diff --git a/contrib/validateRegionFile.py b/contrib/validateRegionFile.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7dd2763
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/validateRegionFile.py
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+import os.path
+import sys
+overviewer_dir = os.path.split(os.path.split(os.path.abspath(__file__))[0])[0]
+sys.path.insert(0, overviewer_dir)
+import nbt
+
+def check_region(region_filename):
+    chunk_errors = []
+    if not os.path.exists(region_filename):
+        raise Exception('Region file not found: %s' % region_filename)
+    try:
+        region = nbt.load_region(region_filename)
+    except IOError, e:
+        raise Exception('Error loading region (%s): %s' % (region_filename, e))
+    try:
+        chunks = region.get_chunk_info(False)
+    except IOError, e:
+        raise Exception('Error reading region header (%s): %s' % (region_filename, e))
+    except Exception, e:
+        raise Exception('Error reading region (%s): %s' % (region_filename, e))
+    for x,y in chunks:
+        try:
+            check_chunk(region, x, y)
+        except Exception, e:
+            chunk_errors.append(e)
+    return (chunk_errors, len(chunks))
+    
+def check_chunk(region, x, y):
+    try:
+        data = region.load_chunk(x ,y)
+    except Exception, e:
+        raise Exception('Error reading chunk (%i, %i): %s' % (x, y, e))
+    if data is None:
+        raise Exception('Chunk (%i, %i) is unexpectedly empty' % (x, y))
+    else:
+        try:
+            processed_data = data.read_all()
+        except Exception, e:
+            raise Exception('Error reading chunk (%i, %i) data: %s' % (x, y, e))
+        if processed_data == []:
+            raise Exception('Chunk (%i, %i) is an unexpectedly empty set' % (x, y))
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    try:
+        from optparse import OptionParser
+
+        parser = OptionParser(usage='python contrib/%prog [OPTIONS] <path/to/regions|path/to/regions/*.mcr|regionfile1.mcr regionfile2.mcr ...>',
+                              description='This script will valide a minecraft region file for errors.')
+        parser.add_option('-v', dest='verbose', action='store_true', help='Print additional information.')
+        opts, args = parser.parse_args()
+        
+        region_files = []
+        for path in args:
+            if os.path.isdir(path):
+                for dirpath, dirnames, filenames in os.walk(path, True):
+                    for filename in filenames:
+                        if filename.startswith('r.') and filename.endswith('.mcr'):
+                            if filename not in region_files:
+                                region_files.append(os.path.join(dirpath, filename))
+                        elif opts.verbose:
+                            print('Ignoring non-region file: %s' % os.path.join(dirpath, filename))
+            elif os.path.isfile(path):
+                dirpath,filename = os.path.split(path)
+                if filename.startswith('r.') and filename.endswith('.mcr'):
+                    if path not in region_files:
+                        region_files.append(path)
+                else:
+                    print('Ignoring non-region file: %s' % path)
+            else:
+                if opts.verbose:
+                    print('Ignoring arg: %s' % path)
+        if len(region_files) < 1:
+            print 'You must list at least one region file.'
+            parser.print_help()
+            sys.exit(1)
+        else:
+            overall_chunk_total = 0
+            bad_chunk_total = 0
+            bad_region_total = 0
+            for region_file in region_files:
+                try:
+                    (chunk_errors, region_chunks) = check_region(region_file)
+                    bad_chunk_total += len(chunk_errors)
+                    overall_chunk_total += region_chunks
+                except Exception, e:
+                    bad_region_total += 1
+                    print('FAILED(%s): %s' % (region_file, e))
+                else:
+                    if len(chunk_errors) is not 0:
+                        print('WARNING(%s) Chunks: %i/%' % (region_file, region_chunks - len(chunk_errors), region_chunks))
+                        if opts.verbose:
+                            for error in chunk_errors:
+                                print(error)
+                    elif opts.verbose:
+                            print ('PASSED(%s) Chunks: %i/%i' % (region_file, region_chunks - len(chunk_errors), region_chunks))
+            if opts.verbose:
+                print 'REGIONS: %i/%i' % (len(region_files) - bad_region_total, len(region_files))
+                print 'CHUNKS: %i/%i' % (overall_chunk_total - bad_chunk_total, overall_chunk_total)
+    except KeyboardInterrupt:
+        sys.exit(1)
+    except Exception, e:
+        print('ERROR: %s' % e)
+