diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9860a368..e8aa54e1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,7 +6,17 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file, in reverse
 
 ### Added
 
-- Nothing.
+- [#170](https://github.com/zendframework/zend-inputfilter/pull/170) adds the ability to set a "required" message on a `CollectionInputFilter`.
+  By default, such instances will lazy-load a `NotEmpty` validator, and use its
+  messages to report that the collection was empty if it is marked as required.
+  If you wish to set a different message, you have two options:
+
+  - provide a custom `NotEmpty` validator via the new method
+    `setNotEmptyValidator()`.
+
+  - if using a factory, provide the key `required_message` as a sibling to
+    `required`, containing the custom message. This will replace the typical
+    `IS_EMPTY` message.
 
 ### Changed
 
diff --git a/src/CollectionInputFilter.php b/src/CollectionInputFilter.php
index 33b28c84..005525fc 100644
--- a/src/CollectionInputFilter.php
+++ b/src/CollectionInputFilter.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 namespace Zend\InputFilter;
 
 use Traversable;
+use Zend\Validator\NotEmpty;
 
 class CollectionInputFilter extends InputFilter
 {
@@ -43,6 +44,11 @@ class CollectionInputFilter extends InputFilter
      */
     protected $inputFilter;
 
+    /**
+     * @var NotEmpty
+     */
+    protected $notEmptyValidator;
+
     /**
      * Set the input filter to use when looping the data
      *
@@ -164,6 +170,39 @@ public function setData($data)
         return $this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Retrieve the NotEmpty validator to use for failed "required" validations.
+     *
+     * This validator will be used to produce a validation failure message in
+     * cases where the collection is empty but required.
+     *
+     * @return NotEmpty
+     */
+    public function getNotEmptyValidator()
+    {
+        if ($this->notEmptyValidator === null) {
+            $this->notEmptyValidator = new NotEmpty();
+        }
+
+        return $this->notEmptyValidator;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Set the NotEmpty validator to use for failed "required" validations.
+     *
+     * This validator will be used to produce a validation failure message in
+     * cases where the collection is empty but required.
+     *
+     * @param NotEmpty $notEmptyValidator
+     * @return $this
+     */
+    public function setNotEmptyValidator(NotEmpty $notEmptyValidator)
+    {
+        $this->notEmptyValidator = $notEmptyValidator;
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritdoc}
      * @param mixed $context Ignored, but present to retain signature compatibility.
@@ -174,10 +213,9 @@ public function isValid($context = null)
         $inputFilter = $this->getInputFilter();
         $valid = true;
 
-        if ($this->getCount() < 1) {
-            if ($this->isRequired) {
-                $valid = false;
-            }
+        if ($this->getCount() < 1 && $this->isRequired) {
+            $this->collectionMessages[] = $this->prepareRequiredValidationFailureMessage();
+            $valid = false;
         }
 
         if (count($this->data) < $this->getCount()) {
@@ -295,4 +333,21 @@ public function getUnknown()
 
         return $unknownInputs;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @return array<string, string>
+     */
+    protected function prepareRequiredValidationFailureMessage()
+    {
+        $notEmptyValidator = $this->getNotEmptyValidator();
+        $templates         = $notEmptyValidator->getOption('messageTemplates');
+        $message           = $templates[NotEmpty::IS_EMPTY];
+        $translator        = $notEmptyValidator->getTranslator();
+
+        return [
+            NotEmpty::IS_EMPTY => $translator
+                ? $translator->translate($message, $notEmptyValidator->getTranslatorTextDomain())
+                : $message,
+        ];
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Factory.php b/src/Factory.php
index 01f299e4..53459320 100644
--- a/src/Factory.php
+++ b/src/Factory.php
@@ -319,6 +319,9 @@ public function createInputFilter($inputFilterSpecification)
             if (isset($inputFilterSpecification['required'])) {
                 $inputFilter->setIsRequired($inputFilterSpecification['required']);
             }
+            if (isset($inputFilterSpecification['required_message'])) {
+                $inputFilter->getNotEmptyValidator()->setMessage($inputFilterSpecification['required_message']);
+            }
             return $inputFilter;
         }
 
