diff --git a/kyaml/setters2/types.go b/kyaml/setters2/types.go
index 5c1bc1407..c5a686cfc 100644
--- a/kyaml/setters2/types.go
+++ b/kyaml/setters2/types.go
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ type setter struct {
 	Value      string            `yaml:"value,omitempty" json:"value,omitempty"`
 	ListValues []string          `yaml:"listValues,omitempty" json:"listValues,omitempty"`
 	EnumValues map[string]string `yaml:"enumValues,omitempty" json:"enumValues,omitempty"`
+	Required   bool              `yaml:"required,omitempty" json:"required,omitempty"`
+	IsSet      bool              `yaml:"isSet,omitempty" json:"isSet,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type substitution struct {
diff --git a/kyaml/setters2/util.go b/kyaml/setters2/util.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..464e5a6e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kyaml/setters2/util.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// Copyright 2019 The Kubernetes Authors.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package setters2
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/kyaml/errors"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/kyaml/fieldmeta"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/kyaml/openapi"
+)
+
+// CheckRequiredSettersSet iterates through all the setter definitions in openAPI
+// schema and returns error if any of the setter has required field true and isSet false
+func CheckRequiredSettersSet() error {
+	for key := range openapi.Schema().Definitions {
+		if strings.Contains(key, fieldmeta.SetterDefinitionPrefix) {
+			val := openapi.Schema().Definitions[key]
+			defExt, err := GetExtFromSchema(&val) // parse the extension out of the openAPI
+			if err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err)
+			}
+			if defExt.Setter.Required && !defExt.Setter.IsSet {
+				return errors.Errorf("setter %s is required but not set, "+
+					"please set it to new value and try again", strings.TrimPrefix(key, fieldmeta.SetterDefinitionPrefix))
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/kyaml/setters2/util_test.go b/kyaml/setters2/util_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..415ed89bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kyaml/setters2/util_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+// Copyright 2019 The Kubernetes Authors.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package setters2
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/kyaml/openapi"
+)
+
+func TestCheckRequiredSettersSet(t *testing.T) {
+	var tests = []struct {
+		name             string
+		inputOpenAPIfile string
+		expectedError    bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "no required, no isSet",
+			inputOpenAPIfile: `
+apiVersion: v1alpha1
+kind: OpenAPIfile
+openAPI:
+  definitions:
+    io.k8s.cli.setters.gcloud.project.projectNumber:
+      description: hello world
+      x-k8s-cli:
+        setter:
+          name: gcloud.project.projectNumber
+          value: "123"
+          setBy: me
+    io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas:
+      description: hello world
+      x-k8s-cli:
+        setter:
+          name: replicas
+          value: "3"
+          setBy: me
+ `,
+			expectedError: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "required true, no isSet",
+			inputOpenAPIfile: `
+apiVersion: v1alpha1
+kind: Example
+openAPI:
+  definitions:
+    io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas:
+      description: hello world
+      x-k8s-cli:
+        setter:
+          name: replicas
+          value: "3"
+          setBy: me
+          required: true
+ `,
+			expectedError: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "required true, isSet true",
+			inputOpenAPIfile: `
+apiVersion: v1alpha1
+kind: Example
+openAPI:
+  definitions:
+    io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas:
+      description: hello world
+      x-k8s-cli:
+        setter:
+          name: replicas
+          value: "3"
+          setBy: me
+          required: true
+          isSet: true
+ `,
+			expectedError: false,
+		},
+
+		{
+			name: "required false, isSet true",
+			inputOpenAPIfile: `
+apiVersion: v1alpha1
+kind: OpenAPIfile
+openAPI:
+  definitions:
+    io.k8s.cli.setters.gcloud.project.projectNumber:
+      description: hello world
+      x-k8s-cli:
+        setter:
+          name: gcloud.project.projectNumber
+          value: "123"
+          setBy: me
+    io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas:
+      description: hello world
+      x-k8s-cli:
+        setter:
+          name: replicas
+          value: "3"
+          setBy: me
+          required: false
+          isSet: true
+ `,
+			expectedError: false,
+		},
+
+		{
+			name: "required true, isSet false",
+			inputOpenAPIfile: `
+apiVersion: v1alpha1
+kind: OpenAPIfile
+openAPI:
+  definitions:
+    io.k8s.cli.setters.gcloud.project.projectNumber:
+      description: hello world
+      x-k8s-cli:
+        setter:
+          name: gcloud.project.projectNumber
+          value: "123"
+          setBy: me
+    io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas:
+      description: hello world
+      x-k8s-cli:
+        setter:
+          name: replicas
+          value: "3"
+          setBy: me
+          required: true
+          isSet: false
+ `,
+			expectedError: true,
+		},
+
+		{
+			name:             "no openAPI",
+			inputOpenAPIfile: ``,
+			expectedError:    false,
+		},
+	}
+	for i := range tests {
+		test := tests[i]
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			openapi.ResetOpenAPI()
+			defer openapi.ResetOpenAPI()
+			dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "")
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+			err = ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "Krmfile"), []byte(test.inputOpenAPIfile), 0600)
+			if !assert.NoError(t, err) {
+				t.FailNow()
+			}
+			err = openapi.AddSchemaFromFile(filepath.Join(dir, "Krmfile"))
+			if err != nil {
+				// do nothing if openAPI file or schema doesn't exist, CheckRequiredSettersSet()
+				// should not throw any error
+				fmt.Println("Unable to load schema from file, continuing...")
+			}
+			err = CheckRequiredSettersSet()
+			if test.expectedError && !assert.Error(t, err) {
+				t.FailNow()
+			}
+			if !test.expectedError && !assert.NoError(t, err) {
+				t.FailNow()
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/kyaml/yaml/merge2/smpdirective_string.go b/kyaml/yaml/merge2/smpdirective_string.go
index b4f937f0e..c17256a25 100644
--- a/kyaml/yaml/merge2/smpdirective_string.go
+++ b/kyaml/yaml/merge2/smpdirective_string.go
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+// Copyright 2019 The Kubernetes Authors.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
 // Code generated by "stringer -type=smpDirective -linecomment"; DO NOT EDIT.
 
 package merge2