diff --git a/internal/cmd/test/happy-path-validation-file.yaml b/internal/cmd/import-test/happy-path-validation-file.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/cmd/test/happy-path-validation-file.yaml
rename to internal/cmd/import-test/happy-path-validation-file.yaml
diff --git a/internal/cmd/test/happy-path-validation-schema.zed b/internal/cmd/import-test/happy-path-validation-schema.zed
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/cmd/test/happy-path-validation-schema.zed
rename to internal/cmd/import-test/happy-path-validation-schema.zed
diff --git a/internal/cmd/import_test.go b/internal/cmd/import_test.go
index 8817d147..f23488e3 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/import_test.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/import_test.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ func TestImportCmdHappyPath(t *testing.T) {
 		zedtesting.IntFlag{FlagName: "batch-size", FlagValue: 100},
 		zedtesting.IntFlag{FlagName: "workers", FlagValue: 1},
 	)
-	f := filepath.Join("test", "happy-path-validation-file.yaml")
+	f := filepath.Join("import-test", "happy-path-validation-file.yaml")
 
 	// Set up client
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
diff --git a/internal/cmd/validate-test/external-schema.yaml b/internal/cmd/validate-test/external-schema.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..32b1f43e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cmd/validate-test/external-schema.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+schemaFile: "./external-schema.zed"
+relationships: >-
+  resource:1#user@user:1
+assertions:
+  assertTrue:
+    - "resource:1#user@user:1"
+  assertFalse:
+    - "resource:1#user@user:2"
diff --git a/internal/cmd/validate-test/external-schema.zed b/internal/cmd/validate-test/external-schema.zed
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..053bff6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cmd/validate-test/external-schema.zed
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+definition user {}
+
+definition resource {
+  relation user: user
+  permission view = user
+}
diff --git a/internal/cmd/validate-test/failed-assertions.yaml b/internal/cmd/validate-test/failed-assertions.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4da644c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cmd/validate-test/failed-assertions.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+schema: |-
+  definition user {}
+
+  definition document {
+  	relation view: user
+  	permission viewer = view
+  }
+assertions:
+  assertTrue:
+    - "document:1#viewer@user:maria"
diff --git a/internal/cmd/validate-test/invalid-schema.zed b/internal/cmd/validate-test/invalid-schema.zed
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cb7a0c06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cmd/validate-test/invalid-schema.zed
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+something something {}
diff --git a/internal/cmd/validate-test/missing-schema.yaml b/internal/cmd/validate-test/missing-schema.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..25913b1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cmd/validate-test/missing-schema.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+relationships: >-
+  resource:1#user@user:1
+assertions:
+  assertTrue:
+    - "resource:1#user@user:1"
+  assertFalse:
+    - "resource:1#user@user:2"
diff --git a/internal/cmd/validate-test/only-passes-standard.zed b/internal/cmd/validate-test/only-passes-standard.zed
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..87044628
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cmd/validate-test/only-passes-standard.zed
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+// "and" is a reserved keyword in composable schemas
+definition and {}
diff --git a/internal/cmd/validate-test/schema-only.zed b/internal/cmd/validate-test/schema-only.zed
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..053bff6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cmd/validate-test/schema-only.zed
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+definition user {}
+
+definition resource {
+  relation user: user
+  permission view = user
+}
diff --git a/internal/cmd/validate-test/standard-validation.yaml b/internal/cmd/validate-test/standard-validation.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..047b38b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cmd/validate-test/standard-validation.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+schema: |-
+  definition user {}
+
+  definition resource {
+    relation user: user
+    permission view = user
+  }
+relationships: >-
+  resource:1#user@user:1
+assertions:
+  assertTrue:
+    - "resource:1#user@user:1"
+  assertFalse:
+    - "resource:1#user@user:2"
diff --git a/internal/cmd/validate_test.go b/internal/cmd/validate_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1a93f79e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cmd/validate_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	zedtesting "github.com/authzed/zed/internal/testing"
+)
+
+func TestValidate(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	testCases := map[string]struct {
+		files     []string
+		expectErr string
+	}{
+		`standard_passes`: {
+			files: []string{
+				filepath.Join("validate-test", "standard-validation.yaml"),
+			},
+		},
+		`external_schema_passes`: {
+			files: []string{
+				filepath.Join("validate-test", "external-schema.yaml"),
+			},
+		},
+		`multiple_files_passes`: {
+			files: []string{
+				filepath.Join("validate-test", "standard-validation.yaml"),
+				filepath.Join("validate-test", "external-schema.yaml"),
+			},
+		},
+		`multiple_files_with_one_failure_fails`: {
+			files: []string{
+				filepath.Join("validate-test", "standard-validation.yaml"),
+				filepath.Join("validate-test", "invalid-schema.zed"),
+			},
+			expectErr: "Unexpected token at root level",
+		},
+		`schema_only_passes`: {
+			files: []string{
+				filepath.Join("validate-test", "schema-only.zed"),
+			},
+		},
+		`invalid_schema_fails`: {
+			files: []string{
+				filepath.Join("validate-test", "invalid-schema.zed"),
+			},
+			expectErr: "Unexpected token at root level",
+		},
+		`standard_only_without_flag_passes`: {
+			files: []string{
+				filepath.Join("validate-test", "only-passes-standard.zed"),
+			},
+		},
+		`without_schema_fails`: {
+			files: []string{
+				filepath.Join("validate-test", "missing-schema.yaml"),
+			},
+			expectErr: "either schema or schemaFile must be present",
+		},
+		// TODO capture errors on string and assert on them?
+		//`assertions_fail`: {
+		//	files: []string{
+		//		filepath.Join("validate-test", "failed-assertions.yaml"),
+		//	},
+		//	expectErr: "",
+		//},
+		`invalid_url_fails`: {
+			files: []string{
+				"http://%zz",
+			},
+			expectErr: "invalid URL escape",
+		},
+		`url_does_not_exist_fails`: {
+			files: []string{
+				"https://unknown-url",
+			},
+			expectErr: "Get \"https://unknown-url\": dial tcp: lookup unknown-url",
+		},
+		// TODO: https://github.com/authzed/zed/issues/487
+		//`url_passes`: {
+		//	files: []string{
+		//		"https://play.authzed.com/s/iksdFvCtvnkR/schema",
+		//	},
+		//},
+	}
+
+	for name, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			require := require.New(t)
+			cmd := zedtesting.CreateTestCobraCommandWithFlagValue(t,
+				zedtesting.BoolFlag{FlagName: "force-color", FlagValue: false},
+				zedtesting.IntFlag{FlagName: "batch-size", FlagValue: 100},
+				zedtesting.IntFlag{FlagName: "workers", FlagValue: 1},
+			)
+
+			err := validateCmdFunc(cmd, tc.files)
+			if tc.expectErr == "" {
+				require.NoError(err)
+			} else {
+				require.ErrorContains(err, tc.expectErr)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}