diff --git a/wizard-common/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/model/entityconfig/EntityConfig.java b/wizard-common/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/model/entityconfig/EntityConfig.java
index 63b2c75..ebd3ab7 100644
--- a/wizard-common/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/model/entityconfig/EntityConfig.java
+++ b/wizard-common/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/model/entityconfig/EntityConfig.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import org.cobbzilla.util.string.HasLocale;
 import org.cobbzilla.util.string.StringUtil;
 import org.cobbzilla.wizard.model.entityconfig.annotations.*;
 import org.cobbzilla.wizard.model.search.SqlViewField;
+import org.cobbzilla.wizard.validation.HasValue;
 import org.cobbzilla.wizard.validation.ValidationResult;
 import org.cobbzilla.wizard.validation.Validator;
 import org.springframework.core.type.filter.AnnotationTypeFilter;
@@ -530,7 +531,7 @@ public class EntityConfig {
                                                           ECForeignKey fkAnnotation,
                                                           Map<String, Integer> fieldIndexes) {
         final EntityFieldConfig cfg = new EntityFieldConfig()
-                .setRequired(fieldAnnotation.required())
+                .setRequired(fieldIsRequired(accessor, fieldAnnotation))
                 .setMode(fieldAnnotation.mode())
                 .setType(getFieldType(fieldName, fieldAnnotation, accessor, fkAnnotation));
         if (!empty(fieldAnnotation.name())) cfg.setName(fieldAnnotation.name());
@@ -547,6 +548,21 @@ public class EntityConfig {
         return cfg;
     }
 
+    private boolean fieldIsRequired(AccessibleObject accessor, ECField fieldAnnotation) {
+        if (fieldAnnotation.required() != EntityFieldRequired.unset) {
+            return fieldAnnotation.required().bool();
+        }
+        HasValue hasValueAnnotation = accessor.getAnnotation(HasValue.class);
+        if (hasValueAnnotation != null) return true;
+        Column columnAnnotation = accessor.getAnnotation(Column.class);
+        if (columnAnnotation == null) return true;
+        if (columnAnnotation.nullable()) return false;
+        if (!empty(columnAnnotation.columnDefinition()) && columnAnnotation.columnDefinition().matches("\\s+NOT\\s+NULL\\s*")) {
+            return true;
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
     private EntityFieldType getFieldType(String fieldName, ECField fieldAnnotation, AccessibleObject accessor, ECForeignKey fkAnnotation) {
         if (fieldAnnotation.type() != EntityFieldType.none_set) return fieldAnnotation.type();
         if (fkAnnotation != null) return EntityFieldType.reference;
diff --git a/wizard-common/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/model/entityconfig/annotations/ECField.java b/wizard-common/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/model/entityconfig/annotations/ECField.java
index 7dde23b..fe3ccf3 100644
--- a/wizard-common/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/model/entityconfig/annotations/ECField.java
+++ b/wizard-common/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/model/entityconfig/annotations/ECField.java
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ public @interface ECField {
     String displayName() default "";
     EntityFieldMode mode() default EntityFieldMode.standard;
     EntityFieldType type() default EntityFieldType.none_set;
-    boolean required() default true;
+    EntityFieldRequired required() default EntityFieldRequired.unset;
     int length() default -1;
     EntityFieldControl control() default EntityFieldControl.unset;
     String options() default "";
diff --git a/wizard-common/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/model/entityconfig/annotations/EntityFieldRequired.java b/wizard-common/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/model/entityconfig/annotations/EntityFieldRequired.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e945a1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-common/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/model/entityconfig/annotations/EntityFieldRequired.java
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package org.cobbzilla.wizard.model.entityconfig.annotations;
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonCreator;
+import lombok.AllArgsConstructor;
+
+@AllArgsConstructor
+public enum EntityFieldRequired {
+
+    required (true), optional (false), unset (null);
+
+    private final Boolean booleanValue;
+
+    @JsonCreator public static EntityFieldRequired fromString (String v) { return valueOf(v.toLowerCase()); }
+
+    public Boolean bool() { return booleanValue; }
+
+}