diff --git a/language.version b/language.version
index 786748a32..28a92de2e 100644
--- a/language.version
+++ b/language.version
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 [default]
-SWWM_MODVER="\cyDEMOLITIONIST \cw1.3pre r948 \cu(Sat  2 Sep 10:01:26 CEST 2023)\c-";
-SWWM_SHORTVER="\cw1.3pre r948 \cu(2023-09-02 10:01:26)\c-";
+SWWM_MODVER="\cyDEMOLITIONIST \cw1.3pre r949 \cu(Mon  4 Sep 14:08:18 CEST 2023)\c-";
+SWWM_SHORTVER="\cw1.3pre r949 \cu(2023-09-04 14:08:18)\c-";
diff --git a/zscript/handler/swwm_statichandler.zsc b/zscript/handler/swwm_statichandler.zsc
index 665fe2032..e9f79437a 100644
--- a/zscript/handler/swwm_statichandler.zsc
+++ b/zscript/handler/swwm_statichandler.zsc
@@ -440,6 +440,172 @@ Class SWWMStaticHandler : StaticEventHandler
 			}
 			if ( !fail ) Console.Printf("ALL OK");
 		}
+		else if ( e.Name ~== "swwmvalidatedlgfiles" )
+		{
+			for ( int lmp = Wads.FindLumpFullName("swwmdialogue",0,true); lmp != -1; lmp = Wads.FindLumpFullName("swwmdialogue",lmp+1,true) )
+			{
+				Console.Printf("\ce-- PARSING FILE \cf'%s'\ce...\c-",Wads.GetLumpFullName(lmp));
+				Console.Printf("");
+				String dat = Wads.ReadLump(lmp);
+				dat.Replace("\r","");	// just in case
+				Array<String> lines;
+				lines.Clear();
+				dat.Split(lines,"\n",0);
+				// strip comments and trim whitespace
+				for ( int i=0; i<lines.Size(); i++ )
+				{
+					int cmm = lines[i].IndexOf("#");
+					if ( cmm != -1 ) lines[i].Truncate(cmm);
+					lines[i].StripLeftRight();
+				}
+				int cur = 0;
+				bool indlg = false;
+				bool inseq = false, gotseq = false;
+				int nseq = 0;
+				String sdlg, schr, sname;
+				int scnt, sdelay, sstartdelay, senddelay, schardelay, spausedelay;
+				bool sindirect, sznvspecial;
+				while ( cur < lines.Size() )
+				{
+					// skip empty lines
+					if ( lines[cur] == "" )
+					{
+						cur++;
+						continue;
+					}
+					// sequence ends here
+					// dialogue ends here
+					if ( lines[cur].Left(6) == "ENDDLG" )
+					{
+						if ( !indlg ) ThrowAbortException("line %d, 'ENDDLG' found without start of dialogue.",cur+1);
+						if ( inseq ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, premature end of sequence %d.",sdlg,cur+1,nseq);
+						if ( !gotseq ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, dialogue is empty.",sdlg,cur+1);
+						Console.Printf("");
+						indlg = false;
+						cur++;
+						continue;
+					}
+					if ( !indlg )
+					{
+						if ( lines[cur].Left(4) == "DLG " )
+						{
+							sdlg = lines[cur].Mid(4);
+							Console.Printf("\cqdialogue \cd'%s'\cq:\c-",sdlg);
+							indlg = true;
+							nseq = 1;
+							cur++;
+							continue;
+						}
+						ThrowAbortException("line %d, expected 'DLG' directive",cur+1);
+						return;
+					}
+					if ( inseq )
+					{
+						// fetch params until we find ENDSEQ
+						if ( lines[cur].Left(6) == "ENDSEQ" )
+						{
+							// put out the sequence
+							if ( sname == "" ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence %d has no name.",sdlg,cur+1,nseq);
+							if ( scnt <= 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence %d has invalid count.",sdlg,cur+1,nseq);
+							Console.Printf(" \cqsequence \cd%d\cq with character \cd'%s'\cq, name \cd'%s'\cq:\c-",nseq,schr,sname);
+							if ( sdelay > 0 ) Console.Printf("  \cqdelay: \cd%d\c-",sdelay);
+							if ( sstartdelay > 0 ) Console.Printf("  \cqstartdelay: \cd%d\c-",sstartdelay);
+							if ( senddelay > 0 ) Console.Printf("  \cqenddelay: \cd%d\c-",senddelay);
+							if ( schardelay > 0 ) Console.Printf("  \cqchardelay: \cd%d\c-",schardelay);
+							if ( spausedelay > 0 ) Console.Printf("  \cqpausedelay: \cd%d\c-",spausedelay);
+							if ( sznvspecial ) Console.Printf("  \cq+\cdznvspecial\c-");
+							if ( sindirect ) Console.Printf("  \cq+\cdindirect\c-");
