diff --git a/scripts/check_standard_names.py b/scripts/check_standard_names.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7a06ee40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check_standard_names.py
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+import argparse
+import glob
+import os
+import requests
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
+import sys
+
+from ccpp_track_variables import setup_logging
+from metadata_table import parse_metadata_file
+from parse_checkers import registered_fortran_ddt_names
+from framework_env import CCPPFrameworkEnv
+
+def fetch_xml(branch):
+    url = f"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ESCOMP/ESMStandardNames/{branch}/standard_names.xml"
+    try:
+        response = requests.get(url)
+        response.raise_for_status()
+    except requests.exceptions.HTTPError as e:
+        sys.exit(f"Failed to fetch XML: {e}")
+    return response.text
+
+def parse_standard_names(xml_text):
+    root = ET.fromstring(xml_text)
+
+    std_names = {}
+    for entry in root.findall(".//standard_name"):
+        std_id = entry.attrib.get("name")
+        description = entry.attrib.get("long_name")
+        if std_id:
+            std_names[std_id] = description
+    return std_names
+
+def main(branch,xml,metafiles,debug):
+
+    files = []
+    if os.path.isfile(metafiles):
+        files = [metafiles]
+    else:
+        files = glob.glob(os.path.join(metafiles, "*.meta"), recursive=True)
+    if not files:
+        raise FileNotFoundError(f"Could not find any metadata files in {metafiles}")
+    logger = setup_logging(debug)
+
+    if xml:
+        print(f"Using local XML: {xml}")
+        with open(xml, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+            xml_text = f.read()
+    else:
+        print(f"Fetching XML from branch: {branch}")
+        xml_text = fetch_xml(branch)
+
+    std_dict = parse_standard_names(xml_text)
+
+    print(f"Retrieved {len(std_dict)} standard names from XML")
+
+    meta_names = []
+    for metafile in files:
+        print(f"Retrieving metadata from {metafile}")
+        run_env = CCPPFrameworkEnv(logger, host_files="", scheme_files="", suites="")
+        metadict = parse_metadata_file(metafile,known_ddts=registered_fortran_ddt_names(),
+                                       run_env=run_env)
+        print(f"Retrieved {len(metadict)} metadata entries.")
+    
+#        print(metadict)
+        # Print a sample
+    #    for i, (key, val) in enumerate(metadict.items()):
+    #        print(f"{key}: {val}")
+        for i, table in enumerate(metadict):
+    #        print(f"{table=}")
+            for j, item in enumerate(table.sections()):
+    #            print(f"{item.has_variables.prop_list('standard_name')=}")
+                meta_names += item.has_variables.prop_list('standard_name')
+#        print(f"Found {len(meta_names)} standard names in {metafile}:\n{meta_names}")
+
+    bad_names = []
+    for name in meta_names:
+        if name in bad_names:
+            continue
+        if not std_dict.__contains__(name):
+            bad_names.append(name)
+
+    if bad_names:
+        print(f"The following {len(bad_names)} standard names in {metafiles} were not found in provided XML:")
+        for name in sorted(bad_names):
+            print(name)
+    else:
+        print(f"All standard names in {metafile} are valid!")
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Fetch and parse standard_names.xml from ESMStandardNames GitHub, and output any metadata entries with standard_names not found in that dictionary.")
+    parser.add_argument("--branch", "-b", type=str,
+                        help="GitHub branch, tag, or hash to fetch from (default: main)")
+    parser.add_argument("--xml", "-x", type=str,
+                        help="Full path to xml file containing standard names (alternative to fetching from internet)")
+    parser.add_argument("--metafiles", "-m", type=str, required=True,
+                        help="Metadata file or directory containing metadata files to check for valid standard names")
+    parser.add_argument('--debug', action='store_true', help='enable debugging output')
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    if args.branch and args.xml:
+        raise argparse.ArgumentError("Can not specify both --branch and --xml arguments")
+    if not (args.branch or args.xml):
+        #If neither specified, fall back to retrieving from main branch
+        args.branch="main"
+
+    main(args.branch,args.xml,args.metafiles,args.debug)