diff --git a/userspace/engine/lua/compiler.lua b/userspace/engine/lua/compiler.lua
index 0feed84e..e0e53fd3 100644
--- a/userspace/engine/lua/compiler.lua
+++ b/userspace/engine/lua/compiler.lua
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ function expand_macros(ast, defs, changed)
          if (defs[ast.value.value] == nil) then
             error("Undefined macro '".. ast.value.value .. "' used in filter.")
          end
-         ast.value = copy_ast_obj(defs[ast.value.value])
+	 defs[ast.value.value].used = true
+         ast.value = copy_ast_obj(defs[ast.value.value].ast)
          changed = true
 	 return changed
       end
@@ -88,7 +89,8 @@ function expand_macros(ast, defs, changed)
          if (defs[ast.left.value] == nil) then
             error("Undefined macro '".. ast.left.value .. "' used in filter.")
          end
-         ast.left = copy_ast_obj(defs[ast.left.value])
+	 defs[ast.left.value].used = true
+         ast.left = copy_ast_obj(defs[ast.left.value].ast)
          changed = true
       end
 
@@ -96,7 +98,8 @@ function expand_macros(ast, defs, changed)
          if (defs[ast.right.value] == nil) then
             error("Undefined macro ".. ast.right.value .. " used in filter.")
          end
-         ast.right = copy_ast_obj(defs[ast.right.value])
+	 defs[ast.right.value].used = true
+         ast.right = copy_ast_obj(defs[ast.right.value].ast)
          changed = true
       end
 
@@ -109,7 +112,8 @@ function expand_macros(ast, defs, changed)
          if (defs[ast.argument.value] == nil) then
             error("Undefined macro ".. ast.argument.value .. " used in filter.")
          end
-         ast.argument = copy_ast_obj(defs[ast.argument.value])
+	 defs[ast.argument.value].used = true
+         ast.argument = copy_ast_obj(defs[ast.argument.value].ast)
          changed = true
       end
       return expand_macros(ast.argument, defs, changed)
@@ -283,11 +287,28 @@ function get_evttypes(name, ast, source)
    return evttypes
 end
 
+function compiler.expand_lists_in(source, list_defs)
+
+   for name, def in pairs(list_defs) do
+      local begin_name_pat = "^("..name..")([%s(),=])"
+      local mid_name_pat = "([%s(),=])("..name..")([%s(),=])"
+      local end_name_pat = "([%s(),=])("..name..")$"
+
+      source, subcount1 = string.gsub(source, begin_name_pat, table.concat(def.items, ", ").."%2")
+      source, subcount2 = string.gsub(source, mid_name_pat, "%1"..table.concat(def.items, ", ").."%3")
+      source, subcount3 = string.gsub(source, end_name_pat, "%1"..table.concat(def.items, ", "))
+
+      if (subcount1 + subcount2 + subcount3) > 0 then
+	 def.used = true
+      end
+   end
+
+   return source
+end
+
 function compiler.compile_macro(line, macro_defs, list_defs)
 
-   for name, items in pairs(list_defs) do
-      line = string.gsub(line, name, table.concat(items, ", "))
-   end
+   line = compiler.expand_lists_in(line, list_defs)
 
    local ast, error_msg = parser.parse_filter(line)
 
@@ -325,14 +346,7 @@ end
 --]]
 function compiler.compile_filter(name, source, macro_defs, list_defs)
 
-   for name, items in pairs(list_defs) do
-      local begin_name_pat = "^("..name..")([%s(),=])"
-      local mid_name_pat = "([%s(),=])("..name..")([%s(),=])"
-      local end_name_pat = "([%s(),=])("..name..")$"
-      source = string.gsub(source, begin_name_pat, table.concat(items, ", ").."%2")
-      source = string.gsub(source, mid_name_pat, "%1"..table.concat(items, ", ").."%3")
-      source = string.gsub(source, end_name_pat, "%1"..table.concat(items, ", "))
-   end
+   source = compiler.expand_lists_in(source, list_defs)
 
    local ast, error_msg = parser.parse_filter(source)
 
