diff --git a/docs/manual/developers.txt b/docs/manual/developers.txt
index 7058d57b20..29846b5650 100644
--- a/docs/manual/developers.txt
+++ b/docs/manual/developers.txt
@@ -45,5 +45,6 @@ the +DEVELOPERS+ file for various tasks:
   list the ones that are not handled by any developer. The purpose of
   this option is to help completing the +DEVELOPERS+ file.
 
-- When using without any arguments, it validates the integrity of the
-  DEVELOPERS file and will note WARNINGS for items that don't match.
+- When using the +-v+ command line option, it validates the integrity
+  of the DEVELOPERS file and will note WARNINGS for items that don't
+  match.
diff --git a/utils/get-developers b/utils/get-developers
index 22accaf181..158867ce3f 100755
--- a/utils/get-developers
+++ b/utils/get-developers
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ def parse_args():
                         const=True, help='list files not handled by any developer')
     parser.add_argument('-e', dest='email', action='store_const',
                         const=True, help='only list affected developer email addresses')
+    parser.add_argument('-v', dest='validate', action='store_const',
+                        const=True, help='validate syntax of DEVELOPERS file')
     return parser.parse_args()
 
 
@@ -35,6 +37,8 @@ def __main__():
         action += 1
     if args.check:
         action += 1
+    if args.validate:
+        action += 1
     if len(args.patches) != 0:
         action += 1
     if action > 1:
@@ -48,6 +52,12 @@ def __main__():
     if devs is None:
         sys.exit(1)
 
+    # Validation is done by parse_developers() above and we error out
+    # if the validation didn't work, so if we reach here, it means
+    # validation passed, so we can simply bail out in success.
+    if args.validate:
+        return
+
     # Handle the check action
     if args.check:
         files = getdeveloperlib.check_developers(devs)