diff --git a/command/commands.go b/command/commands.go
index b735839568..a934fd2922 100644
--- a/command/commands.go
+++ b/command/commands.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/command/validate"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/version"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/cli"
 )
@@ -349,12 +350,7 @@ func init() {
 		},
 
 		"validate": func() (cli.Command, error) {
-			return &ValidateCommand{
-				BaseCommand: BaseCommand{
-					Flags: FlagSetNone,
-					UI:    ui,
-				},
-			}, nil
+			return validate.New(ui), nil
 		},
 
 		"version": func() (cli.Command, error) {
diff --git a/command/validate.go b/command/validate/validate.go
similarity index 64%
rename from command/validate.go
rename to command/validate/validate.go
index 971627013c..c94d0500f4 100644
--- a/command/validate.go
+++ b/command/validate/validate.go
@@ -1,55 +1,43 @@
-package command
+package validate
 
 import (
+	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/agent/config"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/command/flags"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/cli"
 )
 
-// ValidateCommand is a Command implementation that is used to
-// verify config files
-type ValidateCommand struct {
-	BaseCommand
+func New(ui cli.Ui) *cmd {
+	c := &cmd{UI: ui}
+	c.initFlags()
+	return c
+}
 
-	// flags
+type cmd struct {
+	UI    cli.Ui
+	flags *flag.FlagSet
 	quiet bool
 }
 
-func (c *ValidateCommand) initFlags() {
-	c.InitFlagSet()
-	c.FlagSet.BoolVar(&c.quiet, "quiet", false,
+func (c *cmd) initFlags() {
+	c.flags = flag.NewFlagSet("", flag.ContinueOnError)
+	c.flags.BoolVar(&c.quiet, "quiet", false,
 		"When given, a successful run will produce no output.")
 }
 
-func (c *ValidateCommand) Help() string {
-	c.initFlags()
-	return c.HelpCommand(`
-Usage: consul validate [options] FILE_OR_DIRECTORY...
-
-  Performs a basic sanity test on Consul configuration files. For each file
-  or directory given, the validate command will attempt to parse the
-  contents just as the "consul agent" command would, and catch any errors.
-  This is useful to do a test of the configuration only, without actually
-  starting the agent.
-
-  Returns 0 if the configuration is valid, or 1 if there are problems.
-
-`)
-}
-
-func (c *ValidateCommand) Run(args []string) int {
-	c.initFlags()
-	if err := c.FlagSet.Parse(args); err != nil {
+func (c *cmd) Run(args []string) int {
+	if err := c.flags.Parse(args); err != nil {
 		c.UI.Error(err.Error())
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	configFiles := c.FlagSet.Args()
+	configFiles := c.flags.Args()
 	if len(configFiles) < 1 {
 		c.UI.Error("Must specify at least one config file or directory")
 		return 1
 	}
-
 	b, err := config.NewBuilder(config.Flags{ConfigFiles: configFiles})
 	if err != nil {
 		c.UI.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Config validation failed: %v", err.Error()))
@@ -59,13 +47,26 @@ func (c *ValidateCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		c.UI.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Config validation failed: %v", err.Error()))
 		return 1
 	}
-
 	if !c.quiet {
 		c.UI.Output("Configuration is valid!")
 	}
 	return 0
 }
 
-func (c *ValidateCommand) Synopsis() string {
+func (c *cmd) Synopsis() string {
 	return "Validate config files/directories"
 }
+
+func (c *cmd) Help() string {
+	s := `Usage: consul validate [options] FILE_OR_DIRECTORY...
+
+  Performs a basic sanity test on Consul configuration files. For each file
+  or directory given, the validate command will attempt to parse the
+  contents just as the "consul agent" command would, and catch any errors.
+  This is useful to do a test of the configuration only, without actually
+  starting the agent.
+
+  Returns 0 if the configuration is valid, or 1 if there are problems.`
+
+	return flags.Usage(s, c.flags, nil, nil)
+}
diff --git a/command/validate_test.go b/command/validate/validate_test.go
similarity index 79%
rename from command/validate_test.go
rename to command/validate/validate_test.go
index d49914b952..7767e9201b 100644
--- a/command/validate_test.go
+++ b/command/validate/validate_test.go
@@ -1,37 +1,28 @@
-package command
+package validate
 
 import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/testutil"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/cli"
 )
 
-func testValidateCommand(t *testing.T) (*cli.MockUi, *ValidateCommand) {
-	ui := cli.NewMockUi()
-	return ui, &ValidateCommand{
-		BaseCommand: BaseCommand{
-			UI:    ui,
-			Flags: FlagSetNone,
-		},
+func TestValidateCommand_noTabs(t *testing.T) {
+	if strings.ContainsRune(New(nil).Help(), '\t') {
+		t.Fatal("usage has tabs")
 	}
 }
 
-func TestValidateCommand_implements(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-	var _ cli.Command = &ValidateCommand{}
-}
-
 func TestValidateCommandFailOnEmptyFile(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	tmpFile := testutil.TempFile(t, "consul")
 	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpFile.Name())
 
-	_, cmd := testValidateCommand(t)
-
+	cmd := New(cli.NewMockUi())
 	args := []string{tmpFile.Name()}
 
 	if code := cmd.Run(args); code == 0 {
@@ -49,8 +40,7 @@ func TestValidateCommandSucceedOnMinimalConfigFile(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	_, cmd := testValidateCommand(t)
-
+	cmd := New(cli.NewMockUi())
 	args := []string{fp}
 
 	if code := cmd.Run(args); code != 0 {
@@ -67,8 +57,7 @@ func TestValidateCommandSucceedOnMinimalConfigDir(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	_, cmd := testValidateCommand(t)
-
+	cmd := New(cli.NewMockUi())
 	args := []string{td}
 
 	if code := cmd.Run(args); code != 0 {
@@ -87,8 +76,8 @@ func TestValidateCommandQuiet(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	ui, cmd := testValidateCommand(t)
-
+	ui := cli.NewMockUi()
+	cmd := New(ui)
 	args := []string{"-quiet", td}
 
 	if code := cmd.Run(args); code != 0 {