diff --git a/moses-cmd/src/Makefile.am b/moses-cmd/src/Makefile.am
index 27f70b5b0..350b4fafd 100644
--- a/moses-cmd/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/moses-cmd/src/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
-bin_PROGRAMS = moses lmbrgrid
+bin_PROGRAMS = moses lmbrgrid checkplf
 
 AM_CPPFLAGS = -W -Wall -ffor-scope -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -D_LARGE_FILES -DUSE_HYPO_POOL -I$(top_srcdir)/moses/src  $(BOOST_CPPFLAGS)
 
+checkplf_SOURCES = checkplf.cpp
+checkplf_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/moses/src/libmoses.la
+
 moses_SOURCES = Main.cpp mbr.cpp IOWrapper.cpp TranslationAnalysis.cpp LatticeMBR.cpp ThreadPool.cpp
 moses_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/moses/src/libmoses.la $(BOOST_LDFLAGS) $(BOOST_THREAD_LIB) -L$(top_srcdir)/OnDiskPt/src -lOnDiskPt
 
diff --git a/moses-cmd/src/checkplf.cpp b/moses-cmd/src/checkplf.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..703e34a21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/moses-cmd/src/checkplf.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+#include <iostream>
+
+#include "PCNTools.h"
+
+using namespace std;
+
+int main() {
+  cerr << "Reading PLF from STDIN...\n";
+  string line;
+  int lc = 0;
+  double num_paths = 0;
+  double num_nodes = 0;
+  double num_edges = 0;
+  while(cin) {
+    getline(cin,line);
+    if (line.empty()) continue;
+    ++lc;
+    PCN::CN plf = PCN::parsePCN(line);
+    vector<double> alphas(plf.size() + 1, 0.0);
+    num_nodes += plf.size();
+    alphas[0] = 1.0;
+    for (unsigned node = 0; node < plf.size(); ++node) {
+      const PCN::CNCol& edges = plf[node];
+      const double alpha = alphas[node];
+      if (alpha < 1.0) {
+        cerr << "Line " << lc << ": unreachable node at column position " << (node+1) << endl;
+        return 1;
+      }
+      num_edges += edges.size();
+      for (unsigned j = 0; j < edges.size(); ++j) {
+        const PCN::CNAlt& edge = edges[j];
+        size_t head = edge.second + node;
+        const string& label = edge.first.first;
+        if (head <= node) {
+          cerr << "Line " << lc << ": cycle detected at column position " << (node+1) << ", edge label = '" << label << "'" << endl;
+          return 1;
+        }
+        if (head >= alphas.size()) {
+          cerr << "Line " << lc << ": edge goes beyond goal node at column position " << (node+1) << ", edge label = '" << label << "'" << endl;
+          cerr << "  Goal node expected at position " << alphas.size() << ", but edge references a node at position " << head << endl;
+          return 1;
+        }
+        alphas[head] += alpha;
+      }
+    }
+    if (alphas.back() < 1.0) {
+      cerr << "Line " << lc << ": there appears to be no path to the goal" << endl;
+      return 1;
+    }
+    num_paths += alphas.back();
+  }
+  cerr << "PLF format appears to be correct.\nSTATISTICS:\n";
+  cerr << "       Number of lattices: " << lc << endl;
+  cerr << "    Total number of nodes: " << num_nodes << endl;
+  cerr << "    Total number of edges: " << num_edges << endl;
+  cerr << "          Average density: " << (num_edges / num_nodes) << " edges/node\n";
+  cerr << "    Total number of paths: " << num_paths << endl;
+  cerr << "  Average number of paths: " << (num_paths / lc) << endl;
+  return 0;
+}
+