diff --git a/.drone.yml b/.drone.yml
index 8da7133eec..0b8625d2aa 100755
--- a/.drone.yml
+++ b/.drone.yml
@@ -10,5 +10,5 @@ script:
   - rm integration-cli/docker_cli_daemon_test.go
   - rm integration-cli/docker_cli_exec_test.go 
 # Validate and test.
-  - hack/make.sh validate-dco validate-gofmt
+  - hack/make.sh validate-dco validate-gofmt validate-toml
   - hack/make.sh binary cross test-unit test-integration-cli test-integration test-docker-py
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 67b9ea1690..fdf35227fc 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -155,6 +155,10 @@ RUN set -x \
 	&& git clone -b v1.2 https://github.com/russross/blackfriday.git /go/src/github.com/russross/blackfriday \
 	&& go install -v github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man
 
+# install toml validator
+RUN git clone -b v0.1.0 https://github.com/BurntSushi/toml.git /go/src/github.com/BurntSushi/toml \
+    && go install -v github.com/BurntSushi/toml/cmd/tomlv
+
 # Wrap all commands in the "docker-in-docker" script to allow nested containers
 ENTRYPOINT ["hack/dind"]
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 13e0fa9e8a..266fa2a9a4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ test-docker-py: build
 	$(DOCKER_RUN_DOCKER) hack/make.sh binary test-docker-py
 
 validate: build
-	$(DOCKER_RUN_DOCKER) hack/make.sh validate-gofmt validate-dco
+	$(DOCKER_RUN_DOCKER) hack/make.sh validate-gofmt validate-dco validate-toml
 
 shell: build
 	$(DOCKER_RUN_DOCKER) bash
diff --git a/project/make.sh b/project/make.sh
index 97751cb67c..f1e60cc34a 100755
--- a/project/make.sh
+++ b/project/make.sh
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ echo
 DEFAULT_BUNDLES=(
 	validate-dco
 	validate-gofmt
+	validate-toml
 
 	binary
 
diff --git a/project/make/validate-toml b/project/make/validate-toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..46ece77980
--- /dev/null
+++ b/project/make/validate-toml
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+source "$(dirname "$BASH_SOURCE")/.validate"
+
+IFS=$'\n'
+files=( $(validate_diff --diff-filter=ACMR --name-only -- 'MAINTAINERS' || true) )
+unset IFS
+
+badFiles=()
+for f in "${files[@]}"; do
+	# we use "git show" here to validate that what's committed is formatted
+	if [ "$(git show "$VALIDATE_HEAD:$f" | tomlv)" ]; then
+		badFiles+=( "$f" )
+	fi
+done
+
+if [ ${#badFiles[@]} -eq 0 ]; then
+	echo 'Congratulations!  All toml source files have valid syntax.'
+else
+	{
+		echo "These files are not valid toml:"
+		for f in "${badFiles[@]}"; do
+			echo " - $f"
+		done
+		echo
+		echo 'Please reformat the above files as valid toml'
+		echo
+	} >&2
+	false
+fi