {
+    $element['#required_error'] = $component['extra']['required_error'];
+  }
+
   return $element;
 }
 
diff --git a/components/textarea.inc b/components/textarea.inc
index b60c382..754dfc8 100644
--- a/components/textarea.inc
+++ b/components/textarea.inc
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ function _webform_defaults_textarea() {
       'description' => '',
       'attributes' => array(),
       'private' => FALSE,
+      'required_error' => '',
     ),
   );
 }
@@ -122,6 +123,11 @@ function _webform_render_textarea($component, $value = NULL, $filter = TRUE) {
     $element['#default_value'] = $value[0];
   }
 
+  // If needed set custom validation error for mandatory element.
+  if ($component['mandatory'] && isset($component['extra']['required_error']) && drupal_strlen($component['extra']['required_error'])) {
+    $element['#required_error'] = $component['extra']['required_error'];
+  }
+
   return $element;
 }
 
diff --git a/components/textfield.inc b/components/textfield.inc
index 7c45881..ab9d6cc 100644
--- a/components/textfield.inc
+++ b/components/textfield.inc
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ function _webform_defaults_textfield() {
       'description' => '',
       'attributes' => array(),
       'private' => FALSE,
+      'required_error' => '',
     ),
   );
 }
@@ -158,6 +159,11 @@ function _webform_render_textfield($component, $value = NULL, $filter = TRUE) {
     $element['#default_value'] = $value[0];
   }
 
+  // If needed set custom validation error for mandatory element.
+  if ($component['mandatory'] && isset($component['extra']['required_error']) && drupal_strlen($component['extra']['required_error'])) {
+    $element['#required_error'] = $component['extra']['required_error'];
+  }
+
   return $element;
 }
 
diff --git a/components/time.inc b/components/time.inc
index f417020..0de1f22 100644
--- a/components/time.inc
+++ b/components/time.inc
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ function _webform_defaults_time() {
       'title_display' => 0,
       'description' => '',
       'private' => FALSE,
+      'required_error' => '',
     ),
   );
 }
@@ -201,7 +202,13 @@ function webform_validate_time($element, $form_state) {
   // Check if the user filled the required fields.
   foreach ($element['#hourformat'] == '12-hour' ? array('hour', 'minute', 'ampm') : array('hour', 'minute') as $field_type) {
     if ($element[$field_type]['#value'] === '' && $element['#required']) {
-      form_error($element, t('%field field is required.', array('%field' => $name)));
+      $component = $element['#webform_component'];
+      if (isset($component['extra']['required_error']) && drupal_strlen($component['extra']['required_error'])) {
+        form_error($element, $component['extra']['required_error']);
+      }
+      else {
+        form_error($element, t('%field field is required.', array('%field' => $name)));
+      }
       return;
     }
   }
diff --git a/includes/webform.components.inc b/includes/webform.components.inc
index 18e74bd..5b809ec 100644
--- a/includes/webform.components.inc
+++ b/includes/webform.components.inc
@@ -454,6 +454,14 @@ function webform_component_edit_form($form, $form_state, $node, $component, $clo
       '#weight' => -1,
       '#parents' => array('mandatory'),
     );
+    $form['validation']['required_error'] = array(
+      '#type' => 'textfield',
+      '#title' => t('Mandatory error message'),
+      '#default_value' => isset($component['extra']['required_error']) ? $component['extra']['required_error'] : '',
+      '#description' => t('This is used as a custom validation error for mandatory element.'),
+      '#weight' => 0,
+      '#parents' => array('extra', 'required_error'),
+    );
   }
 
   // Position settings, only shown if JavaScript is disabled.
diff --git a/webform.module b/webform.module
index 7c90051..9d3b137 100644
--- a/webform.module
+++ b/webform.module
@@ -2063,15 +2063,23 @@ function _webform_client_form_validate($elements, &$form_state, $first_run = TRU
       // checkboxes, can return a valid value of '0'. Instead, check the
       // length if it's a string, and the item count if it's an array. For
       // radios, FALSE means that no value was submitted, so check that too.
-      if ($elements['#required'] && (!count($elements['#value']) || (is_string($elements['#value']) && strlen(trim($elements['#value'])) == 0) || $elements['#value'] === FALSE)) {
-        form_error($elements, t('!name field is required.', array('!name' => $elements['#title'])));
+      if ($elements['#required']) {
+        $is_empty_multiple = (!count($elements['#value']));
+        $is_empty_string = (is_string($elements['#value']) && strlen(trim($elements['#value'])) === 0);
+        $is_empty_value = ($elements['#value'] === FALSE);
+        if ($is_empty_multiple || $is_empty_string || $is_empty_value) {
+          // Flag this element as #required_is_empty to allow #element_validate
+          // handlers to set a custom required error message, but without having
+          // to re-implement the complex logic to figure out whether the field
+          // value is empty.
+          $elements['#required_is_empty'] = TRUE;
+        }
       }
 
       // Verify that the value is not longer than #maxlength.
       if (isset($elements['#maxlength']) && drupal_strlen($elements['#value']) > $elements['#maxlength']) {
         form_error($elements, t('!name cannot be longer than %max characters but is currently %length characters long.', array('!name' => empty($elements['#title']) ? $elements['#parents'][0] : $elements['#title'], '%max' => $elements['#maxlength'], '%length' => drupal_strlen($elements['#value']))));
       }
-
       if (isset($elements['#options']) && isset($elements['#value'])) {
         if ($elements['#type'] == 'select') {
           $options = form_options_flatten($elements['#options']);
@@ -2088,7 +2096,7 @@ function _webform_client_form_validate($elements, &$form_state, $first_run = TRU
             }
           }
         }
-        elseif ($elements['#value'] !== '' && !isset($options[$elements['#value']])) {
+        elseif ($elements['#value'] !== FALSE && !isset($options[$elements['#value']])) {
           form_error($elements, t('An illegal choice has been detected. Please contact the site administrator.'));
           watchdog('form', 'Illegal choice %choice in %name element.', array('%choice' => $elements['#value'], '%name' => empty($elements['#title']) ? $elements['#parents'][0] : $elements['#title']), WATCHDOG_ERROR);
         }
@@ -2104,6 +2112,20 @@ function _webform_client_form_validate($elements, &$form_state, $first_run = TRU
         }
       }
     }
+
+    // Ensure that a #required form error is thrown, regardless of whether
+    // #element_validate handlers changed any properties. If $is_empty_value
+    // is defined, then above #required validation code ran, so the other
+    // variables are also known to be defined and we can test them again.
+    if (isset($is_empty_value) && ($is_empty_multiple || $is_empty_string || $is_empty_value)) {
+      if (isset($elements['#required_error']) && drupal_strlen($elements['#required_error'])) {
+        form_error($elements, $elements['#required_error']);
+      }
+      else {
+        form_error($elements, t('!name field is required.', array('!name' => $elements['#title'])));
+      }
+    }
+
     $elements['#webform_validated'] = TRUE;
   }
 }
diff --git a/webform_hooks.php b/webform_hooks.php
index a90a732..34fa99c 100644
--- a/webform_hooks.php
+++ b/webform_hooks.php
@@ -401,6 +401,7 @@ function _webform_defaults_component() {
       'optrand' => 0,
       'qrand' => 0,
       'description' => '',
+      'required_error' => '',
     ),
   );
 }