diff --git a/py/h2o_wave/types.py b/py/h2o_wave/types.py
index 955a4dc0184..14cac74fd64 100644
--- a/py/h2o_wave/types.py
+++ b/py/h2o_wave/types.py
@@ -2892,6 +2892,7 @@ def __init__(
             compact: Optional[bool] = None,
             visible: Optional[bool] = None,
             tooltip: Optional[str] = None,
+            required: Optional[bool] = None,
     ):
         _guard_scalar('FileUpload.name', name, (str,), True, False, False)
         _guard_scalar('FileUpload.label', label, (str,), False, True, False)
@@ -2904,6 +2905,7 @@ def __init__(
         _guard_scalar('FileUpload.compact', compact, (bool,), False, True, False)
         _guard_scalar('FileUpload.visible', visible, (bool,), False, True, False)
         _guard_scalar('FileUpload.tooltip', tooltip, (str,), False, True, False)
+        _guard_scalar('FileUpload.required', required, (bool,), False, True, False)
         self.name = name
         """An identifying name for this component."""
         self.label = label
@@ -2926,6 +2928,8 @@ def __init__(
         """True if the component should be visible. Defaults to True."""
         self.tooltip = tooltip
         """An optional tooltip message displayed when a user clicks the help icon to the right of the component."""
+        self.required = required
+        """True if this is a required field. Defaults to False."""
 
     def dump(self) -> Dict:
         """Returns the contents of this object as a dict."""
@@ -2940,6 +2944,7 @@ def dump(self) -> Dict:
         _guard_scalar('FileUpload.compact', self.compact, (bool,), False, True, False)
         _guard_scalar('FileUpload.visible', self.visible, (bool,), False, True, False)
         _guard_scalar('FileUpload.tooltip', self.tooltip, (str,), False, True, False)
+        _guard_scalar('FileUpload.required', self.required, (bool,), False, True, False)
         return _dump(
             name=self.name,
             label=self.label,
@@ -2952,6 +2957,7 @@ def dump(self) -> Dict:
             compact=self.compact,
             visible=self.visible,
             tooltip=self.tooltip,
+            required=self.required,
         )
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -2979,6 +2985,8 @@ def load(__d: Dict) -> 'FileUpload':
         _guard_scalar('FileUpload.visible', __d_visible, (bool,), False, True, False)
         __d_tooltip: Any = __d.get('tooltip')
         _guard_scalar('FileUpload.tooltip', __d_tooltip, (str,), False, True, False)
+        __d_required: Any = __d.get('required')
+        _guard_scalar('FileUpload.required', __d_required, (bool,), False, True, False)
         name: str = __d_name
         label: Optional[str] = __d_label
         multiple: Optional[bool] = __d_multiple
@@ -2990,6 +2998,7 @@ def load(__d: Dict) -> 'FileUpload':
         compact: Optional[bool] = __d_compact
         visible: Optional[bool] = __d_visible
         tooltip: Optional[str] = __d_tooltip
+        required: Optional[bool] = __d_required
         return FileUpload(
             name,
             label,
@@ -3002,6 +3011,7 @@ def load(__d: Dict) -> 'FileUpload':
             compact,
             visible,
             tooltip,
+            required,
         )
 
 
diff --git a/py/h2o_wave/ui.py b/py/h2o_wave/ui.py
index 33e6a779957..9ee1c43b7cc 100644
--- a/py/h2o_wave/ui.py
+++ b/py/h2o_wave/ui.py
@@ -1123,6 +1123,7 @@ def file_upload(
         compact: Optional[bool] = None,
         visible: Optional[bool] = None,
         tooltip: Optional[str] = None,
+        required: Optional[bool] = None,
 ) -> Component:
     """Create a file upload component.
     A file upload component allows a user to browse, select and upload one or more files.
@@ -1139,6 +1140,7 @@ def file_upload(
         compact: True if the component should be displayed compactly (without drag-and-drop capabilities). Defaults to False.
         visible: True if the component should be visible. Defaults to True.
         tooltip: An optional tooltip message displayed when a user clicks the help icon to the right of the component.
+        required: True if this is a required field. Defaults to False.
     Returns:
         A `h2o_wave.types.FileUpload` instance.
     """
@@ -1154,6 +1156,7 @@ def file_upload(
         compact,
         visible,
         tooltip,
+        required,
     ))
 
