diff --git a/io/LasError.hpp b/io/LasError.hpp
index f45ba8c0fa..6b3cfd2672 100644
--- a/io/LasError.hpp
+++ b/io/LasError.hpp
@@ -44,11 +44,13 @@ namespace pdal
 class LasError
 {
 public:
-    LasError() : m_filename("<unknown>")
+    LasError() : m_filename("<unknown>"), m_validate(false)
     {}
 
     void setFilename(const std::string& filename)
         { m_filename = filename; }
+    void setValidate(bool validate)
+        { m_validate = validate; }
 
     void setLog(LogPtr log) { m_log = log; }
 
@@ -56,6 +58,8 @@ class LasError
     {
         static std::vector<int> warned;
 
+        if (!m_validate)
+            return;
         if (!Utils::contains(warned, returnNum))
         {
             warned.push_back(returnNum);
@@ -69,16 +73,20 @@ class LasError
     {
         static std::vector<int> warned;
 
+        if (!m_validate)
+            return;
         if (!Utils::contains(warned, numReturns))
         {
             warned.push_back(numReturns);
-            m_log->get(LogLevel::Warning) << m_filename << ": Found invalid value "
-                "of '" << numReturns << "' for point's number of returns.\n";
+            m_log->get(LogLevel::Warning) << m_filename <<
+                ": Found invalid value of '" << numReturns <<
+                "' for point's number of returns.\n";
         }
     }
 
 private:
     std::string m_filename;
+    bool m_validate;
     LogPtr m_log;
 };
 
diff --git a/io/LasReader.cpp b/io/LasReader.cpp
index 5a68d8a36f..0942fe96ce 100644
--- a/io/LasReader.cpp
+++ b/io/LasReader.cpp
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ void LasReader::addArgs(ProgramArgs& args)
     args.add("extra_dims", "Dimensions to assign to extra byte data",
         m_extraDimSpec);
     args.add("compression", "Decompressor to use", m_compression, "EITHER");
+    args.add("validate", "Perform some file validation as data is read",
+        m_validate);
 }
 
 
@@ -148,6 +150,7 @@ void LasReader::initializeLocal(PointTableRef table, MetadataNode& m)
     // Set case-corrected value.
     m_compression = compression;
     m_error.setFilename(m_filename);
+    m_error.setValidate(m_validate);
 
     m_error.setLog(log());
     m_header.setLog(log());
diff --git a/io/LasReader.hpp b/io/LasReader.hpp
index 47eeb9d194..2cf2fb878b 100644
--- a/io/LasReader.hpp
+++ b/io/LasReader.hpp
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ class PDAL_DLL LasReader : public pdal::Reader
     StringList m_extraDimSpec;
     std::vector<ExtraDim> m_extraDims;
     std::string m_compression;
+    bool m_validate;
 
     virtual void addArgs(ProgramArgs& args);
     virtual void initialize(PointTableRef table)