diff --git a/src/Program.ts b/src/Program.ts
index 94e32b6ed..bde2bffbe 100644
--- a/src/Program.ts
+++ b/src/Program.ts
@@ -395,10 +395,27 @@ export class Program {
                 this.logger.time(LogLevel.debug, ['parse', chalk.green(srcPath)], () => {
                     brsFile.parse(sourceObj.source);
                 });
+
+                //notify plugins that this file has finished parsing
+                this.plugins.emit('afterFileParse', brsFile);
+
                 file = brsFile;
 
                 brsFile.attachDependencyGraph(this.dependencyGraph);
 
+                this.plugins.emit('beforeFileValidate', {
+                    program: this,
+                    file: file
+                });
+
+                file.validate();
+
+                //emit an event to allow plugins to contribute to the file validation process
+                this.plugins.emit('onFileValidate', {
+                    program: this,
+                    file: file
+                });
+
                 this.plugins.emit('afterFileValidate', brsFile);
             } else if (
                 //is xml file
@@ -415,10 +432,14 @@ export class Program {
                     source: fileContents
                 };
                 this.plugins.emit('beforeFileParse', sourceObj);
+
                 this.logger.time(LogLevel.debug, ['parse', chalk.green(srcPath)], () => {
                     xmlFile.parse(sourceObj.source);
                 });
 
+                //notify plugins that this file has finished parsing
+                this.plugins.emit('afterFileParse', xmlFile);
+
                 file = xmlFile;
 
                 //create a new scope for this xml file
@@ -428,6 +449,21 @@ export class Program {
                 //register this compoent now that we have parsed it and know its component name
                 this.registerComponent(xmlFile, scope);
 
+
+                //emit an event before starting to validate this file
+                this.plugins.emit('beforeFileValidate', {
+                    file: file,
+                    program: this
+                });
+
+                xmlFile.validate();
+
+                //emit an event to allow plugins to contribute to the file validation process
+                this.plugins.emit('onFileValidate', {
+                    file: xmlFile,
+                    program: this
+                });
+
                 this.plugins.emit('afterFileValidate', xmlFile);
             } else {
                 //TODO do we actually need to implement this? Figure out how to handle img paths
diff --git a/src/astUtils/visitors.spec.ts b/src/astUtils/visitors.spec.ts
index 83dd056ea..b37cf4547 100644
--- a/src/astUtils/visitors.spec.ts
+++ b/src/astUtils/visitors.spec.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { CancellationTokenSource, Range } from 'vscode-languageserver';
 import { expect } from 'chai';
 import * as sinon from 'sinon';
 import { Program } from '../Program';
-import { BrsFile } from '../files/BrsFile';
+import type { BrsFile } from '../files/BrsFile';
 import type { Statement } from '../parser/Statement';
 import { PrintStatement, Block, ReturnStatement } from '../parser/Statement';
 import type { Expression } from '../parser/Expression';
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import { createStackedVisitor } from './stackedVisitor';
 describe('astUtils visitors', () => {
     const rootDir = process.cwd();
     let program: Program;
-    let file: BrsFile;
 
     const PRINTS_SRC = `
         sub Main()
@@ -76,7 +75,6 @@ describe('astUtils visitors', () => {
 
