diff --git a/core.js b/core.js
index 8d07cfe..62f2302 100644
--- a/core.js
+++ b/core.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ function Checkit(validations, options) {
   this.language       = Checkit.i18n[options.language || Checkit.language] || {};
   this.labelTransform = options.labelTransform || Checkit.labelTransform
   this.validations    = prepValidations(validations || {});
+  this.mode = options.mode;
 }
 
 Checkit.VERSION = '0.6.0';
@@ -198,7 +199,7 @@ function processItem(runner, currentValidation, key, context) {
 
   // If the rule isn't an existence / required check, return
   // true if the value doesn't exist.
-  if (rule !== 'accepted' && rule !== 'exists' && rule !== 'required') {
+  if (runner.checkit.mode !== 'strict' && rule !== 'accepted' && rule !== 'exists' && rule !== 'required') {
     if (value === '' || value == null) return;
   }
   var result = runRule(runner.validator, runner, rule, params)
diff --git a/test/spec.js b/test/spec.js
index 977ad13..5787cbb 100644
--- a/test/spec.js
+++ b/test/spec.js
@@ -453,4 +453,13 @@ describe('Checkit', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('strict mode', function () {
+	  it('should run all rules in strict mode', function(){
+		  var arr = Checkit({
+			  "emptyString": ['exactLength:1']
+		  }, {mode: 'strict'}).runSync({emptyString: ''})
+		  assert(arr[0] instanceof Checkit.Error)
+	  });
+  });
+
 });