diff --git a/.changelog/unreleased/bug-fixes/1902-validate-wasm.md b/.changelog/unreleased/bug-fixes/1902-validate-wasm.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a6c5587000
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/unreleased/bug-fixes/1902-validate-wasm.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+- Added wasm validation in `init_chain` and in client utils.
+  ([\#1902](https://github.com/anoma/namada/pull/1902))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/src/lib/cli.rs b/apps/src/lib/cli.rs
index 7ef136bc98..83e9cee5e1 100644
--- a/apps/src/lib/cli.rs
+++ b/apps/src/lib/cli.rs
@@ -1898,6 +1898,7 @@ pub mod cmds {
     pub enum Utils {
         JoinNetwork(JoinNetwork),
         FetchWasms(FetchWasms),
+        ValidateWasm(ValidateWasm),
         InitNetwork(InitNetwork),
         InitGenesisValidator(InitGenesisValidator),
         PkToTmAddress(PkToTmAddress),
@@ -1913,6 +1914,8 @@ pub mod cmds {
                 let join_network =
                     SubCmd::parse(matches).map(Self::JoinNetwork);
                 let fetch_wasms = SubCmd::parse(matches).map(Self::FetchWasms);
+                let validate_wasm =
+                    SubCmd::parse(matches).map(Self::ValidateWasm);
                 let init_network =
                     SubCmd::parse(matches).map(Self::InitNetwork);
                 let init_genesis =
@@ -1924,6 +1927,7 @@ pub mod cmds {
                 let epoch_sleep = SubCmd::parse(matches).map(Self::EpochSleep);
                 join_network
                     .or(fetch_wasms)
+                    .or(validate_wasm)
                     .or(init_network)
                     .or(init_genesis)
                     .or(pk_to_tm_address)
@@ -1937,6 +1941,7 @@ pub mod cmds {
                 .about("Utilities.")
                 .subcommand(JoinNetwork::def())
                 .subcommand(FetchWasms::def())
+                .subcommand(ValidateWasm::def())
                 .subcommand(InitNetwork::def())
                 .subcommand(InitGenesisValidator::def())
                 .subcommand(PkToTmAddress::def())
@@ -1985,6 +1990,28 @@ pub mod cmds {
         }
     }
 
+    #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+    pub struct ValidateWasm(pub args::ValidateWasm);
+
+    impl SubCmd for ValidateWasm {
+        const CMD: &'static str = "validate-wasm";
+
+        fn parse(matches: &ArgMatches) -> Option<Self> {
+            matches
+                .subcommand_matches(Self::CMD)
+                .map(|matches| Self(args::ValidateWasm::parse(matches)))
+        }
+
+        fn def() -> App {
+            App::new(Self::CMD)
+                .about(
+                    "Check that the provided wasm code is valid by the Namada \
+                     standards.",
+                )
+                .add_args::<args::ValidateWasm>()
+        }
+    }
+
     #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
     pub struct InitNetwork(pub args::InitNetwork);
 
@@ -5481,6 +5508,26 @@ pub mod args {
         }
     }
 
+    #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+    pub struct ValidateWasm {
+        pub code_path: PathBuf,
+    }
+
+    impl Args for ValidateWasm {
+        fn parse(matches: &ArgMatches) -> Self {
+            let code_path = CODE_PATH.parse(matches);
+            Self { code_path }
+        }
+
+        fn def(app: App) -> App {
+            app.arg(
+                CODE_PATH
+                    .def()
+                    .help("The path to the wasm file to validate."),
+            )
+        }
+    }
+
     #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
     pub struct InitNetwork {
         pub genesis_path: PathBuf,
diff --git a/apps/src/lib/cli/client.rs b/apps/src/lib/cli/client.rs
index 675c5b4aea..b0991d8c0d 100644
--- a/apps/src/lib/cli/client.rs
+++ b/apps/src/lib/cli/client.rs
@@ -634,6 +634,9 @@ impl<IO> CliApi<IO> {
                 Utils::FetchWasms(FetchWasms(args)) => {
                     utils::fetch_wasms(global_args, args).await
                 }
+                Utils::ValidateWasm(ValidateWasm(args)) => {
+                    utils::validate_wasm(args)
+                }
                 Utils::InitNetwork(InitNetwork(args)) => {
                     utils::init_network(global_args, args)
                 }
diff --git a/apps/src/lib/client/utils.rs b/apps/src/lib/client/utils.rs
index 77b18f9136..180f36865c 100644
--- a/apps/src/lib/client/utils.rs
+++ b/apps/src/lib/client/utils.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ use namada::types::address;
 use namada::types::chain::ChainId;
 use namada::types::dec::Dec;
 use namada::types::key::*;
+use namada::vm::validate_untrusted_wasm;
 use prost::bytes::Bytes;
 use rand::prelude::ThreadRng;
 use rand::thread_rng;
@@ -363,6 +364,17 @@ pub async fn fetch_wasms_aux(base_dir: &Path, chain_id: &ChainId) {
     wasm_loader::pre_fetch_wasm(&wasm_dir).await;
 }
 
+pub fn validate_wasm(args::ValidateWasm { code_path }: args::ValidateWasm) {
+    let code = std::fs::read(code_path).unwrap();
+    match validate_untrusted_wasm(code) {
+        Ok(()) => println!("Wasm code is valid"),
+        Err(e) => {
+            eprintln!("Wasm code is invalid: {e}");
+            cli::safe_exit(1)
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Length of a Tendermint Node ID in bytes
 const TENDERMINT_NODE_ID_LENGTH: usize = 20;
 
diff --git a/apps/src/lib/node/ledger/shell/init_chain.rs b/apps/src/lib/node/ledger/shell/init_chain.rs
index b650e2d730..ceb4e9c446 100644
--- a/apps/src/lib/node/ledger/shell/init_chain.rs
+++ b/apps/src/lib/node/ledger/shell/init_chain.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ use namada::types::hash::Hash as CodeHash;
 use namada::types::key::*;
 use namada::types::time::{DateTimeUtc, TimeZone, Utc};
 use namada::types::token;
+use namada::vm::validate_untrusted_wasm;
 
 use super::*;
 use crate::facade::tendermint_proto::google::protobuf;
@@ -142,6 +143,9 @@ where
                 || tx_whitelist.contains(&code_hash.to_string().to_lowercase())
                 || vp_whitelist.contains(&code_hash.to_string().to_lowercase())
             {
+                validate_untrusted_wasm(&code)
+                    .map_err(|e| Error::LoadingWasm(e.to_string()))?;
+
                 #[cfg(not(test))]
                 if name.starts_with("tx_") {
                     self.tx_wasm_cache.pre_compile(&code);