diff --git a/specifyweb/backend/workbench/tests.py b/specifyweb/backend/workbench/tests.py
index 92da19098f1..9102960a820 100644
--- a/specifyweb/backend/workbench/tests.py
+++ b/specifyweb/backend/workbench/tests.py
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 
 from django.test import Client
 
-from specifyweb.specify.models import Recordset
+from specifyweb.specify.models import Collectionobject, Recordset
 from specifyweb.backend.workbench.models import Spdataset
 from specifyweb.specify.tests.test_api import ApiTests
 from .upload import upload as uploader
+from .upload.upload_result import UploadResult
 
 
 class DataSetTests(ApiTests):
@@ -60,6 +61,71 @@ def test_reset_uploadplan_to_null(self) -> None:
         dataset = Spdataset.objects.get(id=datasetid)
         self.assertEqual(dataset.uploadplan, None)
 
+    def test_validate_dataset_without_uploading(self) -> None:
+        client = Client()
+        client.force_login(self.specifyuser)
+
+        response = client.post(
+            "/api/workbench/dataset/",
+            data={
+                "name": "Validation-only data set",
+                "columns": ["Catalog Number"],
+                "rows": [["900000001"]],
+                "importedfilename": "validation.csv",
+            },
+            content_type="application/json",
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 201)
+        dataset_id = json.loads(response.content)["id"]
+
+        response = client.put(
+            f"/api/workbench/dataset/{dataset_id}/",
+            data={
+                "uploadplan": {
+                    "baseTableName": "collectionobject",
+                    "uploadable": {
+                        "uploadTable": {
+                            "wbcols": {
+                                "catalognumber": "Catalog Number",
+                            },
+                            "static": {},
+                            "toOne": {},
+                            "toMany": {},
+                        }
+                    },
+                },
+            },
+            content_type="application/json",
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 204)
+
+        response = client.post(
+            f"/api/workbench/validate/{dataset_id}/",
+            data={"background": False},
+            content_type="application/json",
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertIsNone(json.loads(response.content))
+
+        dataset = Spdataset.objects.get(id=dataset_id)
+        self.assertIsNone(dataset.uploaderstatus)
+        self.assertIsNone(dataset.uploadresult)
+        self.assertIsNotNone(dataset.rowresults)
+
+        validation_results = [
+            UploadResult.from_json(result)
+            for result in json.loads(dataset.rowresults or "[]")
+        ]
+        self.assertEqual(len(validation_results), 1)
+        self.assertFalse(validation_results[0].contains_failure())
+
+        self.assertFalse(
+            Collectionobject.objects.filter(
+                collection=self.collection,
+                catalognumber="900000001",
+            ).exists()
+        )
+
     def test_create_record_set(self) -> None:
         c = Client()
         c.force_login(self.specifyuser)