diff --git a/test/CollectionInputFilterTest.php b/test/CollectionInputFilterTest.php
index 72eace01..e09a6e12 100644
--- a/test/CollectionInputFilterTest.php
+++ b/test/CollectionInputFilterTest.php
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ public function dataVsValidProvider()
             'Required: F, Count: N, Valid: T'  => [!$isRequired, null, $colRaw, $validIF  , $colRaw, $colFiltered, true , []],
             'Required: F, Count: N, Valid: F'  => [!$isRequired, null, $colRaw, $invalidIF, $colRaw, $colFiltered, false, $colMessages],
             'Required: F, Count: +1, Valid: F' => [!$isRequired,    2, $colRaw, $invalidIF, $colRaw, $colFiltered, false, $colMessages],
-            'Required: T, Data: [], Valid: X'  => [ $isRequired, null, []     , $noValidIF, []     , []          , false, []],
+            'Required: T, Data: [], Valid: X'  => [ $isRequired, null, []     , $noValidIF, []     , []          , false, [['isEmpty' => 'Value is required and can\'t be empty']]],
             'Required: F, Data: [], Valid: X'  => [!$isRequired, null, []     , $noValidIF, []     , []          , true , []],
         ];
         // @codingStandardsIgnoreEnd
@@ -735,4 +735,34 @@ public function testDuplicatedErrorMessages()
             ],
         ], $inputFilter->getMessages());
     }
+
+    public function testLazyLoadsANotEmptyValidatorWhenNoneProvided()
+    {
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(NotEmpty::class, $this->inputFilter->getNotEmptyValidator());
+    }
+
+    public function testAllowsComposingANotEmptyValidator()
+    {
+        $notEmptyValidator = new NotEmpty();
+        $this->inputFilter->setNotEmptyValidator($notEmptyValidator);
+        $this->assertSame($notEmptyValidator, $this->inputFilter->getNotEmptyValidator());
+    }
+
+    public function testUsesMessageFromComposedNotEmptyValidatorWhenRequiredButCollectionIsEmpty()
+    {
+        $message = 'this is the validation message';
+        $notEmptyValidator = new NotEmpty();
+        $notEmptyValidator->setMessage($message);
+
+        $this->inputFilter->setIsRequired(true);
+        $this->inputFilter->setNotEmptyValidator($notEmptyValidator);
+
+        $this->inputFilter->setData([]);
+
+        $this->assertFalse($this->inputFilter->isValid());
+
+        $this->assertEquals([
+            [NotEmpty::IS_EMPTY => $message],
+        ], $this->inputFilter->getMessages());
+    }
 }
diff --git a/test/FactoryTest.php b/test/FactoryTest.php
index 228cd0f8..610b0592 100644
--- a/test/FactoryTest.php
+++ b/test/FactoryTest.php
@@ -1038,6 +1038,28 @@ public function testWhenCreateInputPullsInputFromThePluginManagerItMustNotOverwr
         $this->assertSame($input->reveal(), $factory->createInput($spec));
     }
 
+    public function testFactoryCanCreateCollectionInputFilterWithRequiredMessage()
+    {
+        $factory = $this->createDefaultFactory();
+        $message = 'this is the validation message';
+
+        /** @var CollectionInputFilter $inputFilter */
+        $inputFilter = $factory->createInputFilter([
+            'type'             => CollectionInputFilter::class,
+            'required'         => true,
+            'required_message' => $message,
+            'inputfilter'      => new InputFilter(),
+            'count'            => 3,
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(CollectionInputFilter::class, $inputFilter);
+
+        $notEmptyValidator = $inputFilter->getNotEmptyValidator();
+        $messageTemplates  = $notEmptyValidator->getMessageTemplates();
+        $this->assertArrayHasKey(Validator\NotEmpty::IS_EMPTY, $messageTemplates);
+        $this->assertSame($message, $messageTemplates[Validator\NotEmpty::IS_EMPTY]);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return Factory
      */