diff --git a/src/Forms/RequiredFields.php b/src/Forms/RequiredFields.php
index d7c725baf..3f817aa49 100644
--- a/src/Forms/RequiredFields.php
+++ b/src/Forms/RequiredFields.php
@@ -116,8 +116,15 @@ class RequiredFields extends Validator
                     $error = (count($value ?? [])) ? false : true;
                 }
             } else {
-                // assume a string or integer
-                $error = (strlen($value ?? '')) ? false : true;
+                $stringValue = (string) $value;
+                if ($formField instanceof TreeDropdownField) {
+                    // test for blank string as well as '0' because older versions of silverstripe/admin FormBuilder
+                    // forms created using redux-form would have a value of null for unsaved records
+                    // the null value will have been converted to '' by the time it gets to this point
+                    $error = in_array($stringValue, ['0', '']);
+                } else {
+                    $error = strlen($stringValue) > 0 ? false : true;
+                }
             }
 
             if ($formField && $error) {
diff --git a/src/Forms/TreeDropdownField.php b/src/Forms/TreeDropdownField.php
index e61e5411d..3cea2178b 100644
--- a/src/Forms/TreeDropdownField.php
+++ b/src/Forms/TreeDropdownField.php
@@ -250,7 +250,12 @@ class TreeDropdownField extends FormField
 
         $this->addExtraClass('single');
 
-        parent::__construct($name, $title);
+        // Set a default value of 0 instead of null
+        // Because TreedropdownField requires SourceObject to have the Hierarchy extension, make the default
+        // value the same as the default value for a RelationID, which is 0.
+        $value = 0;
+
+        parent::__construct($name, $title, $value);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -984,4 +989,16 @@ class TreeDropdownField extends FormField
         $this->showSelectedPath = $showSelectedPath;
         return $this;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public function getSchemaValidation()
+    {
+        $validationList = parent::getSchemaValidation();
+        if (array_key_exists('required', $validationList)) {
+            $validationList['required'] = ['extraEmptyValues' => ['0']];
+        }
+        return $validationList;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/php/Forms/RequiredFieldsTest.php b/tests/php/Forms/RequiredFieldsTest.php
index f620a63c1..7da79eda2 100644
--- a/tests/php/Forms/RequiredFieldsTest.php
+++ b/tests/php/Forms/RequiredFieldsTest.php
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@ namespace SilverStripe\Forms\Tests;
 
 use SilverStripe\Dev\SapphireTest;
 use SilverStripe\Forms\RequiredFields;
+use SilverStripe\Forms\Form;
+use SilverStripe\Forms\TreeDropdownField;
+use SilverStripe\Security\Group;
 
 class RequiredFieldsTest extends SapphireTest
 {
-
     public function testConstructingWithArray()
     {
         //can we construct with an array?
@@ -286,4 +288,18 @@ class RequiredFieldsTest extends SapphireTest
             "Unexpectedly returned true for a non-existent field"
         );
     }
+
+    public function testTreedropFieldValidation()
+    {
+        $form = new Form();
+        $field = new TreeDropdownField('TestField', 'TestField', Group::class);
+        $form->Fields()->push($field);
+        $validator = new RequiredFields('TestField');
+        $validator->setForm($form);
+        // blank string and '0' are fail required field validation
+        $this->assertFalse($validator->php(['TestField' => '']));
+        $this->assertFalse($validator->php(['TestField' => '0']));
+        // '1' passes required field validation
+        $this->assertTrue($validator->php(['TestField' => '1']));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/php/Forms/TreeDropdownFieldTest.php b/tests/php/Forms/TreeDropdownFieldTest.php
index 7636480c7..83e091f89 100644
--- a/tests/php/Forms/TreeDropdownFieldTest.php
+++ b/tests/php/Forms/TreeDropdownFieldTest.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ use SilverStripe\Dev\SapphireTest;
 use SilverStripe\Control\HTTPRequest;
 use SilverStripe\Forms\FieldList;
 use SilverStripe\Forms\Form;
+use SilverStripe\Forms\RequiredFields;
 use SilverStripe\Forms\TreeDropdownField;
 use SilverStripe\ORM\DataObject;
 use SilverStripe\ORM\Tests\HierarchyTest\HierarchyOnSubclassTestObject;
@@ -52,6 +53,22 @@ class TreeDropdownFieldTest extends SapphireTest
         );
     }
 
+    public function testGetSchemaValidation(): void
+    {
+        // field is not required
+        $field = new TreeDropdownField('TestTree', 'Test tree', Folder::class);
+        $expected = [];
+        $this->assertSame($expected, $field->getSchemaValidation());
+        // field is required
+        $fieldList = new FieldList([$field]);
+        $validator = new RequiredFields('TestTree');
+        new Form(null, null, $fieldList, null, $validator);
+        $expected = [
+            'required' => ['extraEmptyValues' => ['0']],
+        ];
+        $this->assertSame($expected, $field->getSchemaValidation());
+    }
+
     public function testTreeSearchJson()
     {
         $field = new TreeDropdownField('TestTree', 'Test tree', Folder::class);