diff --git a/src/main/java/uk/org/iay/incommon/mda/validate/string/AcceptStringRegexValidator.java b/src/main/java/uk/org/iay/incommon/mda/validate/string/AcceptStringRegexValidator.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b6850cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/uk/org/iay/incommon/mda/validate/string/AcceptStringRegexValidator.java
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package uk.org.iay.incommon.mda.validate.string;
+
+import java.util.regex.Matcher;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+
+import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
+
+import net.shibboleth.metadata.Item;
+import net.shibboleth.metadata.validate.BaseValidator;
+import net.shibboleth.metadata.validate.Validator;
+import net.shibboleth.utilities.java.support.annotation.constraint.NonnullAfterInit;
+import net.shibboleth.utilities.java.support.component.ComponentInitializationException;
+import net.shibboleth.utilities.java.support.component.ComponentSupport;
+
+/**
+ * A <code>Validator</code> that accepts {@link String} values matching a regular expression.
+ *
+ * This validator returns {@link net.shibboleth.metadata.validate.Validator.Action#DONE}
+ * if the entire value is matched by the regular expression, thus terminating any validator sequence.
+ */
+public class AcceptStringRegexValidator extends BaseValidator implements Validator<String> {
+
+    /** Regular expression to be accepted by this validator. */
+    @NonnullAfterInit
+    private String regex;
+
+    /** Compiled regular expression to use in match operations. */
+    @NonnullAfterInit
+    private Pattern pattern;
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the regular expression.
+     *
+     * @return Returns the regular expression.
+     */
+    @NonnullAfterInit
+    public String getRegex() {
+        return regex;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the regular expression to be accepted.
+     *
+     * @param r the regular expression to set.
+     */
+    public void setRegex(@Nonnull final String r) {
+        ComponentSupport.ifDestroyedThrowDestroyedComponentException(this);
+        ComponentSupport.ifInitializedThrowUnmodifiabledComponentException(this);
+
+        regex = r;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Action validate(@Nonnull final String e, @Nonnull final Item<?> item, @Nonnull final String stageId) {
+        final Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(e);
+        if (matcher.matches()) {
+            return Action.DONE;
+        } else {
+            return Action.CONTINUE;
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected void doInitialize() throws ComponentInitializationException {
+        super.doInitialize();
+
+        if (getRegex() == null) {
+            throw new ComponentInitializationException("regular expression to be matched can not be null");
+        }
+
+        pattern = Pattern.compile(regex);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/resources/uk/org/iay/incommon/mda/beans.xml b/src/main/resources/uk/org/iay/incommon/mda/beans.xml
index fe4bcc6..2cb8c13 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/uk/org/iay/incommon/mda/beans.xml
+++ b/src/main/resources/uk/org/iay/incommon/mda/beans.xml
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@
     <bean id="inc.AcceptAllValidator" abstract="true"
         class="uk.org.iay.incommon.mda.validate.AcceptAllValidator"/>
 
+    <bean id="inc.AcceptStringRegexValidator" abstract="true"
+        class="uk.org.iay.incommon.mda.validate.string.AcceptStringRegexValidator"/>
+
     <bean id="inc.AcceptStringValueValidator" abstract="true"
         class="uk.org.iay.incommon.mda.validate.string.AcceptStringValueValidator"/>
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/uk/org/iay/incommon/mda/validate/string/AcceptStringRegexValidatorTest.java b/src/test/java/uk/org/iay/incommon/mda/validate/string/AcceptStringRegexValidatorTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..92d0abd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/uk/org/iay/incommon/mda/validate/string/AcceptStringRegexValidatorTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+
+package uk.org.iay.incommon.mda.validate.string;
+
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.testng.Assert;
+import org.testng.annotations.Test;
+
+import net.shibboleth.metadata.ErrorStatus;
+import net.shibboleth.metadata.Item;
+import net.shibboleth.metadata.validate.Validator;
+import net.shibboleth.metadata.validate.Validator.Action;
+import uk.org.ukfederation.mda.MockItem;
+
+public class AcceptStringRegexValidatorTest {
+
+    @Test
+    public void validateMatch() throws Exception {
+        final AcceptStringRegexValidator v = new AcceptStringRegexValidator();
+        v.setId("comp");
+        v.setRegex("a*b");
+        v.initialize();
+
+        final Item<String> item = new MockItem("content");
+        final Validator.Action action = v.validate("aaaab", item, "stage");
+        Assert.assertEquals(action, Action.DONE);
+
+        final List<ErrorStatus> errs = item.getItemMetadata().get(ErrorStatus.class);
+        Assert.assertEquals(errs.size(), 0);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void validateMismatch() throws Exception {
+        final AcceptStringValueValidator v = new AcceptStringValueValidator();
+        v.setId("comp");
+        v.setValue("a*b");
+        v.initialize();
+
+        final Item<String> item = new MockItem("content");
+        final Validator.Action action = v.validate("aaaaaaabc", item, "stage");
+        Assert.assertEquals(action, Action.CONTINUE);
+
+        final List<ErrorStatus> errs = item.getItemMetadata().get(ErrorStatus.class);
+        Assert.assertEquals(errs.size(), 0);
+    }
+
+}