diff --git a/lib/Models/Model.php b/lib/Models/Model.php
index c5fcfdc7a8..78ee023385 100644
--- a/lib/Models/Model.php
+++ b/lib/Models/Model.php
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ class Model extends \Sudzy\ValidModel {
 
   function __construct() {
     $this->_errors = array();
-    parent::__construct();
+    $validator = new ModelValidator();
+    parent::__construct($validator);
   }
 
   static function create() {
diff --git a/lib/Models/ModelValidator.php b/lib/Models/ModelValidator.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..26ff960999
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Models/ModelValidator.php
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace MailPoet\Models;
+
+if(!defined('ABSPATH')) exit;
+
+class ModelValidator extends \Sudzy\Engine {
+  public $validators;
+
+  function __construct() {
+    parent::__construct();
+    $this->validators = array(
+      'validEmail' => 'validateEmail'
+    );
+    $this->setupValidators();
+  }
+
+  private function setupValidators() {
+    $_this = $this;
+    foreach($this->validators as $validator => $action) {
+      $this->addValidator($validator, function($params) use ($action, $_this) {
+        return call_user_func(array($this, $action), $params);
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+  function validateEmail($email) {
+    return is_email($email) !== false;
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/Models/Subscriber.php b/lib/Models/Subscriber.php
index ef2d3b3f04..83dbef7e55 100644
--- a/lib/Models/Subscriber.php
+++ b/lib/Models/Subscriber.php
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class Subscriber extends Model {
 
     $this->addValidations('email', array(
       'required' => __('Please enter your email address', 'mailpoet'),
-      'isEmail' => __('Your email address is invalid!', 'mailpoet')
+      'validEmail' => __('Your email address is invalid!', 'mailpoet')
     ));
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/Models/ModelValidatorTest.php b/tests/unit/Models/ModelValidatorTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..466dd4458f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/Models/ModelValidatorTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+<?php
+
+use MailPoet\Models\ModelValidator;
+
+class ModelValidatorTest extends MailPoetTest {
+  public $validator;
+
+  function __construct() {
+    $this->validator = new ModelValidator();
+  }
+
+  function testItConfiguresValidators() {
+    $configured_validators = $this->validator->getValidators();
+    foreach(array_keys($this->validator->validators) as $validator) {
+      expect($configured_validators)->contains($validator);
+    }
+  }
+
+  function testItValidatesEmail() {
+    expect($this->validator->validateEmail('test'))->false();
+    expect($this->validator->validateEmail('tést@éxample.com'))->false();
+    expect($this->validator->validateEmail('test@example.com'))->true();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/Models/SubscriberTest.php b/tests/unit/Models/SubscriberTest.php
index af22e364d3..4ea2c80ddf 100644
--- a/tests/unit/Models/SubscriberTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/Models/SubscriberTest.php
@@ -55,15 +55,6 @@ class SubscriberTest extends MailPoetTest {
   }
 
   function testItShouldSetErrors() {
-    // model validation
-    $subscriber = Subscriber::create();
-    $subscriber->hydrate(array(
-      'email' => 'invalid_email'
-    ));
-    $subscriber->save();
-    $errors = $subscriber->getErrors();
-    expect($errors)->contains("Your email address is invalid!");
-
     // pdo error
     $subscriber = Subscriber::create();
     $subscriber->hydrate(array(
@@ -75,6 +66,27 @@ class SubscriberTest extends MailPoetTest {
     expect($errors[0])->contains("Unknown column 'invalid_column' in 'field list'");
   }
 
+  function testItValidatesEmailAndSetsErrors() {
+    // email is required
+    $subscriber = Subscriber::create();
+    $subscriber->save();
+    $errors = $subscriber->getErrors();
+    expect($errors)->contains("Please enter your email address");
+
+    // email address should be valid
+    $subscriber = Subscriber::create();
+    $subscriber->email = 'invalid_email';
+    $subscriber->save();
+    $errors = $subscriber->getErrors();
+    expect($errors)->contains("Your email address is invalid!");
+
+    $subscriber = Subscriber::create();
+    $subscriber->email = 'tést@éxample.com';
+    $subscriber->save();
+    $errors = $subscriber->getErrors();
+    expect($errors)->contains("Your email address is invalid!");
+  }
+
   function emailMustBeUnique() {
     $conflict_subscriber = Subscriber::create();
     $conflict_subscriber->hydrate($this->data);