diff --git a/lib/src/services/user.dart b/lib/src/services/user.dart
index e1e1ad3..2ac2316 100644
--- a/lib/src/services/user.dart
+++ b/lib/src/services/user.dart
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import 'package:angel_common/angel_common.dart';
 import 'package:crypto/crypto.dart' show sha256;
 import 'package:mongo_dart/mongo_dart.dart';
-import 'package:validate/validate.dart';
 import '../models/user.dart';
 export '../models/user.dart';
 
@@ -11,6 +10,19 @@ configureServer(Db db) {
 
     HookedService service = app.service('api/users');
     app.container.singleton(service.inner);
+
+    service.beforeCreated
+      ..listen(validateEvent(
+          new Validator({
+            'username*': [isString, isNotEmpty],
+            'password*': [isString, isNotEmpty],
+            'email*': [isString, isNotEmpty, isEmail],
+          }),
+          errorMessage:
+              'User must have a username, e-mail address and password.'))
+      ..listen((e) {
+        e.data['password'] = hashPassword(e.data['password']);
+      });
   };
 }
 
@@ -46,16 +58,6 @@ class UserService extends Service {
       throw new AngelHttpException.forbidden();
     }
 
-    try {
-      Validate.isKeyInMap('username', data);
-      Validate.isKeyInMap('password', data);
-      Validate.isEmail(data['email']);
-      data['password'] = hashPassword(data['password']);
-    } catch (e) {
-      throw new AngelHttpException.badRequest(
-          message: 'User must have a username, e-mail address and password.');
-    }
-
     return _inner.create(data, params);
   }
 
diff --git a/pubspec.yaml b/pubspec.yaml
index 9f212e5..3886f17 100644
--- a/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/pubspec.yaml
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ dependencies:
   angel_configuration: ^1.0.0
   angel_multiserver: ^1.0.0-dev
   mailer: ^1.1.0+4
-  validate: ^1.5.2
 dev_dependencies: 
   build_runner: ^0.1.1
   grinder: ^0.8.0+2