+							Console.Printf("  \cqcount: \cd%d\c-\n\cd---\c-",scnt);
+							for ( int i=0; i<scnt; i++ )
+							{
+								String ln = StringTable.Localize("$SWWM_"..sname..(i+1));
+								if ( (i == 1) && sznvspecial )
+								{
+									int nyears = SystemTime.Format("%Y",SystemTime.Now()).ToInt()-2010;
+									ln = String.Format(ln,nyears);
+								}
+								Console.Printf("%s\n\cd---\c-",ln);
+							}
+							gotseq = true;
+							inseq = false;
+							nseq++;
+						}
+						else if ( lines[cur].Left(5) == "NAME " )
+						{
+							if ( sname != "" ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence %d, duplicate 'NAME' parameter.",sdlg,cur+1,nseq);
+							sname = lines[cur].Mid(5);
+						}
+						else if ( lines[cur].Left(4) == "CNT " )
+						{
+							if ( scnt > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence %d, duplicate 'CNT' parameter.",sdlg,cur+1,nseq);
+							scnt = lines[cur].Mid(4).ToInt();
+						}
+						else if ( lines[cur].Left(6) == "DELAY " )
+						{
+							if ( sdelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence %d, duplicate 'DELAY' parameter.",sdlg,cur+1,nseq);
+							sdelay = lines[cur].Mid(6).ToInt();
+						}
+						else if ( lines[cur].Left(11) == "STARTDELAY " )
+						{
+							if ( sstartdelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence %d, duplicate 'STARTDELAY' parameter.",sdlg,cur+1,nseq);
+							sstartdelay = lines[cur].Mid(11).ToInt();
+						}
+						else if ( lines[cur].Left(9) == "ENDDELAY " )
+						{
+							if ( senddelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence %d, duplicate 'ENDDELAY' parameter.",sdlg,cur+1,nseq);
+							senddelay = lines[cur].Mid(9).ToInt();
+						}
+						else if ( lines[cur].Left(10) == "CHARDELAY " )
+						{
+							if ( schardelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence %d, duplicate 'CHARDELAY' parameter.",sdlg,cur+1,nseq);
+							schardelay = lines[cur].Mid(10).ToInt();
+						}
+						else if ( lines[cur].Left(11) == "PAUSEDELAY " )
+						{
+							if ( spausedelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence %d, duplicate 'PAUSEDELAY' parameter.",sdlg,cur+1,nseq);
+							spausedelay = lines[cur].Mid(11).ToInt();
+						}
+						else if ( lines[cur].Left(8) == "INDIRECT" )
+						{
+							if ( sindirect ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence %d, duplicate 'INDIRECT' parameter.",sdlg,cur+1,nseq);
+							sindirect = true;
+						}
+						else if ( lines[cur].Left(10) == "ZNVSPECIAL" )
+						{
+							if ( sznvspecial ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence %d, duplicate 'ZNVSPECIAL' parameter.",sdlg,cur+1,nseq);
+							sznvspecial = true;
+						}
+						else ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence %d, parameter not recognized",sdlg,cur+1,nseq);
+						cur++;
+						continue;
+					}
+					if ( lines[cur].Left(4) == "SEQ " )
+					{
+						// begin dialogue
+						inseq = true;
+						schr = lines[cur].Mid(4);
+						// wipe params
+						sname = "";
+						scnt = 0;
+						sdelay = 0;
+						sstartdelay = 0;
+						senddelay = 0;
+						schardelay = 0;
+						spausedelay = 0;
+						sindirect = false;
+						sznvspecial = false;
+						cur++;
+						continue;
+					}
+					ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, expected 'SEQ' directive",sdlg,cur+1);
+					return;
+				}
+				if ( indlg ) ThrowAbortException("line %d, premature end of file reached for dialogue '%s'",cur+1,sdlg);
+				if ( inseq ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, premature end of file reached for sequence %d",sdlg,cur+1,nseq);
+				Console.Printf("\ce-- END OF FILE \cf'%s'\ce...\c-",Wads.GetLumpFullName(lmp));
+				Console.Printf("");
+			}
+		}
 		else if ( e.Name ~== "swwmdumpmonsters" )
 		{
 			int i = 0;