 
diff --git a/r/R/ui.R b/r/R/ui.R
index 708ac43770c..09dc70aca44 100644
--- a/r/R/ui.R
+++ b/r/R/ui.R
@@ -1324,6 +1324,7 @@ ui_mini_buttons <- function(
 #' @param compact True if the component should be displayed compactly (without drag-and-drop capabilities). Defaults to False.
 #' @param visible True if the component should be visible. Defaults to True.
 #' @param tooltip An optional tooltip message displayed when a user clicks the help icon to the right of the component.
+#' @param required True if this is a required field. Defaults to False.
 #' @return A FileUpload instance.
 #' @export
 ui_file_upload <- function(
@@ -1337,7 +1338,8 @@ ui_file_upload <- function(
   width = NULL,
   compact = NULL,
   visible = NULL,
-  tooltip = NULL) {
+  tooltip = NULL,
+  required = NULL) {
   .guard_scalar("name", "character", name)
   .guard_scalar("label", "character", label)
   .guard_scalar("multiple", "logical", multiple)
@@ -1349,6 +1351,7 @@ ui_file_upload <- function(
   .guard_scalar("compact", "logical", compact)
   .guard_scalar("visible", "logical", visible)
   .guard_scalar("tooltip", "character", tooltip)
+  .guard_scalar("required", "logical", required)
   .o <- list(file_upload=list(
     name=name,
     label=label,
@@ -1360,7 +1363,8 @@ ui_file_upload <- function(
     width=width,
     compact=compact,
     visible=visible,
-    tooltip=tooltip))
+    tooltip=tooltip,
+    required=required))
   class(.o) <- append(class(.o), c(.wave_obj, "WaveComponent"))
   return(.o)
 }
diff --git a/tools/intellij-plugin/src/main/resources/templates/wave-components.xml b/tools/intellij-plugin/src/main/resources/templates/wave-components.xml
index 7b887b96211..bd1ca4e2d29 100644
--- a/tools/intellij-plugin/src/main/resources/templates/wave-components.xml
+++ b/tools/intellij-plugin/src/main/resources/templates/wave-components.xml
@@ -1195,7 +1195,7 @@
       <option name="Python" value="true"/>
     </context>
   </template>
-  <template name="w_full_file_upload" value="ui.file_upload(name='$name$',label='$label$',multiple=$multiple$,max_file_size=$max_file_size$,max_size=$max_size$,height='$height$',width='$width$',compact=$compact$,visible=$visible$,tooltip='$tooltip$',file_extensions=[&#10;	$file_extensions$	&#10;]),$END$" description="Create Wave FileUpload with full attributes." toReformat="true" toShortenFQNames="true">
+  <template name="w_full_file_upload" value="ui.file_upload(name='$name$',label='$label$',multiple=$multiple$,max_file_size=$max_file_size$,max_size=$max_size$,height='$height$',width='$width$',compact=$compact$,visible=$visible$,tooltip='$tooltip$',required=$required$,file_extensions=[&#10;	$file_extensions$	&#10;]),$END$" description="Create Wave FileUpload with full attributes." toReformat="true" toShortenFQNames="true">
     <variable name="name" expression="" defaultValue="" alwaysStopAt="true"/>
     <variable name="label" expression="" defaultValue="&quot;Upload&quot;" alwaysStopAt="true"/>
     <variable name="multiple" expression="" defaultValue="&quot;False&quot;" alwaysStopAt="true"/>
@@ -1206,6 +1206,7 @@
     <variable name="compact" expression="" defaultValue="&quot;False&quot;" alwaysStopAt="true"/>
     <variable name="visible" expression="" defaultValue="&quot;True&quot;" alwaysStopAt="true"/>
     <variable name="tooltip" expression="" defaultValue="" alwaysStopAt="true"/>
+    <variable name="required" expression="" defaultValue="&quot;False&quot;" alwaysStopAt="true"/>
     <variable name="file_extensions" expression="" defaultValue="" alwaysStopAt="true"/>
     <context>
       <option name="Python" value="true"/>
diff --git a/tools/vscode-extension/component-snippets.json b/tools/vscode-extension/component-snippets.json
index 5c1de3ebb85..703082bbdd4 100644
--- a/tools/vscode-extension/component-snippets.json
+++ b/tools/vscode-extension/component-snippets.json
@@ -1066,7 +1066,7 @@
   "Wave Full FileUpload": {
     "prefix": "w_full_file_upload",
     "body": [
-      "ui.file_upload(name='$1', label='${2:Upload\"}', multiple=${3:False}, max_file_size=${4:None}, max_size=${5:None}, height='${6:300px}', width='${7:100%'}', compact=${8:False}, visible=${9:True}, tooltip='$10', file_extensions=[\n\t\t$11\t\t\n]),$0"
+      "ui.file_upload(name='$1', label='${2:Upload\"}', multiple=${3:False}, max_file_size=${4:None}, max_size=${5:None}, height='${6:300px}', width='${7:100%'}', compact=${8:False}, visible=${9:True}, tooltip='$10', required=${11:False}, file_extensions=[\n\t\t$12\t\t\n]),$0"
     ],
     "description": "Create a full Wave FileUpload."
   },
diff --git a/ui/src/file_upload.tsx b/ui/src/file_upload.tsx
index b00bc8a6fda..1f29f1da7b5 100644
--- a/ui/src/file_upload.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/file_upload.tsx
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 import * as Fluent from '@fluentui/react'
 import { B, F, Id, S, U, xid } from 'h2o-wave'
 import React from 'react'
-import { stylesheet } from 'typestyle'
+import { style, stylesheet } from 'typestyle'
 import { centerMixin, clas, cssVar, dashed, padding } from './theme'
 import { wave } from './ui'
 
