diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 5a623745f6..fbcfa6b672 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -446,6 +446,7 @@ set(MAIN_SRCS
     script_opt/ZAM/Profile.cc
     script_opt/ZAM/Stmt.cc
     script_opt/ZAM/Support.cc
+    script_opt/ZAM/Validate.cc
     script_opt/ZAM/Vars.cc
     script_opt/ZAM/ZBody.cc
     script_opt/ZAM/ZInst.cc
diff --git a/src/Options.cc b/src/Options.cc
index 0c15fbe074..c0c6ff3d4e 100644
--- a/src/Options.cc
+++ b/src/Options.cc
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ static void print_analysis_help() {
     fprintf(stderr, "    optimize-AST	optimize the (transformed) AST; implies xform\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "    profile-ZAM	generate to zprof.out a ZAM execution profile; implies -O ZAM\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "    report-recursive	report on recursive functions and exit\n");
+    fprintf(stderr, "    validate-ZAM	perform internal assessment of synthesized ZAM instructions and exit\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "    xform	transform scripts to \"reduced\" form\n");
 
     fprintf(stderr, "\n--optimize options when generating C++:\n");
@@ -220,14 +221,14 @@ static void set_analysis_option(const char* opt, Options& opts) {
         exit(0);
     }
 
-    if ( util::streq(opt, "dump-uds") )
+    if ( util::streq(opt, "allow-cond") )
+        a_o.allow_cond = true;
+    else if ( util::streq(opt, "dump-uds") )
         a_o.activate = a_o.dump_uds = true;
     else if ( util::streq(opt, "dump-xform") )
         a_o.activate = a_o.dump_xform = true;
     else if ( util::streq(opt, "dump-ZAM") )
         a_o.activate = a_o.dump_ZAM = true;
-    else if ( util::streq(opt, "allow-cond") )
-        a_o.allow_cond = true;
     else if ( util::streq(opt, "gen-C++") )
         a_o.gen_CPP = true;
     else if ( util::streq(opt, "gen-standalone-C++") )
@@ -254,6 +255,8 @@ static void set_analysis_option(const char* opt, Options& opts) {
         a_o.report_uncompilable = true;
     else if ( util::streq(opt, "use-C++") )
         a_o.use_CPP = true;
+    else if ( util::streq(opt, "validate-ZAM") )
+        a_o.validate_ZAM = true;
     else if ( util::streq(opt, "xform") )
         a_o.activate = true;
 
diff --git a/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.cc b/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.cc
index 4a789134e8..7013eecbb9 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.cc
+++ b/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.cc
@@ -558,6 +558,11 @@ void clear_script_analysis() {
 void analyze_scripts(bool no_unused_warnings) {
     init_options();
 
+    if ( analysis_options.validate_ZAM ) {
+        validate_ZAM_insts();
+        return;
+    }
+
     // Any standalone compiled scripts have already been instantiated
     // at this point, but may require post-loading-of-scripts finalization.
     for ( auto cb : standalone_finalizations )
diff --git a/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.h b/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.h
index 4854936073..3ca64036e5 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.h
+++ b/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.h
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ struct AnalyOpt {
     // recursive, and exit.  Only germane if running the inliner.
     bool report_recursive = false;
 
+    // If true, assess the instructions generated from ZAM templates
+    // for validity, and exit.
+    bool validate_ZAM = false;
+
     // If true, generate ZAM code for applicable function bodies,
     // activating all optimizations.
     bool gen_ZAM = false;
@@ -244,6 +248,11 @@ extern bool should_analyze(const ScriptFuncPtr& f, const StmtPtr& body);
 // suppressed by the flag) and optimization.
 extern void analyze_scripts(bool no_unused_warnings);
 
+// Conduct internal validation of ZAM instructions. Upon success, generates
+// a terse report to stdout.  Exits with an internal error if a problem is
+// encountered.
+extern void validate_ZAM_insts();
+
 // Called when all script processing is complete and we can discard
 // unused ASTs and associated state.
 extern void clear_script_analysis();
diff --git a/src/script_opt/ZAM/README.md b/src/script_opt/ZAM/README.md
index dc9c62da68..90afbdbf09 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/ZAM/README.md
+++ b/src/script_opt/ZAM/README.md
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ issues:
 |`profile-ZAM`	|	Generate to "zprof.out" a ZAM execution profile. (Requires configuring with `--enable-ZAM-profiling` or `--enable-debug`.)|
 |`report-recursive`	|	Report on recursive functions and exit.|
 |`report-uncompilable`	|	Report on uncompilable functions and exit. For ZAM, all functions should be compilable.|
+|`validate-ZAM`		|	Perform internal validation of ZAM instructions and exit.|
 |`xform`		|	Transform scripts to "reduced" form.|
 
