diff --git a/client/configcheck.go b/client/configcheck.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b50ac80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/configcheck.go
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package client
+
+import "github.com/zrepl/zrepl/config"
+
+func RunConfigcheck(conf *config.Config, args []string) error {
+	// TODO: do the 'build' steps, e.g. build the jobs and see if that fails
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 575ac86..905e2f1 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -88,6 +88,18 @@ var bashcompCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Hidden: true,
 }
 
+var configcheckCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use: "configcheck",
+	Short: "validate config file",
+	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+		conf, err := config.ParseConfig(rootArgs.configFile)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return client.RunConfigcheck(conf, args)
+	},
+}
+
 var rootArgs struct {
 	configFile string
 }
@@ -100,6 +112,7 @@ func init() {
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(statusCmd)
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(stdinserverCmd)
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(bashcompCmd)
+	rootCmd.AddCommand(configcheckCmd)
 }
 
 func main() {