diff --git a/widget/date_entry.go b/widget/date_entry.go
index 8cc0fcf5f6..972c15d682 100644
--- a/widget/date_entry.go
+++ b/widget/date_entry.go
@@ -36,10 +36,17 @@ func (e *DateEntry) CreateRenderer() fyne.WidgetRenderer {
 	e.ExtendBaseWidget(e)
 
 	dateFormat := getLocaleDateFormat()
-	e.Validator = func(in string) error {
-		_, err := time.Parse(dateFormat, in)
-		return err
+	if e.Validator == nil {
+		e.Validator = func(in string) error {
+			if in == "" {
+				return nil
+			}
+
+			_, err := time.Parse(dateFormat, in)
+			return err
+		}
 	}
+
 	e.Entry.OnChanged = func(in string) {
 		if in == "" {
 			e.Date = nil
@@ -164,3 +171,11 @@ func (e *DateEntry) setupDropDown() *Button {
 	dropDownButton.SetIcon(e.Theme().Icon(theme.IconNameCalendar))
 	return dropDownButton
 }
+
+// DateFormat returns the date format used to display the selected date,
+// this also the format in which date srtings are passed to the validator.
+//
+// Since: TODO: I am unsure what to put here.
+func (e *DateEntry) DateFormat() string {
+	return getLocaleDateFormat()
+}
diff --git a/widget/date_entry_test.go b/widget/date_entry_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..15a129ee7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/widget/date_entry_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+package widget
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func Test_DateEntry(t *testing.T) {
+	dateEntry := NewDateEntry()
+
+	testDate := time.Date(2025, 07, 18, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.Local)
+	testDateText := testDate.Format(dateEntry.DateFormat())
+
+	inputTests := []struct {
+		input    string
+		wantErr  bool
+		wantDate *time.Time
+	}{
+		{input: testDateText, wantErr: false, wantDate: &testDate},
+		{input: "", wantErr: false, wantDate: nil},
+		{input: testDateText, wantErr: false, wantDate: &testDate},
+		{input: "not a valid date", wantErr: true, wantDate: nil},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range inputTests {
+		dateEntry.SetText("")
+		for _, r := range tt.input {
+			dateEntry.TypedRune(r)
+		}
+
+		assert.Equal(t, tt.input, dateEntry.Text)
+		if tt.wantErr {
+			assert.Error(t, dateEntry.validationError)
+		} else {
+			assert.NoError(t, dateEntry.validationError)
+		}
+
+		if tt.wantDate == nil {
+			assert.Nil(t, dateEntry.Date)
+		} else {
+			assert.NotNil(t, dateEntry.Date)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantDate.Year(), dateEntry.Date.Year())
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantDate.Month(), dateEntry.Date.Month())
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantDate.Day(), dateEntry.Date.Day())
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func Test_DateEntry_CustomValidator(t *testing.T) {
+	minDate := time.Date(1989, 9, 16, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.Local)
+
+	noDateErr := fmt.Errorf("Please choose a date")
+	invDateErr := fmt.Errorf("Invalid Date")
+	toSoonErr := fmt.Errorf("Please eneter a date after 16 September 1989")
+
+	dateEntry := NewDateEntry()
+	dateEntry.Validator = func(s string) error {
+		if s == "" {
+			return noDateErr
+		}
+
+		if t, err := time.Parse(dateEntry.DateFormat(), s); err != nil {
+			return invDateErr
+		} else {
+			if t.Before(minDate) {
+				return toSoonErr
+			}
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	testDate := time.Date(2025, 07, 18, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.Local)
+	testDateText := testDate.Format(dateEntry.DateFormat())
+
+	toSoonDate := minDate.Add(time.Duration(time.Hour * -24))
+	toSoonDateText := toSoonDate.Format(dateEntry.DateFormat())
+
+	inputTests := []struct {
+		input    string
+		wantErr  error
+		wantDate *time.Time
+	}{
+		{input: testDateText, wantErr: nil, wantDate: &testDate},
+		{input: "", wantErr: noDateErr, wantDate: nil},
+		{input: testDateText, wantErr: nil, wantDate: &testDate},
+		{input: "not a valid date", wantErr: invDateErr, wantDate: nil},
+		{input: testDateText, wantErr: nil, wantDate: &testDate},
+		{input: toSoonDateText, wantErr: toSoonErr, wantDate: &toSoonDate},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range inputTests {
+		dateEntry.SetText("")
+		for _, r := range tt.input {
+			dateEntry.TypedRune(r)
+		}
+
+		assert.Equal(t, tt.input, dateEntry.Text)
+		if tt.wantErr != nil {
+			assert.EqualError(t, dateEntry.validationError, tt.wantErr.Error())
+		} else {
+			assert.NoError(t, dateEntry.validationError)
+		}
+
+		if tt.wantDate == nil {
+			assert.Nil(t, dateEntry.Date)
+		} else {
+			assert.NotNil(t, dateEntry.Date)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantDate.Year(), dateEntry.Date.Year())
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantDate.Month(), dateEntry.Date.Month())
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantDate.Day(), dateEntry.Date.Day())
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func Test_DateEntry_SetDate(t *testing.T) {
+	dateEntry := NewDateEntry()
+
+	assert.Nil(t, dateEntry.Date)
+	assert.Equal(t, "", dateEntry.Text)
+	assert.NoError(t, dateEntry.Validate())
+
+	testDate := time.Date(2025, 07, 18, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.Local)
+	testDateText := testDate.Format(dateEntry.DateFormat())
+	dateEntry.SetDate(&testDate)
+
+	assert.NotNil(t, dateEntry.Date)
+	assert.Equal(t, testDate.Year(), dateEntry.Date.Year())
+	assert.Equal(t, testDate.Month(), dateEntry.Date.Month())
+	assert.Equal(t, testDate.Day(), dateEntry.Date.Day())
+	assert.Equal(t, testDateText, dateEntry.Text)
+	assert.NoError(t, dateEntry.Validate())
+
+	dateEntry.SetDate(nil)
+
+	assert.Nil(t, dateEntry.Date)
+	assert.Equal(t, "", dateEntry.Text)
+	assert.NoError(t, dateEntry.Validate())
+}