diff --git a/QuickForm2.php b/QuickForm2.php
index 6a181b6c..0623aaca 100644
--- a/QuickForm2.php
+++ b/QuickForm2.php
@@ -194,5 +194,22 @@ public function __toString()
     {
         throw new HTML_QuickForm2_Exception('Not implemented');
     }
+
+   /**
+    * Performs the server-side validation
+    *
+    * @return   boolean Whether all form's elements are valid
+    */
+    public function validate()
+    {
+        $isSubmitted = false;
+        foreach ($this->datasources as $ds) {
+            if ($ds instanceof HTML_QuickForm2_DataSource_Submit) {
+                $isSubmitted = true;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        return $isSubmitted? parent::validate(): false;
+    }
 }
 ?>
diff --git a/QuickForm2/Container.php b/QuickForm2/Container.php
index 0758e66d..f0429385 100644
--- a/QuickForm2/Container.php
+++ b/QuickForm2/Container.php
@@ -403,6 +403,23 @@ protected function updateValue()
             $child->updateValue();
         }
     }
+
+
+   /**
+    * Performs the server-side validation
+    *
+    * This method also calls validate() on all contained elements.
+    * 
+    * @return   boolean Whether the container and all contained elements are valid
+    */
+    protected function validate()
+    {
+        $valid = parent::validate();
+        foreach ($this as $child) {
+            $valid = $child->validate() && $valid;
+        }
+        return $valid;
+    }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/tests/QuickForm2/ContainerTest.php b/tests/QuickForm2/ContainerTest.php
index 78023e2d..0845e845 100644
--- a/tests/QuickForm2/ContainerTest.php
+++ b/tests/QuickForm2/ContainerTest.php
@@ -46,10 +46,19 @@
  * Container class
  */
 require_once 'HTML/QuickForm2/Container.php';
+
+/**
+ * Base class for "scalar" elements
+ */
 require_once 'HTML/QuickForm2/Element.php';
 
 /**
- * PHPUnit2 Test Case
+ * Base class for HTML_QuickForm2 rules
+ */
+require_once 'HTML/QuickForm2/Rule.php';
+
+/**
+ * PHPUnit Test Case
  */
 require_once 'PHPUnit/Framework/TestCase.php';
 
@@ -81,12 +90,15 @@ public function setValue($value)
  * A non-abstract subclass of Container 
  *
  * Container class is still abstract, we should "implement" the remaining methods
+ * and also make validate() public to be able to test it.
  */
 class HTML_QuickForm2_ContainerImpl extends HTML_QuickForm2_Container
 {
     public function getType() { return 'concrete'; }
     public function setValue($value) { return ''; }
     public function __toString() { return ''; }
+
+    public function validate() { return parent::validate(); }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -428,5 +440,37 @@ public function testGetValue()
             'baz' => 'yet another value'
         ), $c1->getValue());
     }
+
+    public function testValidate()
+    {
+        $cValidate = new HTML_QuickForm2_ContainerImpl('validate');
+        $el1 = $cValidate->appendChild(new HTML_QuickForm2_ElementImpl2('foo'));
+        $el2 = $cValidate->appendChild(new HTML_QuickForm2_ElementImpl2('bar'));
+
+        $ruleTrue1 = $this->getMock(
+            'HTML_QuickForm2_Rule', array('checkValue'),
+            array($cValidate, 'irrelevant message')
+        );
+        $ruleTrue1->expects($this->once())->method('checkValue')
+                  ->will($this->returnValue(true));
+        $ruleFalse = $this->getMock(
+            'HTML_QuickForm2_Rule', array('checkValue'),
+            array($el1, 'some error')
+        );
+        $ruleFalse->expects($this->once())->method('checkValue')
+                  ->will($this->returnValue(false));
+        $ruleTrue2 = $this->getMock(
+            'HTML_QuickForm2_Rule', array('checkValue'),
+            array($el2, 'irrelevant message')
+        );
+        $ruleTrue2->expects($this->once())->method('checkValue')
+                  ->will($this->returnValue(true));
+
+        $cValidate->addRule($ruleTrue1);
+        $el1->addRule($ruleFalse);
+        $el2->addRule($ruleTrue2);
+        $this->assertFalse($cValidate->validate());
+        $this->assertEquals('', $cValidate->getError());
+    }
 }
 ?>
diff --git a/tests/QuickForm2Test.php b/tests/QuickForm2Test.php
index b81b7210..51af9b49 100644
--- a/tests/QuickForm2Test.php
+++ b/tests/QuickForm2Test.php
@@ -173,6 +173,15 @@ public function testSetDataSources()
         $this->fail('Expected HTML_QuickForm2_InvalidArgumentException was not thrown');
     }
 
+    public function testValidateChecksWhetherFormIsSubmitted()
+    {
+        $form1 = new HTML_QuickForm2('notrack', 'post');
+        $this->assertFalse($form1->validate());
+
+        $form2 = new HTML_QuickForm2('track', 'post');
+        $this->assertTrue($form2->validate());
+    }
+
     public function tearDown()
     {
         $_REQUEST = $this->request;