diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/common/daos/GenericDAOHibernate.java b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/common/daos/GenericDAOHibernate.java
index b5e6d9da2..8ba21f85c 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/common/daos/GenericDAOHibernate.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/common/daos/GenericDAOHibernate.java
@@ -32,7 +32,10 @@ import org.hibernate.SessionFactory;
 import org.hibernate.StaleObjectStateException;
 import org.hibernate.criterion.Projections;
 import org.hibernate.criterion.Restrictions;
+import org.hibernate.validator.ClassValidator;
+import org.hibernate.validator.InvalidValue;
 import org.navalplanner.business.common.exceptions.InstanceNotFoundException;
+import org.navalplanner.business.common.exceptions.ValidationException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.transaction.annotation.Transactional;
 
@@ -77,10 +80,19 @@ public class GenericDAOHibernate<E, PK extends Serializable> implements
         return sessionFactory.getCurrentSession();
     }
 
-    public void save(E entity) {
+    public void save(E entity) throws ValidationException {
+        checkIsValid(entity);
         getSession().saveOrUpdate(entity);
     }
 
+    private void checkIsValid(E entity) throws ValidationException {
+        ClassValidator<E> classValidator = new ClassValidator<E>(entityClass);
+        InvalidValue[] invalidValues = classValidator.getInvalidValues(entity);
+        if (invalidValues.length > 0) {
+            throw new ValidationException(invalidValues);
+        }
+    }
+
     public void reattachUnmodifiedEntity(E entity) {
 
         getSession().lock(entity, LockMode.NONE);
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/common/daos/IGenericDAO.java b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/common/daos/IGenericDAO.java
index e016fe045..66ac914ac 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/common/daos/IGenericDAO.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/common/daos/IGenericDAO.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import org.navalplanner.business.common.exceptions.InstanceNotFoundException;
+import org.navalplanner.business.common.exceptions.ValidationException;
 
 /**
  * The interface all DAOs (Data Access Objects) must implement. In general,
@@ -46,8 +47,10 @@ public interface IGenericDAO <E, PK extends Serializable>{
      * executed (if the entity has version control enabled) with the possible
      * <code>org.springframework.dao.OptimisticLockingFailureException</code>
      * being thrown.
+     * @throws ValidationException
+     *             if the entity has some invalid values
      */
-    public void save(E entity);
+    public void save(E entity) throws ValidationException;
 
     /**
      * It inserts the object passed as a parameter in the ORM session. Unlike
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/calendars/daos/BaseCalendarDAOTest.java b/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/calendars/daos/BaseCalendarDAOTest.java
index 7ae6849f9..97a945b6a 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/calendars/daos/BaseCalendarDAOTest.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/calendars/daos/BaseCalendarDAOTest.java
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ import static org.navalplanner.business.test.BusinessGlobalNames.BUSINESS_SPRING
 import java.util.List;
 
 import org.hibernate.SessionFactory;
-import org.hibernate.validator.InvalidStateException;
 import org.joda.time.LocalDate;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
@@ -41,6 +40,7 @@ import org.navalplanner.business.calendars.daos.IBaseCalendarDAO;
 import org.navalplanner.business.calendars.entities.BaseCalendar;
 import org.navalplanner.business.calendars.entities.ResourceCalendar;
 import org.navalplanner.business.common.exceptions.InstanceNotFoundException;
+import org.navalplanner.business.common.exceptions.ValidationException;
 import org.navalplanner.business.test.calendars.entities.BaseCalendarTest;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.dao.DataIntegrityViolationException;
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ public class BaseCalendarDAOTest {
         baseCalendarDAO.save(calendar);
 
         BaseCalendar derivedCalendar = calendar.newDerivedCalendar();
+        derivedCalendar.setName("derived");
         baseCalendarDAO.save(derivedCalendar);
 
         try {
@@ -229,22 +230,20 @@ public class BaseCalendarDAOTest {
         baseCalendarDAO.flush();
     }
 
-    @Test(expected = InvalidStateException.class)
+    @Test(expected = ValidationException.class)
     public void notAllowTwoCalendarsWithNullName() {
         BaseCalendar calendar = BaseCalendarTest.createBasicCalendar();
         calendar.setName(null);
 
         baseCalendarDAO.save(calendar);
-        baseCalendarDAO.flush();
     }
 
-    @Test(expected = InvalidStateException.class)
+    @Test(expected = ValidationException.class)
     public void notAllowTwoCalendarsWithEmptyName() {
         BaseCalendar calendar = BaseCalendarTest.createBasicCalendar();
         calendar.setName("");
 
         baseCalendarDAO.save(calendar);
-        baseCalendarDAO.flush();
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/web/resources/CriterionModelTest.java b/navalplanner-webapp/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/web/resources/CriterionModelTest.java
index af2a320a6..dba6a5fb0 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/web/resources/CriterionModelTest.java
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/web/resources/CriterionModelTest.java
@@ -31,12 +31,10 @@ import java.util.List;
 import java.util.UUID;
 
 import org.hibernate.SessionFactory;
-import org.hibernate.validator.InvalidStateException;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.navalplanner.business.common.IAdHocTransactionService;
 import org.navalplanner.business.common.IOnTransaction;
-import org.navalplanner.business.common.exceptions.InstanceNotFoundException;
 import org.navalplanner.business.common.exceptions.ValidationException;
 import org.navalplanner.business.resources.daos.ICriterionDAO;
 import org.navalplanner.business.resources.daos.ICriterionTypeDAO;
@@ -83,12 +81,11 @@ public class CriterionModelTest {
 
     private Criterion criterion;
 
-    @Test(expected = InvalidStateException.class)
-    public void cantSaveCriterionWithoutName() throws Exception {
+    @Test(expected = ValidationException.class)
+    public void cantSaveCriterionWithoutName() {
         givenValidCriterion();
         criterion.setName("");
         criterionModel.save(criterion);
-        sessionFactory.getCurrentSession().flush();
     }
 
     private Criterion givenValidCriterion() {