diff --git a/lib/seed-fu/active_record_extension.rb b/lib/seed-fu/active_record_extension.rb
index 87c5167..ab9d982 100644
--- a/lib/seed-fu/active_record_extension.rb
+++ b/lib/seed-fu/active_record_extension.rb
@@ -29,7 +29,12 @@ module ActiveRecordExtension
     #       { :x => 5, :y => 9,  :name => "Office" }
     #     )
     def seed(*args, &block)
-      SeedFu::Seeder.new(self, *parse_seed_fu_args(args, block)).seed
+      do_seed({}, *args, &block)
+    end
+    
+    # Has the same behavior as {#seed}, but will run validations and raise an error if they fail.
+    def seed!(*args, &block)
+      do_seed({ :validate => true}, *args, &block)
     end
 
     # Has the same syntax as {#seed}, but if a record already exists with the same values for
@@ -40,11 +45,20 @@ def seed(*args, &block)
     #   Person.seed(:id, :id => 1, :name => "Bob") # => Name changed
     #   Person.seed(:id, :id => 1, :name => "Harry") # => Name *not* changed
     def seed_once(*args, &block)
-      constraints, data = parse_seed_fu_args(args, block)
-      SeedFu::Seeder.new(self, constraints, data, :insert_only => true).seed
+      do_seed({:insert_only => true}, *args, &block)
+    end
+    
+    # Has the same behavior as {#seed_once}, but will run validations and raise an error if they fail.
+    def seed_once!(*args, &block)
+      do_seed({:insert_only => true, :validate => true}, *args, &block)
     end
 
     private
+    
+      def do_seed(options, *args, &block)
+        constraints, data = parse_seed_fu_args(args, block)
+        SeedFu::Seeder.new(self, constraints, data, options).seed
+      end
 
       def parse_seed_fu_args(args, block)
         if block.nil?
diff --git a/lib/seed-fu/seeder.rb b/lib/seed-fu/seeder.rb
index ef4f53c..c2fc45d 100644
--- a/lib/seed-fu/seeder.rb
+++ b/lib/seed-fu/seeder.rb
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ def initialize(model_class, constraints, data, options = {})
       @options     = options.symbolize_keys
 
       @options[:quiet] ||= SeedFu.quiet
+      @options[:validate] ||= false  # replace nil with false
 
       validate_constraints!
       validate_data!
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ def seed_record(data)
         puts " - #{@model_class} #{data.inspect}" unless @options[:quiet]
 
         record.assign_attributes(data,  :without_protection => true)
-        record.save(:validate => false) || raise(ActiveRecord::RecordNotSaved)
+        record.save!(:validate => @options[:validate])
         record
       end
 
diff --git a/spec/seeder_spec.rb b/spec/seeder_spec.rb
index cf89077..b5ef457 100644
--- a/spec/seeder_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/seeder_spec.rb
@@ -123,7 +123,38 @@
   it "should not perform validation" do
     lambda { SeededModel.seed(:id => 1) }.should_not raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid)
   end
-
+  
+  it "should validate attributes with seed!" do
+    expect do
+      SeededModel.seed!(:id) do |s|
+        s.id = 1
+        s.login = "bob"
+      end
+    end.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid)
+  end
+    
+  it "should validate attributes with seed_once!" do
+    expect do
+      SeededModel.seed_once!(:id) do |s|
+        s.id = 1
+        s.login = "bob"
+      end
+    end.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid)
+  end
+  
+  it "should pass validation with seed!" do
+    expect do
+      SeededModel.seed!(:id) do |s|
+        s.id = 1
+        s.login = "bob"
+        s.title = "Exists"
+      end
+    end.should_not raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid)
+    
+    bob = SeededModel.find_by_id(1)
+    bob.title.should == 'Exists'
+  end
+  
   if ENV["DB"] == "postgresql"
     it "should update the primary key sequence after a records have been seeded" do
       id = SeededModel.connection.select_value("SELECT currval('seeded_models_id_seq')").to_i + 1