diff --git a/userspace/engine/lua/rule_loader.lua b/userspace/engine/lua/rule_loader.lua
index 8fc44b68..6aa6980d 100644
--- a/userspace/engine/lua/rule_loader.lua
+++ b/userspace/engine/lua/rule_loader.lua
@@ -347,13 +347,13 @@ function load_rules(rules_content, rules_mgr, verbose, all_events, extra, replac
 	 if (state.lists[item] == nil) then
 	    items[#items+1] = item
 	 else
-	    for i, exp_item in ipairs(state.lists[item]) do
+	    for i, exp_item in ipairs(state.lists[item].items) do
 	       items[#items+1] = exp_item
 	    end
 	 end
       end
 
-      state.lists[v['list']] = items
+      state.lists[v['list']] = {["items"] = items, ["used"] = false}
    end
 
    for i, name in ipairs(state.ordered_macro_names) do
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ function load_rules(rules_content, rules_mgr, verbose, all_events, extra, replac
       local v = state.macros_by_name[name]
 
       local ast = compiler.compile_macro(v['condition'], state.macros, state.lists)
-      state.macros[v['macro']] = ast.filter.value
+      state.macros[v['macro']] = {["ast"] = ast.filter.value, ["used"] = false}
    end
 
    for i, name in ipairs(state.ordered_rule_names) do
@@ -443,6 +443,21 @@ function load_rules(rules_content, rules_mgr, verbose, all_events, extra, replac
       end
    end
 
+   if verbose then
+      -- Print info on any dangling lists or macros that were not used anywhere
+      for name, macro in pairs(state.macros) do
+	 if macro.used == false then
+	    print("Warning: macro "..name.." not refered to by any rule/macro")
+	 end
+      end
+
+      for name, list in pairs(state.lists) do
+	 if list.used == false then
+	    print("Warning: list "..name.." not refered to by any rule/macro/list")
+	 end
+      end
+   end
+
    io.flush()
 end
 
diff --git a/userspace/falco/falco.cpp b/userspace/falco/falco.cpp
index 0febc8ee..e4d1af51 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/falco.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/falco.cpp
@@ -111,7 +111,8 @@ static void usage()
 	   "                               single line emitted by falco to be flushed, which generates higher CPU\n"
 	   "                               usage but is useful when piping those outputs into another process\n"
 	   "                               or into a script.\n"
-	   " -V,--validate <rules_file>    Read the contents of the specified rules file and exit\n"
+	   " -V,--validate <rules_file>    Read the contents of the specified rules(s) file and exit\n"
+	   "                               Can be specified multiple times to validate multiple files.\n"
 	   " -v                            Verbose output.\n"
            " --version                     Print version number.\n"
 	   "\n"
@@ -245,7 +246,7 @@ int falco_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	string pidfilename = "/var/run/falco.pid";
 	bool describe_all_rules = false;
 	string describe_rule = "";
-	string validate_rules_file = "";
+	list<string> validate_rules_filenames;
 	string stats_filename = "";
 	bool verbose = false;
 	bool all_events = false;
@@ -396,7 +397,7 @@ int falco_init(int argc, char **argv)
 				verbose = true;
 				break;
 			case 'V':
-				validate_rules_file = optarg;
+				validate_rules_filenames.push_back(optarg);
 				break;
 			case 'w':
 				outfile = optarg;
@@ -460,10 +461,17 @@ int falco_init(int argc, char **argv)
 			}
 		}
 
-		if(validate_rules_file != "")
+		if(validate_rules_filenames.size() > 0)
 		{
-			falco_logger::log(LOG_INFO, "Validating rules file: " + validate_rules_file + "...\n");
-			engine->load_rules_file(validate_rules_file, verbose, all_events);
+			falco_logger::log(LOG_INFO, "Validating rules file(s):\n");
+			for(auto file : validate_rules_filenames)
+			{
+				falco_logger::log(LOG_INFO, "   " + file + "\n");
+			}
+			for(auto file : validate_rules_filenames)
+			{
+				engine->load_rules_file(file, verbose, all_events);
+			}
 			falco_logger::log(LOG_INFO, "Ok\n");
 			goto exit;
 		}