diff --git a/options.md b/options.md
index f2f7ef1c..8092edbc 100644
--- a/options.md
+++ b/options.md
@@ -94,12 +94,13 @@ for an example.
 
 ## Null Handling
 
-| option                                                          | details                                                                                                          |
-|-----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| `@RecordBuilder.Options(interpretNotNulls = true/false)`        | Add not-null checks for record components annotated with any null-pattern annotation. The default is `false`.    |
-| `@RecordBuilder.Options(interpretNotNullsPattern = "regex")`    | The regex pattern used to determine if an annotation name means non-null.                                        |
-| `@RecordBuilder.Options(allowNullableCollections = true/false)` | Adds special null handling for record collectioncomponents. The default is `false`.                              |
-| `@RecordBuilder.Options(nullablePattern = "regex")`             | Regex pattern to use for `BuilderMode.STAGED_REQUIRED_ONLY` and `BuilderMode.STANDARD_AND_STAGED_REQUIRED_ONLY`. |
+| option                                                          | details                                                                                                                      |
+|-----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
+| `@RecordBuilder.Options(interpretNotNulls = true/false)`        | Add not-null checks for record components annotated with any null-pattern annotation. The default is `false`.                |
+| `@RecordBuilder.Options(interpretNotNullsPattern = "regex")`    | The regex pattern used to determine if an annotation name means non-null.                                                    |
+| `@RecordBuilder.Options(allowNullableCollections = true/false)` | Adds special null handling for record collectioncomponents. The default is `false`.                                          |
+| `@RecordBuilder.Options(nullablePattern = "regex")`             | Regex pattern to use for `BuilderMode.STAGED_REQUIRED_ONLY` and `BuilderMode.STANDARD_AND_STAGED_REQUIRED_ONLY`.             |
+| `@RecordBuilder.Options(defaultNotNull = true/false)`           | Add not-null checks for all record components unless annotated with any non-null-pattern annotation. The default is `false`. |
 
 ## Collections
 
diff --git a/record-builder-core/src/main/java/io/soabase/recordbuilder/core/RecordBuilder.java b/record-builder-core/src/main/java/io/soabase/recordbuilder/core/RecordBuilder.java
index 70c78dcf..75dad20e 100644
--- a/record-builder-core/src/main/java/io/soabase/recordbuilder/core/RecordBuilder.java
+++ b/record-builder-core/src/main/java/io/soabase/recordbuilder/core/RecordBuilder.java
@@ -339,6 +339,13 @@
          * array.
          */
         String onceOnlyAssignmentName() default "_onceOnlyCheck";
+
+        /**
+         * Assumes that all fields are non-null, unless explicitly marked as null.
+         *
+         * @see #nullablePattern
+         */
+        boolean defaultNotNull() default false;
     }
 
     @Retention(RetentionPolicy.CLASS)
diff --git a/record-builder-processor/src/main/java/io/soabase/recordbuilder/processor/InternalRecordBuilderProcessor.java b/record-builder-processor/src/main/java/io/soabase/recordbuilder/processor/InternalRecordBuilderProcessor.java
index 9f003cb1..896213be 100644
--- a/record-builder-processor/src/main/java/io/soabase/recordbuilder/processor/InternalRecordBuilderProcessor.java
+++ b/record-builder-processor/src/main/java/io/soabase/recordbuilder/processor/InternalRecordBuilderProcessor.java
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ private void addStaticBuilder() {
     }
 
     private void addNullCheckCodeBlock(CodeBlock.Builder builder) {
-        if (metaData.interpretNotNulls()) {
+        if (metaData.interpretNotNulls() || metaData.defaultNotNull()) {
             for (int i = 0; i < recordComponents.size(); ++i) {
                 addNullCheckCodeBlock(builder, i);
             }
@@ -499,10 +499,12 @@ private void addNullCheckCodeBlock(CodeBlock.Builder builder) {
     }
 
     private void addNullCheckCodeBlock(CodeBlock.Builder builder, int index) {
-        if (metaData.interpretNotNulls()) {
+        if (metaData.interpretNotNulls() || metaData.defaultNotNull()) {
             var component = recordComponents.get(index);
             if (!collectionBuilderUtils.isImmutableCollection(component)) {
-                if (!component.typeName().isPrimitive() && isNotNullAnnotated(component)) {
+                if (!component.typeName().isPrimitive()
+                        && (metaData.interpretNotNulls() && isNotNullAnnotated(component)
+                                || metaData.defaultNotNull() && !isNullableAnnotated(component))) {
                     builder.addStatement("$T.requireNonNull($L, $S)", Objects.class, component.name(),
                             component.name() + " is required");
                 }
diff --git a/record-builder-test/src/main/java/io/soabase/recordbuilder/test/RecordWithDefaultNotNull.java b/record-builder-test/src/main/java/io/soabase/recordbuilder/test/RecordWithDefaultNotNull.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bbc91d31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/record-builder-test/src/main/java/io/soabase/recordbuilder/test/RecordWithDefaultNotNull.java
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2019 The original author or authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package io.soabase.recordbuilder.test;
+
+import io.soabase.recordbuilder.core.RecordBuilder;
+import javax.validation.constraints.Null;
+
+@RecordBuilder.Options(defaultNotNull = true)
+@RecordBuilder
+public record RecordWithDefaultNotNull(Integer notNullInteger, String notNullString, @Null String nullString) {
+}
diff --git a/record-builder-test/src/test/java/io/soabase/recordbuilder/test/TestDefaultNotNull.java b/record-builder-test/src/test/java/io/soabase/recordbuilder/test/TestDefaultNotNull.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..08eea5d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/record-builder-test/src/test/java/io/soabase/recordbuilder/test/TestDefaultNotNull.java
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2019 The original author or authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package io.soabase.recordbuilder.test;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+public class TestDefaultNotNull {
+    @Test
+    void testDefaultNotNullFieldSet() {
+        final var validRecord = RecordWithDefaultNotNullBuilder.RecordWithDefaultNotNull(123, "wibble", null);
+        Assertions.assertEquals(123, validRecord.notNullInteger());
+        Assertions.assertEquals("wibble", validRecord.notNullString());
+        Assertions.assertNull(validRecord.nullString());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testDefaultNotNullThrowsExceptionForNullFields() {
+        Assertions.assertThrows(NullPointerException.class,
+                () -> RecordWithDefaultNotNullBuilder.RecordWithDefaultNotNull(null, null, null));
+    }
+}