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ export interface FileUpload {
   visible?: B
   /** An optional tooltip message displayed when a user clicks the help icon to the right of the component. */
   tooltip?: S
+  /** True if this is a required field. Defaults to False. */
+  required?: B
 }
 
 const
@@ -72,9 +74,16 @@ const
       minWidth: 80,
       boxSizing: 'border-box',
       height: 32,
+      display: 'inline-block'
+    },
+    asterisk: {
       $nest: {
-        '&:hover': {
-          cursor: 'pointer'
+        '&::after': {
+          content: "'*'",
+          verticalAlign: 'top',
+          paddingLeft: '2px',
+          lineHeight: '12px',
+          position: 'absolute',
         }
       }
     },
@@ -103,13 +112,14 @@ const convertMegabytesToBytes = (bytes: F) => bytes * 1024 * 1024
 export const
   XFileUpload = ({ model }: { model: FileUpload }) => {
     const
-      { name, label, file_extensions, max_file_size, compact, height, max_size, multiple } = model,
+      { name, label, file_extensions, max_file_size, compact, height, max_size, multiple, required } = model,
       [isDragging, setIsDragging] = React.useState(false),
       [files, setFiles] = React.useState<File[]>([]),
       [fileNames, setFileNames] = React.useState<S>(''),
       [percentComplete, setPercentComplete] = React.useState(0.0),
       [error, setError] = React.useState(''),
       [successMsg, setSuccessMsg] = React.useState(''),
+      { semanticColors: { errorText: errorTextColor } } = Fluent.useTheme(),
       maxFileSizeBytes = max_file_size ? convertMegabytesToBytes(max_file_size) : 0,
       maxSizeBytes = max_size ? convertMegabytesToBytes(max_size) : 0,
       fileExtensions = file_extensions ? file_extensions.map(e => e.startsWith('.') ? e : `.${e}`) : null,
@@ -304,7 +314,9 @@ export const
               type='file'
               accept={fileExtensions?.join(',')}
               multiple={multiple} />
-            <label htmlFor={name} className={css.uploadLabel}>Browse...</label>
+            <div className={required ? clas(css.asterisk, style({ $nest: { '&::after': { color: errorTextColor } } })) : undefined}>
+              <label htmlFor={name} className={css.uploadLabel}>Browse...</label>
+            </div>
             <Fluent.Text styles={{ root: { marginTop: 15 } }}>Or drag and drop {multiple ? 'files' : 'a file'} here.</Fluent.Text>
           </>
         )
@@ -328,7 +340,7 @@ export const
                 <>
                   {label && <Fluent.Label style={{ paddingTop: 6 }}>{label}</Fluent.Label>}
                   <div className={css.compact}>
-                    <Fluent.TextField data-test={`textfield-${name}`} readOnly value={fileNames} errorMessage={error} />
+                    <Fluent.TextField data-test={`textfield-${name}`} readOnly value={fileNames} errorMessage={error} required={required} />
                     <input id={name} data-test={name} type='file' hidden onChange={onChange} accept={fileExtensions?.join(',')} multiple={multiple} />
                     <label htmlFor={name} className={clas(css.uploadLabel, css.uploadLabelCompact)}>Browse</label>
                   </div>