diff --git a/src/utils/validation.cpp b/src/utils/validation.cpp
index 71e25d6e5..7c954fef9 100644
--- a/src/utils/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/validation.cpp
@@ -1,77 +1,113 @@
 /* -*- mode: c++; c-basic-offset:4 -*-
     utils/validation.cpp
 
     This file is part of Kleopatra, the KDE keymanager
     SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2008 Klarälvdalens Datakonsult AB
 
     SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
 */
 
 #include <config-kleopatra.h>
 
 #include "validation.h"
 
 #include <utils/multivalidator.h>
 
 #include <KEmailAddress>
 
 #include "kleopatra_debug.h"
 
 #include <QRegularExpression>
 
 
 using namespace Kleo;
 
 namespace
 {
 
+template<class Validator>
+class EmptyIsAcceptableValidator : public Validator
+{
+public:
+    using Validator::Validator;
+
+    QValidator::State validate(QString &str, int &pos) const override
+    {
+        if (str.trimmed().isEmpty()) {
+            return QValidator::Acceptable;
+        }
+        return Validator::validate(str, pos);
+    }
+};
+
 class EMailValidator : public QValidator
 {
 public:
     explicit EMailValidator(QObject *parent = nullptr) : QValidator(parent) {}
 
     State validate(QString &str, int &pos) const override
     {
         Q_UNUSED(pos)
         if (KEmailAddress::isValidSimpleAddress(str)) {
             return Acceptable;
         }
         return Intermediate;
     }
 };
 
+QValidator *regularExpressionValidator(Validation::Flags flags, const QString &regexp, QObject *parent)
+{
+    if (flags & Validation::Required) {
+        return new QRegularExpressionValidator{QRegularExpression{regexp}, parent};
+    } else {
+        return new EmptyIsAcceptableValidator<QRegularExpressionValidator>{QRegularExpression{regexp}, parent};
+    }
+}
+
 }
 
-QValidator *Validation::email(QObject *parent)
+QValidator *Validation::email(Flags flags, QObject *parent)
 {
-    return new EMailValidator(parent);
+    if (flags & Required) {
+        return new EMailValidator{parent};
+    } else {
+        return new EmptyIsAcceptableValidator<EMailValidator>{parent};
+    }
 }
 
-QValidator *Validation::email(const QString &addRX, QObject *parent)
+QValidator *Validation::email(const QString &addRX, Flags flags, QObject *parent)
 {
-    return new MultiValidator{email(), new QRegularExpressionValidator{QRegularExpression{addRX}, nullptr}, parent};
+    return new MultiValidator{email(flags), regularExpressionValidator(flags, addRX, nullptr), parent};
 }
 
-QValidator *Validation::pgpName(QObject *parent)
+QValidator *Validation::pgpName(Flags flags, QObject *parent)
 {
     // this regular expression is modeled after gnupg/g10/keygen.c:ask_user_id:
     static const auto name_rx = QRegularExpression{QStringLiteral("[^0-9<>][^<>@]{3,}")};
-    return new QRegularExpressionValidator{name_rx, parent};
+    if (flags & Required) {
+        return new QRegularExpressionValidator{name_rx, parent};
+    } else {
+        return new EmptyIsAcceptableValidator<QRegularExpressionValidator>{name_rx, parent};
+    }
 }
 
-QValidator *Validation::pgpName(const QString &addRX, QObject *parent)
+QValidator *Validation::pgpName(const QString &addRX, Flags flags, QObject *parent)
 {
-    return new MultiValidator{pgpName(), new QRegularExpressionValidator{QRegularExpression{addRX}, nullptr}, parent};
+    return new MultiValidator{pgpName(flags), regularExpressionValidator(flags, addRX, nullptr), parent};
 }
 
-QValidator *Validation::pgpComment(QObject *parent)
+QValidator *Validation::pgpComment(Flags flags, QObject *parent)
 {
     // this regular expression is modeled after gnupg/g10/keygen.c:ask_user_id:
     static const auto comment_rx = QRegularExpression{QStringLiteral("[^()]*")};
-    return new QRegularExpressionValidator{comment_rx, parent};
+    if (flags & Required) {
+        return new QRegularExpressionValidator{comment_rx, parent};
+    } else {
+        return new EmptyIsAcceptableValidator<QRegularExpressionValidator>{comment_rx, parent};
+    }
 }
 
-QValidator *Validation::pgpComment(const QString &addRX, QObject *parent)
+QValidator *Validation::pgpComment(const QString &addRX, Flags flags, QObject *parent)
 {
-    return new MultiValidator{pgpComment(), new QRegularExpressionValidator{QRegularExpression{addRX}, nullptr}, parent};
+    return new MultiValidator{pgpComment(flags), regularExpressionValidator(flags, addRX, nullptr), parent};
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/validation.h b/src/utils/validation.h
index afc92d01d..3b76abc60 100644
--- a/src/utils/validation.h
+++ b/src/utils/validation.h
@@ -1,31 +1,35 @@
 /* -*- mode: c++; c-basic-offset:4 -*-
     utils/validation.h
 
     This file is part of Kleopatra, the KDE keymanager
     SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2008 Klarälvdalens Datakonsult AB
 
     SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
 */
 
 #pragma once
 
 class QObject;
 class QString;
 class QValidator;
 
 namespace Kleo
 {
 namespace Validation
 {
 
-QValidator *email(QObject *parent = nullptr);
-QValidator *pgpName(QObject *parent = nullptr);
-QValidator *pgpComment(QObject *parent = nullptr);
+enum Flags {
+    Optional,
+    Required
+};
 
-QValidator *email(const QString &additionalRegExp, QObject *parent = nullptr);
-QValidator *pgpName(const QString &additionalRegExp, QObject *parent = nullptr);
-QValidator *pgpComment(const QString &additionalRegExp, QObject *parent = nullptr);
+QValidator *email(Flags flags = Required, QObject *parent = nullptr);
+QValidator *pgpName(Flags flags = Required, QObject *parent = nullptr);
+QValidator *pgpComment(Flags flags = Required, QObject *parent = nullptr);
+
+QValidator *email(const QString &additionalRegExp, Flags flags = Required, QObject *parent = nullptr);
+QValidator *pgpName(const QString &additionalRegExp, Flags flags = Required, QObject *parent = nullptr);
+QValidator *pgpComment(const QString &additionalRegExp, Flags flags = Required, QObject *parent = nullptr);
 
 }
 }
-