diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/site_settings/setting_list.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/site_settings/setting_list.hbs
index 802a53324eb..2aadfd9845d 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/site_settings/setting_list.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/site_settings/setting_list.hbs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 </div>
 <div class="setting-value">
   {{list-setting settingValue=value choices=choices settingName=setting}}
+  <div {{bind-attr class=":validation-error validationMessage::hidden"}}><i class='fa fa-times'></i> {{validationMessage}}</div>
   <div class='desc'>{{{unbound description}}}</div>
 </div>
 {{#if dirty}}
diff --git a/config/locales/server.en.yml b/config/locales/server.en.yml
index fe859f71128..f941e7f45ea 100644
--- a/config/locales/server.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/server.en.yml
@@ -1141,6 +1141,7 @@ en:
       invalid_integer_max: "Value cannot be higher than %{max}."
       invalid_integer: "Value must be an integer."
       regex_mismatch: "Value doesn't match the required format."
+      must_include_latest: "Top menu must include the 'latest' tab."
       invalid_string: "Invalid value."
       invalid_string_min_max: "Must be between %{min} and %{max} characters."
       invalid_string_min: "Must be at least %{min} characters."
diff --git a/config/site_settings.yml b/config/site_settings.yml
index 22866a32e58..85c043ec062 100644
--- a/config/site_settings.yml
+++ b/config/site_settings.yml
@@ -88,8 +88,9 @@ basic:
     client: true
     refresh: true
     type: list
-    default: 'latest|new|unread|top|categories'
+    default: "latest|new|unread|top|categories"
     regex: "latest"
+    regex_error: "site_settings.errors.must_include_latest"
     choices:
      - latest
      - new
diff --git a/lib/site_setting_extension.rb b/lib/site_setting_extension.rb
index 69538720f7a..fab32a7136a 100644
--- a/lib/site_setting_extension.rb
+++ b/lib/site_setting_extension.rb
@@ -385,7 +385,8 @@ module SiteSettingExtension
       'email'        => EmailSettingValidator,
       'username'     => UsernameSettingValidator,
       types[:fixnum] => IntegerSettingValidator,
-      types[:string] => StringSettingValidator
+      types[:string] => StringSettingValidator,
+      'list' => StringSettingValidator
     }
     @validator_mapping[type_name]
   end
diff --git a/lib/validators/string_setting_validator.rb b/lib/validators/string_setting_validator.rb
index 4f7e9a054bb..07a65500bdd 100644
--- a/lib/validators/string_setting_validator.rb
+++ b/lib/validators/string_setting_validator.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ class StringSettingValidator
   def initialize(opts={})
     @opts = opts
     @regex = Regexp.new(opts[:regex]) if opts[:regex]
+    @regex_error = opts[:regex_error] || 'site_settings.errors.regex_mismatch'
   end
 
   def valid_value?(val)
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ class StringSettingValidator
 
   def error_message
     if @regex_fail
-      I18n.t('site_settings.errors.regex_mismatch')
+      I18n.t(@regex_error)
     elsif @length_fail
       if @opts[:min] && @opts[:max]
         I18n.t('site_settings.errors.invalid_string_min_max', {min: @opts[:min], max: @opts[:max]})
diff --git a/spec/components/site_setting_extension_spec.rb b/spec/components/site_setting_extension_spec.rb
index 8173ba5e303..c8d7b8210f7 100644
--- a/spec/components/site_setting_extension_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/site_setting_extension_spec.rb
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ describe SiteSettingExtension do
 
   describe "refresh!" do
 
+
     it "will reset to default if provider vanishes" do
       settings.setting(:hello, 1)
       settings.hello = 100
@@ -167,6 +168,22 @@ describe SiteSettingExtension do
     end
   end
 
+
+  describe "string setting with regex" do
+    it "Supports custom validation errors" do
+      settings.setting(:test_str, "bob", regex: "hi", regex_error: "oops")
+      settings.refresh!
+
+      begin
+        settings.test_str = "a"
+      rescue Discourse::InvalidParameters => e
+        message = e.message
+      end
+
+      message.should =~ /oops/
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "bool setting" do
     before do
       settings.setting(:test_hello?, false)
diff --git a/spec/models/site_setting_spec.rb b/spec/models/site_setting_spec.rb
index ced13c11f54..e1466a40006 100644
--- a/spec/models/site_setting_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/site_setting_spec.rb
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ describe SiteSetting do
   end
 
   describe "top_menu" do
-    before(:each) { SiteSetting.top_menu = 'one,-nope|two|three,-not|four,ignored|category/xyz' }
+    before { SiteSetting.top_menu = 'one,-nope|two|three,-not|four,ignored|category/xyz|latest' }
 
     describe "items" do
       let(:items) { SiteSetting.top_menu_items }