diff --git a/doc/index.rst b/doc/index.rst
index 39d8e5bd..b6123953 100644
--- a/doc/index.rst
+++ b/doc/index.rst
@@ -22,3 +22,4 @@ Documentation
     install
     format
     example
+    validation
diff --git a/doc/validation.rst b/doc/validation.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c8516683
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/validation.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+==============================
+Validating NumpyDoc docstrings
+==============================
+
+One tool for validating docstrings is to see how an object's dosctring
+translates to Restructured Text.  Using numpydoc as a command-line tool
+facilitates this. For example to see the Restructured Text generated
+for ``numpy.ndarray``, use:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+    $ python -m numpydoc numpy.ndarray
diff --git a/numpydoc/__main__.py b/numpydoc/__main__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..25f58cf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/numpydoc/__main__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import argparse
+import importlib
+import ast
+
+from .docscrape_sphinx import get_doc_object
+
+
+def main(argv=None):
+    """Test numpydoc docstring generation for a given object"""
+
+    ap = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    ap.add_argument('import_path', help='e.g. numpy.ndarray')
+
+    def _parse_config(s):
+        key, _, value = s.partition('=')
+        value = ast.literal_eval(value)
+        return key, value
+
+    ap.add_argument('-c', '--config', type=_parse_config,
+                    action='append',
+                    help='key=val where val will be parsed by literal_eval, '
+                         'e.g. -c use_plots=True. Multiple -c can be used.')
+    args = ap.parse_args(argv)
+
+    parts = args.import_path.split('.')
+
+    for split_point in range(len(parts), 0, -1):
+        try:
+            path = '.'.join(parts[:split_point])
+            obj = importlib.import_module(path)
+        except ImportError:
+            continue
+        break
+    else:
+        raise ImportError('Could not resolve {!r} to an importable object'
+                          ''.format(args.import_path))
+
+    for part in parts[split_point:]:
+        obj = getattr(obj, part)
+
+    print(get_doc_object(obj, config=dict(args.config or [])))
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()
diff --git a/numpydoc/tests/test_main.py b/numpydoc/tests/test_main.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e565bb29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/numpydoc/tests/test_main.py
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+from __future__ import print_function
+
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+import os
+import sys
+import tempfile
+try:
+    from StringIO import StringIO
+except ImportError:
+    from io import StringIO
+
+from numpydoc.__main__ import main
+
+
+PACKAGE_CODE = """
+'''This package has test stuff'''
+"""
+
+MODULE_CODE = """
+'''This module has test stuff'''
+
+def foo(a, b=5):
+    '''Hello world
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    something : foo
+        bar
+    something_else
+        bar
+    '''
+"""
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def _mock_module(pkg_name):
+    try:
+        tempdir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        os.mkdir(os.path.join(tempdir, pkg_name))
+        with open(os.path.join(tempdir, pkg_name, '__init__.py'), 'w') as f:
+            print(PACKAGE_CODE, file=f)
+        with open(os.path.join(tempdir, pkg_name, 'module.py'), 'w') as f:
+            print(MODULE_CODE, file=f)
+
+        sys.path.insert(0, tempdir)
+        yield tempdir
+    finally:
+        try:
+            os.path.rmdir(tempdir)
+            sys.path.remove(tempdir)
+        except:
+            pass
+
+
+def _capture_main(*args):
+    f = StringIO()
+    sys.stdout, old_stdout = f, sys.stdout
+    try:
+        main(args)
+        return f.getvalue().strip('\n\r')
+    finally:
+        sys.stdout = old_stdout
+
+
+def test_main():
+    # TODO: does not currently check that numpydoc transformations are applied
+
+    assert (_capture_main('numpydoc.__main__.main') ==
+            main.__doc__.strip())
+
+    # check it works with modules not imported from __init__
+    with _mock_module('somepackage1'):
+        out = _capture_main('somepackage1.module.foo')
+    assert out.startswith('Hello world\n')
+    with _mock_module('somepackage2'):
+        out = _capture_main('somepackage2.module')
+    assert out.startswith('This module has test')
+    with _mock_module('somepackage3'):
+        out = _capture_main('somepackage3')
+    assert out.startswith('This package has test')