diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/uploadvalidator/FooterValidator.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/uploadvalidator/FooterValidator.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fcffa47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/uploadvalidator/FooterValidator.java
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2014 The Android Open Source Project
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.uploadvalidator;
+
+import com.google.common.base.Function;
+import com.google.common.collect.FluentIterable;
+import com.google.gerrit.extensions.annotations.PluginName;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.config.PluginConfig;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.config.PluginConfigFactory;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.events.CommitReceivedEvent;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.git.validators.CommitValidationException;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.git.validators.CommitValidationListener;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.git.validators.CommitValidationMessage;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.project.NoSuchProjectException;
+import com.google.inject.Inject;
+
+import org.eclipse.jgit.revwalk.FooterLine;
+
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.LinkedList;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Locale;
+import java.util.Set;
+
+public class FooterValidator implements CommitValidationListener {
+  public static String KEY_REQUIRED_FOOTER = "requiredFooter";
+
+  private final String pluginName;
+  private final PluginConfigFactory cfgFactory;
+
+  @Inject
+  FooterValidator(@PluginName String pluginName, PluginConfigFactory cfgFactory) {
+    this.pluginName = pluginName;
+    this.cfgFactory = cfgFactory;
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public List<CommitValidationMessage> onCommitReceived(
+      CommitReceivedEvent receiveEvent) throws CommitValidationException {
+    try {
+      PluginConfig cfg =
+          cfgFactory.getFromProjectConfig(
+              receiveEvent.project.getNameKey(), pluginName);
+      String[] requiredFooters =
+          cfg.getStringList(KEY_REQUIRED_FOOTER);
+      if (requiredFooters.length > 0) {
+        List<CommitValidationMessage> messages = new LinkedList<>();
+        Set<String> footers = FluentIterable.from(receiveEvent.commit.getFooterLines())
+            .transform(new Function<FooterLine, String>() {
+                @Override
+                public String apply(FooterLine f) {
+                    return f.getKey().toLowerCase(Locale.US);
+                }
+            })
+            .toSet();
+        for (int i = 0; i < requiredFooters.length; i++) {
+          if (!footers.contains(requiredFooters[i].toLowerCase(Locale.US))) {
+            messages.add(new CommitValidationMessage(
+                "missing required footer: " + requiredFooters[i], true));
+          }
+        }
+        if (!messages.isEmpty()) {
+          throw new CommitValidationException(
+              "missing required footers in commit message", messages);
+        }
+      }
+    } catch (NoSuchProjectException e) {
+      throw new CommitValidationException("failed to check for required footers", e);
+    }
+
+    return Collections.emptyList();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/uploadvalidator/Module.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/uploadvalidator/Module.java
index d5328f8..44bf5c6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/uploadvalidator/Module.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/uploadvalidator/Module.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 package com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.uploadvalidator;
 
 import static com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.uploadvalidator.FileExtensionValidator.KEY_BLOCKED_FILE_EXTENSION;
+import static com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.uploadvalidator.FooterValidator.KEY_REQUIRED_FOOTER;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.annotations.Exports;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.registration.DynamicSet;
@@ -27,7 +28,6 @@
   protected void configure() {
     DynamicSet.bind(binder(), CommitValidationListener.class)
         .to(FileExtensionValidator.class);
-
     bind(ProjectConfigEntry.class)
         .annotatedWith(Exports.named(KEY_BLOCKED_FILE_EXTENSION))
         .toInstance(
@@ -35,5 +35,15 @@
                 ProjectConfigEntry.Type.ARRAY, null, false,
                 "Forbidden file extensions. Pushes of commits that "
                     + "contain files with these extensions will be rejected."));
+
+    DynamicSet.bind(binder(), CommitValidationListener.class)
+        .to(FooterValidator.class);
+    bind(ProjectConfigEntry.class)
+        .annotatedWith(Exports.named(KEY_REQUIRED_FOOTER))
+        .toInstance(
+            new ProjectConfigEntry("Required Footers", null,
+                ProjectConfigEntry.Type.ARRAY, null, false,
+                "Required footers. Pushes of commits that miss any"
+                    + " of the footers will be rejected."));
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/resources/Documentation/about.md b/src/main/resources/Documentation/about.md
index 3cd7ee0..e9d1359 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/Documentation/about.md
+++ b/src/main/resources/Documentation/about.md
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 This plugin allows to configure upload validations per project.
 
-Project owners can configure blocked file extensions. Pushes of commits
-that contain files with these extensions are rejected by Gerrit.
+Project owners can configure blocked file extensions and required
+footers. Pushes of commits that contain files with blocked extensions
+or that miss a required footer in the commit message are rejected by
+Gerrit.
diff --git a/src/main/resources/Documentation/config.md b/src/main/resources/Documentation/config.md
index 6515655..72386b3 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/Documentation/config.md
+++ b/src/main/resources/Documentation/config.md
@@ -13,9 +13,15 @@
     blockedFileExtension = zip
     blockedFileExtension = war
     blockedFileExtension = exe
+    requiredFooter = Bug
 ```
 
 plugin.@PLUGIN@.blockedFileExtension
 :	File extension to be blocked.
 
 	Blocked file extensions are *not* inherited by child projects.
+
+plugin.@PLUGIN@.requiredFooter
+:	Footer that is required.
+
+	Required footers are *not* inherited by child projects.