diff --git a/lib/her/model.rb b/lib/her/model.rb
index 9d08d0dc..e4e38aa8 100644
--- a/lib/her/model.rb
+++ b/lib/her/model.rb
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ module Model
       # Configure ActiveModel callbacks
       extend ActiveModel::Callbacks
       define_model_callbacks :create, :update, :save, :find, :destroy, :initialize
+
+      # Enable population of validation errors using well-formed @response_errors
+      # populate_validation_errors
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/her/model/orm.rb b/lib/her/model/orm.rb
index fa91b2df..9b3194f4 100644
--- a/lib/her/model/orm.rb
+++ b/lib/her/model/orm.rb
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ def save
               @metadata = parsed_data[:metadata]
               @response_errors = parsed_data[:errors]
 
+              populate_errors @response_errors if respond_to?(:populate_validation_errors)
+
               return false if !response.success? || @response_errors.any?
               if self.changed_attributes.present?
                 @previously_changed = self.changed_attributes.clone
@@ -78,12 +80,31 @@ def destroy
             assign_attributes(self.class.parse(parsed_data[:data])) if parsed_data[:data].any?
             @metadata = parsed_data[:metadata]
             @response_errors = parsed_data[:errors]
+
+            populate_errors @response_errors if respond_to?(:populate_validation_errors)
+
             @destroyed = true
           end
         end
         self
       end
 
+      # Populate validation errors if @response_errors is formatted in this format
+      #
+      #   {
+      #     :email => ["can't be empty","is invalid"],
+      #     :password => ["is too short"]
+      #   }
+      #
+      def populate_errors(response_errors)
+        self.errors.clear
+        response_errors.each do |attribute,errors|
+          errors.each do |error|
+            self.errors.add(attribute,error)
+          end if errors.is_a? Array
+        end if response_errors.is_a? Hash
+      end
+
       module ClassMethods
         # Create a new chainable scope
         #
@@ -194,6 +215,12 @@ def build(attributes = {})
           resource
         end
 
+        # Enables populate validation errors using @response_errors
+        def populate_validation_errors
+          class_attribute :populate_validation_errors
+          self.populate_validation_errors = true
+        end
+
         private
         # @private
         def blank_relation
diff --git a/spec/model/orm_spec.rb b/spec/model/orm_spec.rb
index 5bf523a9..f04282e6 100644
--- a/spec/model/orm_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/model/orm_spec.rb
@@ -73,12 +73,18 @@
         builder.adapter :test do |stub|
           stub.get("/users") { |env| [200, {}, { :data => [{ :id => 1, :name => "Tobias Fünke" }, { :id => 2, :name => "Lindsay Fünke" }], :metadata => { :total_pages => 10, :next_page => 2 }, :errors => ["Oh", "My", "God"] }.to_json] }
           stub.post("/users") { |env| [200, {}, { :data => { :name => "George Michael Bluth" }, :metadata => { :foo => "bar" }, :errors => ["Yes", "Sir"] }.to_json] }
+          stub.post("/user_with_validation_errors") { |env| [422, {}, { :data => { :name => "George Michael Bluth", :email => "george@micheal.com" }, :metadata => { :foo => "bar" }, :errors => {:name => ['already exists', 'too long'], :email => ['is invalid']} }.to_json] }
         end
       end
 
       spawn_model :User do
         uses_api api
       end
+
+      spawn_model :UserWithValidationErrors do
+        uses_api api
+        populate_validation_errors
+      end
     end
 
     it "handles metadata on a collection" do
@@ -100,6 +106,16 @@
       @user = User.create(:name => "George Michael Bluth")
       @user.response_errors.should == ["Yes", "Sir"]
     end
+
+    it "handles error data on a resource" do
+      @user = UserWithValidationErrors.create(:name => "George Michael Bluth", :email => "george@micheal.com")
+      @user.response_errors.should == {:name => ['already exists', 'too long'], :email => ['is invalid']}
+
+      # ActiveSupport validations
+      @user.errors.messages.should == {:name => ['already exists', 'too long'], :email => ['is invalid']}
+      @user.errors.full_messages.should == ["Name already exists", "Name too long", "Email is invalid"]
+    end
+
   end
 
   context "mapping data, metadata and error data in string keys to Ruby objects" do