diff --git a/database/database.mysql b/database/database.mysql
index 874bde898b0..fd7f2298010 100644
--- a/database/database.mysql
+++ b/database/database.mysql
@@ -325,6 +325,7 @@ CREATE TABLE profile_fields (
   page varchar(255) default NULL,
   type varchar(128) default NULL,
   weight tinyint(1) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
+  required tinyint(1) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
   overview tinyint(1) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
   options text,
   KEY category (category),
diff --git a/database/updates.inc b/database/updates.inc
index 663bccf612a..f5ddfc7fba5 100644
--- a/database/updates.inc
+++ b/database/updates.inc
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ $sql_updates = array(
   "2004-02-03" => "update_78",
   "2004-02-21" => "update_79",
   "2004-03-11: first update since Drupal 4.4.0 release" => "update_80",
-  "2004-02-20" => "update_81"
+  "2004-02-20" => "update_81",
+  "2004-02-27" => "update_82"
 );
 
 function update_32() {
@@ -890,6 +891,11 @@ function update_81() {
   return $ret;
 }
 
+function update_82() {
+  $ret[] = update_sql("ALTER TABLE {profile_fields} ADD required tinyint(1) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL");
+  return $ret;
+}
+
 function update_sql($sql) {
   $edit = $_POST["edit"];
   $result = db_query($sql);
diff --git a/modules/profile.module b/modules/profile.module
index d382687dcb9..e3db77656b6 100644
--- a/modules/profile.module
+++ b/modules/profile.module
@@ -185,6 +185,9 @@ function profile_validate_profile($edit) {
         return t("The value provided for '%field' is not a valid URL.", array('%field' => $field->title));
       }
     }
+    else if ($field->required) {
+      return t("The field '%field' is required.", array('%field' => $field->title));
+    }
   }
 
   return $edit;
@@ -240,7 +243,7 @@ function profile_admin_add($type) {
       drupal_set_message($error, 'error');
     }
     else {
-      db_query("INSERT INTO {profile_fields} (title, name, explanation, category, type, weight, overview, options, page) VALUES ('%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', %d, %d, '%s', '%s')", $data['title'], $data['name'], $data['explanation'], $data['category'], $type, $data['weight'], $data['overview'], $data['options'], $data['page']);
+      db_query("INSERT INTO {profile_fields} (title, name, explanation, category, type, weight, required, overview, options, page) VALUES ('%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', %d, %d, %d, '%s', '%s')", $data['title'], $data['name'], $data['explanation'], $data['category'], $type, $data['weight'], $data['required'], $data['overview'], $data['options'], $data['page']);
 
       drupal_set_message(t('the field has been created.'));
     }
@@ -262,7 +265,7 @@ function profile_admin_edit($fid) {
 
     }
     else {
-      db_query("UPDATE {profile_fields} SET title = '%s', name = '%s', explanation = '%s', category = '%s', weight = %d, overview = %d, options = '%s', page = '%s' WHERE fid = %d", $data['title'], $data['name'], $data['explanation'], $data['category'], $data['weight'], $data['overview'], $data['options'], $data['page'], $fid);
+      db_query("UPDATE {profile_fields} SET title = '%s', name = '%s', explanation = '%s', category = '%s', weight = %d, required = %d, overview = %d, options = '%s', page = '%s' WHERE fid = %d", $data['title'], $data['name'], $data['explanation'], $data['category'], $data['weight'], $data['required'], $data['overview'], $data['options'], $data['page'], $fid);
 
       drupal_set_message(t('the field has been updated.'));
     }
@@ -291,6 +294,7 @@ Unless you know what you are doing, it is highly recommended that you prefix the
     $group .= form_textarea(t('Selection options'), 'options', $edit['options'], 70, 8, t("A list of all options.  Put each option on a separate line.  Example options are 'red', 'blue', 'green', etc."));
   }
   $group .= form_weight(t('Weight'), 'weight', $edit['weight'], 5, t("The weights define the order in which the form fields are shown.  Lighter fields \"float up\" towards the top of the category."));
+  $group .= form_checkbox(t('Required field.'), 'required', 1, $edit['required']);
   $output = form_group(t('Field settings'), $group);
 
   $group = '';
diff --git a/modules/profile/profile.module b/modules/profile/profile.module
index d382687dcb9..e3db77656b6 100644
--- a/modules/profile/profile.module
+++ b/modules/profile/profile.module
@@ -185,6 +185,9 @@ function profile_validate_profile($edit) {
         return t("The value provided for '%field' is not a valid URL.", array('%field' => $field->title));
       }
     }
+    else if ($field->required) {
+      return t("The field '%field' is required.", array('%field' => $field->title));
+    }
   }
 
   return $edit;
@@ -240,7 +243,7 @@ function profile_admin_add($type) {
       drupal_set_message($error, 'error');
     }
     else {
-      db_query("INSERT INTO {profile_fields} (title, name, explanation, category, type, weight, overview, options, page) VALUES ('%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', %d, %d, '%s', '%s')", $data['title'], $data['name'], $data['explanation'], $data['category'], $type, $data['weight'], $data['overview'], $data['options'], $data['page']);
+      db_query("INSERT INTO {profile_fields} (title, name, explanation, category, type, weight, required, overview, options, page) VALUES ('%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', %d, %d, %d, '%s', '%s')", $data['title'], $data['name'], $data['explanation'], $data['category'], $type, $data['weight'], $data['required'], $data['overview'], $data['options'], $data['page']);
 
       drupal_set_message(t('the field has been created.'));
     }
@@ -262,7 +265,7 @@ function profile_admin_edit($fid) {
 
