diff --git a/android-json-form-wizard/src/main/java/com/vijay/jsonwizard/customviews/NativeEditText.java b/android-json-form-wizard/src/main/java/com/vijay/jsonwizard/customviews/NativeEditText.java
index c1eab63c9..9f7186109 100644
--- a/android-json-form-wizard/src/main/java/com/vijay/jsonwizard/customviews/NativeEditText.java
+++ b/android-json-form-wizard/src/main/java/com/vijay/jsonwizard/customviews/NativeEditText.java
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 import com.rengwuxian.materialedittext.validation.METLengthChecker;
 import com.rengwuxian.materialedittext.validation.METValidator;
 
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
+
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
@@ -156,7 +158,7 @@ public boolean validate() {
         }
 
         CharSequence text = getText();
-        boolean isEmpty = text.length() == 0;
+        boolean isEmpty = StringUtils.isBlank(text);
 
         boolean isValid = true;
         for (final METValidator validator : validators) {
diff --git a/android-json-form-wizard/src/main/java/com/vijay/jsonwizard/interactors/JsonFormInteractor.java b/android-json-form-wizard/src/main/java/com/vijay/jsonwizard/interactors/JsonFormInteractor.java
index c6b30c4b6..6280427f5 100644
--- a/android-json-form-wizard/src/main/java/com/vijay/jsonwizard/interactors/JsonFormInteractor.java
+++ b/android-json-form-wizard/src/main/java/com/vijay/jsonwizard/interactors/JsonFormInteractor.java
@@ -221,30 +221,30 @@ public void fetchFields(List<View> viewsFromJson, String stepName, JsonFormFragm
 
     private void fetchViews(final List<View> viewsFromJson, final String stepName, final JsonFormFragment formFragment,
                             final String type, final JSONObject jsonObject, final CommonListener listener, final Boolean popup) {
-        try {
-            formFragment.getJsonApi().getAppExecutors().mainThread().execute(new Runnable() {
-                @Override
-                public void run() {
+        formFragment.getJsonApi().getAppExecutors().mainThread().execute(new Runnable() {
+            @Override
+            public void run() {
+                try {
                     FormWidgetFactory formWidgetFactory = map.get(type);
                     if (formWidgetFactory != null) {
                         List<View> views = null;
                         try {
                             views = formWidgetFactory.getViewsFromJson(stepName, formFragment.getActivity(), formFragment, jsonObject, listener, popup);
                         } catch (Exception e) {
-                            e.printStackTrace();
+                            Timber.e(e, "Exception encountered in getViewsFromJsoo");
                         }
-                        if (views.size() > 0) {
+                        if (views != null && views.size() > 0) {
                             viewsFromJson.addAll(views);
                         }
                     }
+                } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+                    closeActivityAfterRuntimeException(formFragment, e);
+                } catch (Exception e) {
+                    Timber.e(e, "Exception encountered while creating form widget!");
                 }
-            });
-
-        } catch (RuntimeException e) {
-            closeActivityAfterRuntimeException(formFragment, e);
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            Timber.e(e, "Exception encountered while creating form widget!");
-        }
+            }
+        });
+//
     }
 
     private void closeActivityAfterRuntimeException(JsonFormFragment jsonFormFragment, final RuntimeException e) {
diff --git a/android-json-form-wizard/src/main/java/com/vijay/jsonwizard/widgets/EditTextFactory.java b/android-json-form-wizard/src/main/java/com/vijay/jsonwizard/widgets/EditTextFactory.java
index d1dba9de1..b923fdfbb 100644
--- a/android-json-form-wizard/src/main/java/com/vijay/jsonwizard/widgets/EditTextFactory.java
+++ b/android-json-form-wizard/src/main/java/com/vijay/jsonwizard/widgets/EditTextFactory.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import android.widget.RelativeLayout;
 
 import com.rengwuxian.materialedittext.MaterialEditText;
+import com.rengwuxian.materialedittext.validation.METValidator;
 import com.rengwuxian.materialedittext.validation.RegexpValidator;
 import com.rey.material.util.ViewUtil;
 import com.vijay.jsonwizard.R;
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@
 import com.vijay.jsonwizard.validators.edittext.RequiredValidator;
 import com.vijay.jsonwizard.views.JsonFormFragmentView;
 
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 import org.json.JSONArray;
 import org.json.JSONException;
 import org.json.JSONObject;
@@ -67,10 +69,16 @@ public static ValidationStatus validate(JsonFormFragmentView formFragmentView,
                                             MaterialEditText editText) {
         if (editText.isEnabled()) {
             boolean validate = editText.validate();
-            if (!validate) {
+            if (!validate || (StringUtils.isBlank(editText.getText()) && getRequiredValidator(editText) != null)) {
                 String errorString = null;
                 if (editText != null && editText.getError() != null) {
                     errorString = editText.getError().toString();
+                } else if (StringUtils.isBlank(editText.getText())) {
+                    // Patching MaterialEditText to handle case
+                    // when empty spaces are entered
+                    METValidator validator = getRequiredValidator(editText);
+                    errorString = validator.getErrorMessage();
+                    editText.setError(errorString);
                 }
                 return new ValidationStatus(false, errorString, formFragmentView, editText);
             }
@@ -78,6 +86,18 @@ public static ValidationStatus validate(JsonFormFragmentView formFragmentView,
         return new ValidationStatus(true, null, formFragmentView, editText);
     }
 
+    private static METValidator getRequiredValidator(MaterialEditText editText) {
+        if (editText.getValidators() != null) {
+            for (METValidator validator : editText.getValidators()) {
+                if (validator instanceof RequiredValidator) {
+                    return validator;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
+
     @Override
     public List<View> getViewsFromJson(String stepName, Context context, JsonFormFragment formFragment,
                                        JSONObject jsonObject, CommonListener
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index f212e50fa..18681682c 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-VERSION_NAME=2.1.9-SNAPSHOT
+VERSION_NAME=2.1.10-SNAPSHOT
 VERSION_CODE=1
 GROUP=org.smartregister
 POM_SETTING_DESCRIPTION=OpenSRP Client Native Form Json Wizard