diff --git a/ckanext/scheming/ckan_formpages.yaml b/ckanext/scheming/ckan_formpages.yaml
index 4ec88909..c2ace29c 100644
--- a/ckanext/scheming/ckan_formpages.yaml
+++ b/ckanext/scheming/ckan_formpages.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ dataset_type: formpages
 about: The default CKAN dataset schema with form split across multiple pages
 about_url: http://github.com/ckan/ckanext-scheming
 
+draft_fields_required: false
 
 dataset_fields:
 
@@ -54,6 +55,8 @@ dataset_fields:
   label: Version
   validators: ignore_missing unicode_safe package_version_validator
   form_placeholder: '1.0'
+  required: true
+  validators: scheming_required unicode_safe package_version_validator
 
 - start_form_page:
     title: Contact Info
@@ -63,6 +66,8 @@ dataset_fields:
   label: Author
   form_placeholder: Joe Bloggs
   display_property: dc:creator
+  required: true
+  validators: scheming_required unicode_safe
 
 - field_name: author_email
   label: Author Email
@@ -95,6 +100,8 @@ resource_fields:
 - field_name: name
   label: Name
   form_placeholder: eg. January 2011 Gold Prices
+  required: true
+  validators: scheming_required unicode_safe
 
 - field_name: description
   label: Description
diff --git a/ckanext/scheming/validation.py b/ckanext/scheming/validation.py
index d91dd13d..e8cb006b 100644
--- a/ckanext/scheming/validation.py
+++ b/ckanext/scheming/validation.py
@@ -22,10 +22,6 @@
 import ckanext.scheming.helpers as sh
 from ckanext.scheming.errors import SchemingException
 
-OneOf = get_validator('OneOf')
-ignore_missing = get_validator('ignore_missing')
-not_empty = get_validator('not_empty')
-
 all_validators = {}
 
 
@@ -65,6 +61,7 @@ def scheming_choices(field, schema):
     """
     Require that one of the field choices values is passed.
     """
+    OneOf = get_validator('OneOf')
     if 'choices' in field:
         return OneOf([c['value'] for c in field['choices']])
 
@@ -84,11 +81,27 @@ def validator(value):
 @register_validator
 def scheming_required(field, schema):
     """
-    not_empty if field['required'] else ignore_missing
+    return a validator based on field['required']
+    and schema['draft_fields_required'] setting
     """
-    if field.get('required'):
-        return not_empty
-    return ignore_missing
+    if not field.get('required'):
+        return get_validator('ignore_missing')
+    if not schema.get('draft_fields_required', True):
+        return get_validator('scheming_draft_fields_not_required')
+    return get_validator('not_empty')
+
+
+@register_validator
+def scheming_draft_fields_not_required(key, data, errors, context):
+    """
+    call ignore_missing if state is draft, otherwise not_empty
+    """
+    state = data.get(('state',), '')
+    if state.startswith('draft'):
+        v = get_validator('ignore_missing')
+    else:
+        v = get_validator('not_empty')
+    v(key, data, errors, context)
 
 
 @scheming_validator