     }
     else {
-      db_query("UPDATE {profile_fields} SET title = '%s', name = '%s', explanation = '%s', category = '%s', weight = %d, overview = %d, options = '%s', page = '%s' WHERE fid = %d", $data['title'], $data['name'], $data['explanation'], $data['category'], $data['weight'], $data['overview'], $data['options'], $data['page'], $fid);
+      db_query("UPDATE {profile_fields} SET title = '%s', name = '%s', explanation = '%s', category = '%s', weight = %d, required = %d, overview = %d, options = '%s', page = '%s' WHERE fid = %d", $data['title'], $data['name'], $data['explanation'], $data['category'], $data['weight'], $data['required'], $data['overview'], $data['options'], $data['page'], $fid);
 
       drupal_set_message(t('the field has been updated.'));
     }
@@ -291,6 +294,7 @@ Unless you know what you are doing, it is highly recommended that you prefix the
     $group .= form_textarea(t('Selection options'), 'options', $edit['options'], 70, 8, t("A list of all options.  Put each option on a separate line.  Example options are 'red', 'blue', 'green', etc."));
   }
   $group .= form_weight(t('Weight'), 'weight', $edit['weight'], 5, t("The weights define the order in which the form fields are shown.  Lighter fields \"float up\" towards the top of the category."));
+  $group .= form_checkbox(t('Required field.'), 'required', 1, $edit['required']);
   $output = form_group(t('Field settings'), $group);
 
   $group = '';
diff --git a/modules/user.module b/modules/user.module
index 13cb6c7a62f..01ba436019b 100644
--- a/modules/user.module
+++ b/modules/user.module
@@ -1512,19 +1512,6 @@ function user_admin_edit($edit = array()) {
   if ($account = user_load(array('uid' => $id))) {
 
     if ($op == t("Save account")) {
-      foreach (module_list() as $module) {
-        if (module_hook($module, 'user')) {
-          $result = module_invoke($module, 'user', 'validate', $edit, $account);
-        }
-        if (is_array($result)) {
-          $data = array_merge($data, $result);
-        }
-        elseif (is_string($result)) {
-          $error = $result;
-          break;
-        }
-      }
-
       // TODO: this display/edit/validate should be moved to a new profile module implementing the _user hooks
       if ($error = user_validate_name($edit['name'])) {
         // do nothing
@@ -1539,6 +1526,23 @@ function user_admin_edit($edit = array()) {
         $error = t("The e-mail address '%s' is already taken.", array("%s" => $edit['mail']));
       }
 
+      /*
+      ** Validate fields added by other modules.
+      */
+
+      foreach (module_list() as $module) {
+        if (module_hook($module, 'user')) {
+          $result = module_invoke($module, 'user', 'validate', $edit, $account);
+        }
+        if (is_array($result)) {
+          $data = array_merge($data, $result);
+        }
+        elseif (is_string($result)) {
+          $error = $result;
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+
       /*
       ** If required, validate the picture.
       */
diff --git a/modules/user/user.module b/modules/user/user.module
index 13cb6c7a62f..01ba436019b 100644
--- a/modules/user/user.module
+++ b/modules/user/user.module
@@ -1512,19 +1512,6 @@ function user_admin_edit($edit = array()) {
   if ($account = user_load(array('uid' => $id))) {
 
     if ($op == t("Save account")) {
-      foreach (module_list() as $module) {
-        if (module_hook($module, 'user')) {
-          $result = module_invoke($module, 'user', 'validate', $edit, $account);
-        }
-        if (is_array($result)) {
-          $data = array_merge($data, $result);
-        }
-        elseif (is_string($result)) {
-          $error = $result;
-          break;
-        }
-      }
-
       // TODO: this display/edit/validate should be moved to a new profile module implementing the _user hooks
       if ($error = user_validate_name($edit['name'])) {
         // do nothing
@@ -1539,6 +1526,23 @@ function user_admin_edit($edit = array()) {
         $error = t("The e-mail address '%s' is already taken.", array("%s" => $edit['mail']));
       }
 
+      /*
+      ** Validate fields added by other modules.
+      */
+
+      foreach (module_list() as $module) {
+        if (module_hook($module, 'user')) {
+          $result = module_invoke($module, 'user', 'validate', $edit, $account);
+        }
+        if (is_array($result)) {
+          $data = array_merge($data, $result);
+        }
+        elseif (is_string($result)) {
+          $error = $result;
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+
       /*
       ** If required, validate the picture.
       */