     beforeEach(() => {
         program = new Program({ rootDir: rootDir });
-        file = new BrsFile('abs.bs', 'rel.bs', program);
     });
     afterEach(() => {
         program.dispose();
@@ -102,9 +100,9 @@ describe('astUtils visitors', () => {
             const walker = functionsWalker(visitor);
             program.plugins.add({
                 name: 'walker',
-                afterFileParse: () => walker(file)
+                afterFileParse: file => walker(file as BrsFile)
             });
-            file.parse(PRINTS_SRC);
+            program.addOrReplaceFile('source/main.brs', PRINTS_SRC);
             expect(actual).to.deep.equal([
                 'Block:0',                // Main sub body
                 'PrintStatement:1',       // print 1
@@ -139,9 +137,9 @@ describe('astUtils visitors', () => {
             const walker = functionsWalker(s => actual.push(s.constructor.name), cancel.token);
             program.plugins.add({
                 name: 'walker',
-                afterFileParse: () => walker(file)
+                afterFileParse: file => walker(file as BrsFile)
             });
-            file.parse(PRINTS_SRC);
+            program.addOrReplaceFile('source/main.brs', PRINTS_SRC);
             expect(actual).to.deep.equal([
                 'Block',                // Main sub body
                 'PrintStatement',       // print 1
@@ -184,9 +182,9 @@ describe('astUtils visitors', () => {
             }, cancel.token);
             program.plugins.add({
                 name: 'walker',
-                afterFileParse: () => walker(file)
+                afterFileParse: file => walker(file as BrsFile)
             });
-            file.parse(PRINTS_SRC);
+            program.addOrReplaceFile('source/main.brs', PRINTS_SRC);
             expect(actual).to.deep.equal([
                 'Block',                // Main sub body
                 'PrintStatement',       // print 1
@@ -263,10 +261,10 @@ describe('astUtils visitors', () => {
             });
             program.plugins.add({
                 name: 'walker',
-                afterFileParse: () => walker(file)
+                afterFileParse: (file) => walker(file as BrsFile)
             });
 
-            file.parse(EXPRESSIONS_SRC);
+            program.addOrReplaceFile('source/main.brs', EXPRESSIONS_SRC);
             expect(actual).to.deep.equal([
                 //The comment statement is weird because it can't be both a statement and expression, but is treated that way. Just ignore it for now until we refactor comments.
                 //'CommentStatement:1:CommentStatement',          // '<comment>
diff --git a/src/files/BrsFile.spec.ts b/src/files/BrsFile.spec.ts
index 3c31eb557..e497665aa 100644
--- a/src/files/BrsFile.spec.ts
+++ b/src/files/BrsFile.spec.ts
@@ -2293,13 +2293,12 @@ describe('BrsFile', () => {
                 name: 'transform callback',
                 afterFileParse: onParsed
             });
-            const file = new BrsFile(`absolute_path/file${ext}`, `relative_path/file${ext}`, program);
-            expect(file.extension).to.equal(ext);
-            file.parse(`
+            file = program.addOrReplaceFile({ src: `absolute_path/file${ext}`, dest: `relative_path/file${ext}` }, `
                 sub Sum()
                     print "hello world"
                 end sub
             `);
+            expect(file.extension).to.equal(ext);
             return file;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/files/BrsFile.ts b/src/files/BrsFile.ts
index 8d0a59df8..7aae6ca23 100644
--- a/src/files/BrsFile.ts
+++ b/src/files/BrsFile.ts
@@ -268,28 +268,14 @@ export class BrsFile {
                 ...this._parser.diagnostics as BsDiagnostic[]
             );
 
-            //notify AST ready
-            this.program.plugins.emit('afterFileParse', this);
-
             //extract all callables from this file
             this.findCallables();
 
             //find all places where a sub/function is being called
             this.findFunctionCalls();
 
-            //emit an event before starting to validate this file
-            this.program.plugins.emit('beforeFileValidate', {
-                file: this,
-                program: this.program
-            });
-
-            //emit an event to allow plugins to contribute to the file validation process
-            this.program.plugins.emit('onFileValidate', {
-                file: this,
-                program: this.program
-            });
-
-            this.findAndValidateImportAndImportStatements();
+            //register all import statements for use in the rest of the program
+            this.registerImports();
 
             //attach this file to every diagnostic
             for (let diagnostic of this.diagnostics) {
@@ -305,9 +291,29 @@ export class BrsFile {
         }
     }
 