 <a name="ZAM-profiling"></a>
diff --git a/src/script_opt/ZAM/Validate.cc b/src/script_opt/ZAM/Validate.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9540964335
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/script_opt/ZAM/Validate.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+// See the file "COPYING" in the main distribution directory for copyright.
+
+#include <string>
+
+#include "zeek/script_opt/ZAM/ZBody.h"
+#include "zeek/script_opt/ZAM/ZOp.h"
+
+using std::string;
+
+namespace zeek::detail {
+
+std::unordered_map<ZOp, ZAMInstDesc> zam_inst_desc = {
+
+#include "ZAM-Desc.h"
+
+};
+
+// While the following has commonalities that could be factored out,
+// for now we keep this form because it provides flexibility for
+// accommodating other forms of accessors.
+static std::map<char, string> type_pats = {
+    {'A', "Addr"},    {'a', "Any"},    {'D', "Double"}, {'F', "Func"},  {'I', "Int"},  {'L', "List"},  {'N', "SubNet"},
+    {'P', "Pattern"}, {'R', "Record"}, {'S', "String"}, {'T', "Table"}, {'t', "Type"}, {'U', "Count"}, {'V', "Vector"},
+};
+
+static int num_valid = 0;
+static int num_tested = 0;
+static int num_skipped = 0;
+
+void analyze_ZAM_inst(const char* op_name, const ZAMInstDesc& zid) {
+    auto& oc = zid.op_class;
+    auto& ot = zid.op_types;
+    auto& eval = zid.op_eval;
+
+    bool have_ot = ! ot.empty();
+
+    if ( have_ot && oc.size() != ot.size() )
+        reporter->InternalError("%s: instruction class/types mismatch (%s/%s)", op_name, oc.c_str(), ot.c_str());
+
+    int nslot = 0;
+
+    for ( size_t i = 0; i < oc.size(); ++i ) {
+        auto oc_i = oc[i];
+
+        string op;
+
+        switch ( oc_i ) {
+            case 'V':
+            case 'R': op = "frame\\[z\\.v" + std::to_string(++nslot) + "\\]"; break;
+
+            case 'b':
+            case 'f':
+            case 'g':
+            case 's':
+            case 'i': op = "z\\.v" + std::to_string(++nslot); break;
+
+            case 'C': op = "z\\.c"; break;
+
+            default:
+                if ( have_ot && ot[i] != 'X' )
+                    reporter->InternalError("instruction types mismatch: %s (%c)", op_name, oc_i);
+        }
+
+        auto match_pat = op;
+        if ( have_ot ) {
+            auto ot_i = ot[i];
+
+            bool bare_int = std::string("bfgis").find(oc_i) != std::string::npos;
+
+            if ( ot_i == 'X' || bare_int ) {
+                if ( ot_i == 'X' && bare_int )
+                    reporter->InternalError("empty instruction type for '%c' class element: %s", oc_i, op_name);
+
+                if ( ! std::regex_search(eval, std::regex(op)) )
+                    reporter->InternalError("%s: operand %s not found", op_name, op.c_str());
+
+                ++num_skipped;
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            auto tp = type_pats.find(ot_i);
+            if ( tp == type_pats.end() )
+                reporter->InternalError("%s: instruction type %c not found", op_name, ot_i);
+            match_pat += ".As" + tp->second + "(Ref)?\\(\\)";
+            ++num_tested;
+        }
+
+        if ( ! std::regex_search(eval, std::regex(match_pat)) )
+            reporter->InternalError("%s: did not find /%s/ in %s", op_name, match_pat.c_str(), eval.c_str());
+    }
+    ++num_valid;
+}
+
+void validate_ZAM_insts() {
+    // The following primes a data structure we access.
+    (void)AssignmentFlavor(OP_NOP, TYPE_VOID, false);
+
+    for ( int i = 0; i < int(OP_NOP); ++i ) {
+        auto zop = ZOp(i);
+        if ( zam_inst_desc.find(zop) == zam_inst_desc.end() && assignment_flavor.find(zop) == assignment_flavor.end() )
+            reporter->InternalError("op %s missing from description", ZOP_name(zop));
+    }
+
+    for ( auto& zid : zam_inst_desc )
+        analyze_ZAM_inst(ZOP_name(zid.first), zid.second);
+
+    printf("%d valid, %d tested, %d skipped\n", num_valid, num_tested, num_skipped);
+}
+
+} // namespace zeek::detail
diff --git a/src/zeek-setup.cc b/src/zeek-setup.cc
index 3f5549b78a..52f267449f 100644
--- a/src/zeek-setup.cc
+++ b/src/zeek-setup.cc
@@ -917,8 +917,8 @@ SetupResult setup(int argc, char** argv, Options* zopts) {
 
     analyze_scripts(options.no_unused_warnings);
 
-    if ( analysis_options.report_recursive ) {
-        // This option is report-and-exit.
+    if ( analysis_options.report_recursive || analysis_options.validate_ZAM ) {
+        // These options are report-and-exit.
         early_shutdown();
         exit(0);
     }