diff --git a/ci/release/template/man/d2.1 b/ci/release/template/man/d2.1
index eb888c57c..08eb02c0e 100644
--- a/ci/release/template/man/d2.1
+++ b/ci/release/template/man/d2.1
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 .Nm d2
 .Ar play Ar file.d2
 .Nm d2
-.Ar validate Ar file.d2 ...
+.Ar validate Ar file.d2
 .Sh DESCRIPTION
 .Nm
 compiles and renders
@@ -164,8 +164,8 @@ Lists available themes
 Format all passed files
 .It Ar play Ar file.d2
 Opens the file in playground, an online web viewer (https://play.d2lang.com)
-.It Ar validate Ar file.d2 ...
-Validate all input files
+.It Ar validate Ar file.d2
+Validate all input file
 .El
 .Sh ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
 Many flags can also be set with environment variables.
diff --git a/d2cli/help.go b/d2cli/help.go
index 6b95a2c33..faa5ba6f8 100644
--- a/d2cli/help.go
+++ b/d2cli/help.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ Usage:
   %[1]s layout [name]
   %[1]s fmt file.d2 ...
   %[1]s play [--theme=0] [--sketch] file.d2
-  %[1]s validate file.d2 ...
+  %[1]s validate file.d2
 
 %[1]s compiles and renders file.d2 to file.svg | file.png
 It defaults to file.svg if an output path is not provided.
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ Subcommands:
   %[1]s themes - Lists available themes
   %[1]s fmt file.d2 ... - Format passed files
 	%[1]s play file.d2 - Opens the file in playground, an online web viewer (https://play.d2lang.com)
-  %[1]s validate file.d2 ... - Validate input files
+  %[1]s validate file.d2  - Validate input file
 
 See more docs and the source code at https://oss.terrastruct.com/d2.
 Hosted icons at https://icons.terrastruct.com.
diff --git a/d2cli/validate.go b/d2cli/validate.go
index 29840ef5b..b62aec2ed 100644
--- a/d2cli/validate.go
+++ b/d2cli/validate.go
@@ -13,23 +13,22 @@ func validateCmd(ctx context.Context, ms *xmain.State) (err error) {
 
 	ms.Opts = xmain.NewOpts(ms.Env, ms.Opts.Flags.Args()[1:])
 	if len(ms.Opts.Args) == 0 {
-		return xmain.UsageErrorf("validate must be passed at least one file to be validated")
+		return xmain.UsageErrorf("validate must be passed an input file to be validated")
 	}
 
-	for _, inputPath := range ms.Opts.Args {
-		if inputPath != "-" {
-			inputPath = ms.AbsPath(inputPath)
-		}
+	inputPath := ms.Opts.Args[0]
+	if inputPath != "-" {
+		inputPath = ms.AbsPath(inputPath)
+	}
 
-		input, err := ms.ReadPath(inputPath)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+	input, err := ms.ReadPath(inputPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
-		_, err = d2lib.Parse(ctx, string(input), nil)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+	_, err = d2lib.Parse(ctx, string(input), nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 	return nil
 }