diff --git a/handlers/main.yml b/handlers/main.yml
index 92971d2..6f8e638 100644
--- a/handlers/main.yml
+++ b/handlers/main.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
 ---
 - name: restart nginx
   service: name=nginx state=restarted
+
+- name: validate nginx configuration
+  command: nginx -t -c /etc/nginx.conf
+  changed_when: False
diff --git a/tasks/vhosts.yml b/tasks/vhosts.yml
index 621ab6b..9cee3d3 100644
--- a/tasks/vhosts.yml
+++ b/tasks/vhosts.yml
@@ -12,11 +12,16 @@
     dest: "{{ nginx_vhost_path }}/vhosts.conf"
     mode: 0644
   when: nginx_vhosts|length > 0
-  notify: restart nginx
+  notify:
+    - validate nginx configuration
+    - restart nginx
 
 - name: Remove managed vhost config file (if no vhosts are configured).
   file:
     path: "{{ nginx_vhost_path }}/vhosts.conf"
     state: absent
   when: nginx_vhosts|length == 0
-  notify: restart nginx
+  notify:
+    - validate nginx configuration
+    - restart nginx
+