-    public findAndValidateImportAndImportStatements() {
-        let topOfFileIncludeStatements = [] as Array<LibraryStatement | ImportStatement>;
+    private registerImports() {
+        for (const statement of this.parser?.references?.importStatements ?? []) {
+            //register import statements
+            if (isImportStatement(statement) && statement.filePathToken) {
+                this.ownScriptImports.push({
+                    filePathRange: statement.filePathToken.range,
+                    pkgPath: util.getPkgPathFromTarget(this.pkgPath, statement.filePath),
+                    sourceFile: this,
+                    text: statement.filePathToken?.text
+                });
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    public validate() {
+        //only validate the file if it was actually parsed (skip files containing typedefs)
+        if (!this.hasTypedef) {
+            this.validateImportStatements();
+        }
+    }
 
+    private validateImportStatements() {
+        let topOfFileIncludeStatements = [] as Array<LibraryStatement | ImportStatement>;
         for (let stmt of this.ast.statements) {
             //skip comments
             if (isCommentStatement(stmt)) {
@@ -327,16 +333,6 @@ export class BrsFile {
             ...this._parser.references.importStatements
         ];
         for (let result of statements) {
-            //register import statements
-            if (isImportStatement(result) && result.filePathToken) {
-                this.ownScriptImports.push({
-                    filePathRange: result.filePathToken.range,
-                    pkgPath: util.getPkgPathFromTarget(this.pkgPath, result.filePath),
-                    sourceFile: this,
-                    text: result.filePathToken?.text
-                });
-            }
-
             //if this statement is not one of the top-of-file statements,
             //then add a diagnostic explaining that it is invalid
             if (!topOfFileIncludeStatements.includes(result)) {
diff --git a/src/files/XmlFile.spec.ts b/src/files/XmlFile.spec.ts
index c431d4204..d05fbfec8 100644
--- a/src/files/XmlFile.spec.ts
+++ b/src/files/XmlFile.spec.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { standardizePath as s } from '../util';
 import { expectDiagnostics, expectZeroDiagnostics, getTestTranspile, trim, trimMap } from '../testHelpers.spec';
 import { ProgramBuilder } from '../ProgramBuilder';
 import { LogLevel } from '../Logger';
+import { isXmlFile } from '../astUtils/reflection';
 
 describe('XmlFile', () => {
     const tempDir = s`${process.cwd()}/.tmp`;
@@ -40,17 +41,17 @@ describe('XmlFile', () => {
     describe('parse', () => {
         it('allows modifying the parsed XML model', () => {
             const expected = 'OtherName';
-            file = new XmlFile('abs', 'rel', program);
             program.plugins.add({
                 name: 'allows modifying the parsed XML model',
-                afterFileParse: () => {
-                    file.parser.ast.root.attributes[0].value.text = expected;
+                afterFileParse: (file) => {
+                    if (isXmlFile(file) && file.parser.ast.root?.attributes?.[0]?.value) {
+                        file.parser.ast.root.attributes[0].value.text = expected;
+                    }
                 }
             });
-            file.parse(trim`
+            file = program.addOrReplaceFile('components/ChildScene.xml', trim`
                 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
                 <component name="ChildScene" extends="Scene">
-                    <script type="text/brightscript" uri="ChildScene1.brs" /> <script type="text/brightscript" uri="ChildScene2.brs" /> <script type="text/brightscript" uri="ChildScene3.brs" />
                 </component>
             `);
             expect(file.componentName.text).to.equal(expected);
@@ -191,26 +192,24 @@ describe('XmlFile', () => {
         });
 
         it('Adds error when no component is declared in xml', () => {
-            file = new XmlFile('abs', 'rel', program);
-            file.parse('<script type="text/brightscript" uri="ChildScene.brs" />');
-            expect(file.diagnostics).to.be.lengthOf(2);
-            expect(file.diagnostics[0]).to.deep.include({
-                ...DiagnosticMessages.xmlUnexpectedTag('script'),
-                range: Range.create(0, 1, 0, 7)
-            });
-            expect(file.diagnostics[1]).to.deep.include(
+            file = program.addOrReplaceFile('components/comp.xml', '<script type="text/brightscript" uri="ChildScene.brs" />');
+            expectDiagnostics(program, [
+                {
+                    ...DiagnosticMessages.xmlUnexpectedTag('script'),
+                    range: Range.create(0, 1, 0, 7)
+                },
                 DiagnosticMessages.xmlComponentMissingComponentDeclaration()
-            );
+            ]);
         });
 
