diff --git a/Yesod/Text/Markdown.hs b/Yesod/Text/Markdown.hs
--- a/Yesod/Text/Markdown.hs
+++ b/Yesod/Text/Markdown.hs
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@
 markdownField :: (Monad m, RenderMessage (HandlerSite m) FormMessage) => Field m Markdown
 markdownField = Field
     { fieldParse = parseHelper $ Right . Markdown . fromStrict
-    , fieldView = \theId name attrs val _isReq -> toWidget
+    , fieldView = \theId name attrs val isReq -> toWidget
         [hamlet|$newline never
-<textarea id="#{theId}" name="#{name}" *{attrs}>#{either id extractStrict val}
+<textarea id="#{theId}" name="#{name}" :isReq:required="" *{attrs}>#{either id extractStrict val}
 |]
    , fieldEnctype = UrlEncoded -- I choose UrlEncoded because textareaField is
      }
diff --git a/yesod-text-markdown.cabal b/yesod-text-markdown.cabal
--- a/yesod-text-markdown.cabal
+++ b/yesod-text-markdown.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                yesod-text-markdown
-version:             0.1.6
+version:             0.1.7
 synopsis:            Yesod support for Text.Markdown.
 description:         Use Text.Markdown in a typical yesod project.
                      This module contains instances related to persistence,