diff --git a/lib/jsonschema/default.nix b/lib/jsonschema/default.nix
index 177fef8d5..855739897 100644
--- a/lib/jsonschema/default.nix
+++ b/lib/jsonschema/default.nix
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ rec {
       # parse options to jsonschema properties
       properties = lib.mapAttrs (_name: option: (parseOption' (path ++ [ _name ]) option)) options';
       # TODO: figure out how to handle if prop.anyOf is used
-      isRequired = prop: !(prop ? default || prop.type or null == "object");
+      isRequired = prop: !(prop ? default || prop."$exportedModuleInfo".required or false);
       requiredProps = lib.filterAttrs (_: prop: isRequired prop) properties;
       required = lib.optionalAttrs (requiredProps != { }) { required = lib.attrNames requiredProps; };
       header' = if addHeader then header else { };
@@ -150,9 +150,9 @@ rec {
           { };
 
       # Metadata about the module that is made available to the schema via '$propagatedModuleInfo'
-      exportedModuleInfo = lib.optionalAttrs true (makeModuleInfo {
+      exportedModuleInfo = makeModuleInfo {
         inherit path;
-      });
+      };
     in
     # return jsonschema
     header'
@@ -377,7 +377,13 @@ rec {
     # return jsonschema property definition for attrs
     then
       default
-      // exposedModuleInfo
+      // (lib.recursiveUpdate exposedModuleInfo (
+        lib.optionalAttrs (!default ? default) {
+          "$exportedModuleInfo" = {
+            required = true;
+          };
+        }
+      ))
       // example
       // description
       // {
diff --git a/lib/jsonschema/example-schema.json b/lib/jsonschema/example-schema.json
index 3944cca62..ca2175472 100644
--- a/lib/jsonschema/example-schema.json
+++ b/lib/jsonschema/example-schema.json
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
   "$exportedModuleInfo": { "path": [] },
   "type": "object",
   "additionalProperties": false,
+  "required": [ "services" ],
   "properties": {
     "name": {
       "$exportedModuleInfo": { "path": ["name"] },
diff --git a/lib/jsonschema/test_parseOptions.nix b/lib/jsonschema/test_parseOptions.nix
index 137bf52a1..0c2ff8a93 100644
--- a/lib/jsonschema/test_parseOptions.nix
+++ b/lib/jsonschema/test_parseOptions.nix
@@ -13,7 +13,17 @@
   testParseNestedOptions =
     let
       evaled = lib.evalModules {
-        modules = [ { options.foo.bar = lib.mkOption { type = lib.types.bool; }; } ];
+        modules = [
+          {
+            options.foo.bar = lib.mkOption {
+              type = lib.types.bool;
+            };
+            options.foo.baz = lib.mkOption {
+              type = lib.types.bool;
+              default = false;
+            };
+          }
+        ];
       };
     in
     {
@@ -40,12 +50,23 @@
                 };
                 type = "boolean";
               };
+              baz = {
+                "$exportedModuleInfo" = {
+                  path = [
+                    "foo"
+                    "baz"
+                  ];
+                };
+                type = "boolean";
+                default = false;
+              };
             };
             required = [ "bar" ];
             type = "object";
           };
         };
         type = "object";
+        required = [ "foo" ];
       };
     };