diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfig.java b/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfig.java
index 29ac1032d..28211d1a5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfig.java
@@ -470,6 +470,14 @@ public class ServerConfig {
    */
   private boolean disableL2Cache;
 
+
+  /**
+   * Should the javax.validation.constraints.NotNull enforce a notNull column in DB.
+   * If set to false, you have to use io.ebean.annotation.NotNull to explicityl create
+   * a not null column.
+   */
+  private boolean useJavaxValidationNotNull = true;
+
   /**
    * Generally we want to perform L2 cache notification in the background and not impact
    * the performance of executing transactions.
@@ -2740,6 +2748,7 @@ public class ServerConfig {
     explicitTransactionBeginMode = p.getBoolean("explicitTransactionBeginMode", explicitTransactionBeginMode);
     autoCommitMode = p.getBoolean("autoCommitMode", autoCommitMode);
     useJtaTransactionManager = p.getBoolean("useJtaTransactionManager", useJtaTransactionManager);
+    useJavaxValidationNotNull = p.getBoolean("useJavaxValidationNotNull", useJavaxValidationNotNull);
     autoReadOnlyDataSource = p.getBoolean("autoReadOnlyDataSource", autoReadOnlyDataSource);
 
     backgroundExecutorSchedulePoolSize = p.getInt("backgroundExecutorSchedulePoolSize", backgroundExecutorSchedulePoolSize);
@@ -2959,6 +2968,27 @@ public class ServerConfig {
     this.disableL2Cache = disableL2Cache;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns if we use javax.validation.constraints.NotNull
+   */
+  public boolean isUseJavaxValidationNotNull() {
+    return useJavaxValidationNotNull;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Controlws when Ebean should generate a <code>NOT NULL</code> column.
+   * If an <code>io.ebean.annotation.NotNull</code> is present, Ebean generates
+   * <code>NOT NULL</code> columns
+   * If set to <code>true</code> (default) Ebean generates also
+   * <code>NOT NULL</code> columns when a <code>&x64;javax.validation.contstraints.NotNull</code>
+   * annotation is present (and it is in <code>Default</code> group.)
+   * If set to <code>false</code> the <code>&x64;javax.validation.contstraints.NotNull</code> is
+   * ignored
+   */
+  public void setUseJavaxValidationNotNull(boolean useJavaxValidationNotNull) {
+    this.useJavaxValidationNotNull = useJavaxValidationNotNull;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Return true if L2 cache notification should run in the foreground.
    */
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/AnnotationParser.java b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/AnnotationParser.java
index bab69310c..838f9308d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/AnnotationParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/AnnotationParser.java
@@ -97,6 +97,9 @@ public abstract class AnnotationParser extends AnnotationBase {
    * can be applied to DDL generation.
    */
   protected boolean isEbeanValidationGroups(Class<?>[] groups) {
+    if (!util.isUseJavaxValidationNotNull()) {
+      return false;
+    }
     if (groups.length == 0
       || groups.length == 1 && javax.validation.groups.Default.class.isAssignableFrom(groups[0])) {
       return true;
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/DeployUtil.java b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/DeployUtil.java
index b821cb89a..ccb44db9d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/DeployUtil.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/DeployUtil.java
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ public class DeployUtil {
 
   private final Encryptor bytesEncryptor;
 
+  private final boolean useJavaxValidationNotNull;
+
   public DeployUtil(TypeManager typeMgr, ServerConfig serverConfig) {
 
     this.typeManager = typeMgr;
@@ -70,6 +72,7 @@ public class DeployUtil {
 
     Encryptor be = serverConfig.getEncryptor();
     this.bytesEncryptor = be != null ? be : new SimpleAesEncryptor();
+    this.useJavaxValidationNotNull = serverConfig.isUseJavaxValidationNotNull();
   }
 
   public TypeManager getTypeManager() {
@@ -294,4 +297,7 @@ public class DeployUtil {
     return type.equals(String.class);
   }
 
+  public boolean isUseJavaxValidationNotNull() {
+    return useJavaxValidationNotNull;
+  }
 }