         it('adds error when component does not declare a name', () => {
-            file = new XmlFile('abs', 'rel', program);
-            file.parse(trim`
+            file = program.addOrReplaceFile('components/comp.xml', trim`
                 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
                 <component extends="ParentScene">
                     <script type="text/brightscript" uri="ChildScene.brs" />
                 </component>
             `);
+            program.validate();
             expect(file.diagnostics).to.be.lengthOf(1);
             expect(file.diagnostics[0]).to.deep.include(<BsDiagnostic>{
                 message: DiagnosticMessages.xmlComponentMissingNameAttribute().message,
@@ -219,12 +218,12 @@ describe('XmlFile', () => {
         });
 
         it('catches xml parse errors', () => {
-            file = new XmlFile('abs', 'rel', program);
-            file.parse(trim`
+            file = program.addOrReplaceFile('components/comp.xml', trim`
                 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
                 <component 1extends="ParentScene">
                 </component>
             `);
+            program.validate();
             expect(file.diagnostics).to.be.lengthOf(2);
             expect(file.diagnostics[0].code).to.equal(DiagnosticMessages.xmlGenericParseError('').code); //unexpected character '1'
             expect(file.diagnostics[1]).to.deep.include(<BsDiagnostic>{
@@ -916,24 +915,26 @@ describe('XmlFile', () => {
             const program = new Program({
                 rootDir: rootDir
             });
-            file = new XmlFile('abs', 'rel', program);
             program.plugins.add({
                 name: 'Transform plugins',
-                afterFileParse: () => validateXml(file)
+                afterFileParse: file => validateXml(file as XmlFile)
             });
-            file.parse(trim`
+            file = program.addOrReplaceFile<XmlFile>('components/component.xml', trim`
                 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
                 <component name="Cmp1" extends="Scene">
                 </component>
             `);
+            program.validate();
             return file;
         }
 
         it('Calls XML file validation plugins', () => {
             const validateXml = sinon.spy();
             const file = parseFileWithPlugins(validateXml);
-            expect(validateXml.callCount).to.equal(1);
-            expect(validateXml.calledWith(file)).to.be.true;
+            expect(validateXml.callCount).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+            expect(
+                validateXml.getCalls().flatMap(x => x.args)
+            ).to.include(file);
         });
     });
 
diff --git a/src/files/XmlFile.ts b/src/files/XmlFile.ts
index 1d462e071..647803568 100644
--- a/src/files/XmlFile.ts
+++ b/src/files/XmlFile.ts
@@ -193,24 +193,15 @@ export class XmlFile {
 
         this.getCommentFlags(this.parser.tokens as any[]);
 
-        //notify AST ready
-        this.program.plugins.emit('afterFileParse', this);
+        //needsTranspiled should be true if an import is brighterscript
+        this.needsTranspiled = this.needsTranspiled || this.ast.component?.scripts?.some(
+            script => script.type?.indexOf('brighterscript') > 0 || script.uri?.endsWith('.bs')
+        );
+    }
 
-        //emit an event before starting to validate this file
-        this.program.plugins.emit('beforeFileValidate', {
-            file: this,
-            program: this.program
-        });
-
-        //emit an event to allow plugins to contribute to the file validation process
-        this.program.plugins.emit('onFileValidate', {
-            file: this,
-            program: this.program
-        });
 
+    public validate() {
         if (this.parser.ast.root) {
-
-            //initial validation
             this.validateComponent(this.parser.ast);
         } else {
             //skip empty XML
@@ -265,10 +256,6 @@ export class XmlFile {
             });
         }
 
-        //needsTranspiled should be true if an import is brighterscript
-        this.needsTranspiled = this.needsTranspiled || component.scripts.some(
-            script => script.type?.indexOf('brighterscript') > 0 || script.uri?.endsWith('.bs')
-        );
 
         //catch script imports with same path as the auto-imported codebehind file
         const scriptTagImports = this.parser.references.scriptTagImports;