diff --git a/test.sh b/test.sh
index 60e10ee6..0c0ac740 100755
--- a/test.sh
+++ b/test.sh
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ if label-block "basic"; then
 	run-testsuite ./test/test-vet.sh
 	run-testsuite ./test/test-misc.sh
 	run-testsuite ./test/test-gofmt.sh
+	run-testsuite ./test/test-mclfmt.sh
 	run-testsuite ./test/test-yamlfmt.sh
 	run-testsuite ./test/test-bashfmt.sh
 	run-testsuite ./test/test-headerfmt.sh
diff --git a/test/test-mclfmt.sh b/test/test-mclfmt.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..30184ee4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-mclfmt.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# check for any mcl files that aren't properly formatted
+# TODO: this is hardly exhaustive
+
+echo running "$0"
+set -o errexit
+#set -o nounset
+set -o pipefail
+
+#ROOT="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && cd .. && pwd )"	# dir!
+ROOT=$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE}")/..
+cd "${ROOT}"
+. test/util.sh
+
+#F="misc/TODO.mcl"	# TODO: you can add single files like this...
+find_files() {
+	# TODO: improve this match if we use txtar for non-mcl things eventually
+	git ls-files | grep -e '\.mcl$' -e '\.txtar$' | grep -v 'misc/TODO.mcl'
+}
+
+bad_files=$(
+	#if grep -q '^  ' "$F"; then
+	#	echo "$F"
+	#fi
+	for i in $(find_files); do
+		# search for at least one leading space, to ensure we use tabs
+		if grep -q '^ ' "$i"; then
+			echo "$i"
+		fi
+	done
+)
+
+if [[ -n "${bad_files}" ]]; then
+	fail_test "The following mcl files are not properly formatted: ${bad_files}"
+fi
+echo 'PASS'