diff --git a/tools/rmpver/verify_rmp.py b/tools/rmpver/verify_rmp.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..37671ab01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/rmpver/verify_rmp.py
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+
+import sys
+
+def read_rmp(fname):
+    lines = file(fname).readlines()
+    result = {}
+    errors = []
+    for (l, i) in zip(lines, xrange(1, 99999)):
+        # strip comments
+        if '#' in l:
+            l = l[:l.find('#')]
+        # skip blank or comment lines
+        if l.strip() == '':
+            continue
+        if '=' not in l:
+            errors.append((i, "no = in resource initializer"))
+            continue
+        (key, x) = l.split("=", 1)
+        if ':' not in x:
+            errors.append((i, "no : in resource value"))
+            continue
+        (restype, resval) = x.split(":", 1)
+        result[key.strip()] = (i, restype.strip(), resval.strip())
+    return (result, errors)
+
+def used_types(rmp):
+    v = {}
+    for x in rmp:
+        (i, t, z) = rmp[x]
+        v[t] = 1
+    r = v.keys()
+    r.sort()
+    return r
+
+def check_rmp(base, target):
+    valid_types = used_types(base)
+    print "Valid types:"
+    for x in valid_types: print x
+    for k in target:
+        (i, t, v) = target[k]
+        if k not in base:
+            print "%d: new key '%s'" % (i, k)
+        if t not in valid_types:
+            print "%d: new type '%s'" % (i, t)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    base = sys.argv[1]
+    target = sys.argv[2]
+    (b, e) = read_rmp(base)
+    if e != []:
+        for (i, x) in e:
+            print "%d: %s" % (i, x)
+        print "Errors found in base resource index, cannot continue"
+    else:
+        (t, e) = read_rmp(target)
+        if e != []:
+            for (i, x) in e:
+                print "%d: %s" % (i, x)
+        check_rmp(b, t)