diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 24cb8be..b6ed4c8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -108,13 +108,35 @@ anybadge --value=2.22 --file=pylint.svg pylint
 
 ### Examples
 
-| Example | Badge |
-| ------- | ----- |
-| `anybadge --value=2.22 --file=pylint.svg pylint` | ![pylint](https://github.com/jongracecox/anybadge/blob/master/examples/pylint.svg) 
-| `anybadge -l pylint -v 2.22 -f pylint.svg 2=red 4=orange 8=yellow 10=green` | ![pylint](https://github.com/jongracecox/anybadge/blob/master/examples/pylint.svg) 
-| `anybadge --value=65 --file=coverage.svg coverage` | ![pylint](https://github.com/jongracecox/anybadge/blob/master/examples/coverage.svg)
-| `anybadge --label=pipeline --value=passing --file=pipeline.svg passing=green failing=red` | ![pylint](https://github.com/jongracecox/anybadge/blob/master/examples/pipeline.svg)
-| `anybadge --label=awesomeness --value="110%" --file=awesomeness.svg --color=#97CA00` | ![pylint](https://github.com/jongracecox/anybadge/blob/master/examples/awesomeness.svg)
+#### Pylint using template
+```
+anybadge --value=2.22 --file=pylint.svg pylint
+```
+![pylint](https://github.com/jongracecox/anybadge/blob/master/examples/pylint.svg) 
+
+#### Pylint using arguments
+```
+anybadge -l pylint -v 2.22 -f pylint.svg 2=red 4=orange 8=yellow 10=green
+```
+![pylint](https://github.com/jongracecox/anybadge/blob/master/examples/pylint.svg) 
+
+#### Coverage using template
+```
+anybadge --value=65 --file=coverage.svg coverage
+``` 
+![pylint](https://github.com/jongracecox/anybadge/blob/master/examples/coverage.svg)
+
+#### Pipeline, using labeled colors
+```
+anybadge --label=pipeline --value=passing --file=pipeline.svg passing=green failing=red
+```
+![pylint](https://github.com/jongracecox/anybadge/blob/master/examples/pipeline.svg)
+
+#### Badge with fixed color
+```
+anybadge --label=awesomeness --value="110%" --file=awesomeness.svg --color=#97CA00
+```
+![pylint](https://github.com/jongracecox/anybadge/blob/master/examples/awesomeness.svg)
 
 ### Options
 
diff --git a/build-requirements.txt b/build-requirements.txt
index 59e8c83..3acea11 100644
--- a/build-requirements.txt
+++ b/build-requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 mister-bump>=1.0.0
-m2r
\ No newline at end of file
+m2r
+restructuredtext_lint
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 528876f..8960128 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -2,11 +2,24 @@
 from setuptools import setup
 from mister_bump import bump
 from m2r import parse_from_file
+import restructuredtext_lint
+
+# Parser README.md into reStructuredText format
+rst_readme = parse_from_file('README.md')
+
+# Validate the README, checking for errors
+errors = restructuredtext_lint.lint(rst_readme)
+
+# Raise an exception for any errors found
+if errors:
+    print(rst_readme)
+    raise ValueError('README.md contains errors: ',
+                     ', '.join([e.message for e in errors]))
 
 setup(
     name='anybadge',
     description='Simple, flexible badge generator for project badges.',
-    long_description=parse_from_file('README.md'),
+    long_description=rst_readme,
     version=bump(),
     author='Jon Grace-Cox',
     author_email='jongracecox@gmail.com',
@@ -18,7 +31,6 @@ setup(
     options={
         'bdist_wheel': {'universal': True}
     },
-    platform=['any'],
     url='https://github.com/jongracecox/anybadge',
     entry_points={
         'console_scripts': ['anybadge=anybadge:main'],