diff --git a/lib/link/messages.js b/lib/link/messages.js
index e651e5cb..7cd22e8d 100644
--- a/lib/link/messages.js
+++ b/lib/link/messages.js
@@ -140,6 +140,11 @@ class Request {
 						response = {};
 					}
 
+					if (!this._responseValidator({ seq: 0, type: this.responseType, response})) {
+						console.error(this._responseValidator.errors);
+						throw new Error(`Validation failed responding to ${this.requestType}`);
+					}
+
 					link.connector.send(this.responseType, { ...response, seq: message.seq });
 
 				}).catch(err => {
@@ -162,6 +167,10 @@ class Request {
 	 */
 	async send(link, data = {}) {
 		// XXX validate link target/source?
+		if (!this._requestValidator({ seq: 0, type: this.requestType, data})) {
+			console.error(this._requestValidator.errors);
+			throw new Error(`Validation failed sending ${this.requestType}`);
+		}
 		let seq = link.connector.send(this.requestType, data);
 		let responseMessage = await link.waitFor(this.responseType, { seq });
 		if (responseMessage.data.error) {
@@ -454,6 +463,11 @@ class Event {
 	 * Sends the given event data over the link.
 	 */
 	send(link, data = {}) {
+		if (!this._eventValidator({ seq: 0, type: this.eventType, data})) {
+			console.error(this._eventValidator.errors);
+			throw new Error(`Validation failed sending ${this.eventType}`);
+		}
+
 		link.connector.send(this.eventType, data);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/test/lib/link/messages.js b/test/lib/link/messages.js
index 21d03629..33997cef 100644
--- a/test/lib/link/messages.js
+++ b/test/lib/link/messages.js
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ describe("lib/link/messages", function() {
 		let testRequest = new link.Request({
 			type: 'test',
 			links: ['source-target'],
+			requestProperties: {
+				"test": { type: "string" },
+			},
 		});
 
 		describe("constructor", function() {
@@ -93,8 +96,8 @@ describe("lib/link/messages", function() {
 				testSourceLink.waitFor = (type, condition) => {
 					return { data: { error: "test error" }};
 				};
-				assert.rejects(
-					testRequest.send(testSourceLink),
+				await assert.rejects(
+					testRequest.send(testSourceLink, { test: "blah" }),
 					new errors.RequestError("test error")
 				);
 				delete testSourceLink.waitFor;
@@ -106,6 +109,9 @@ describe("lib/link/messages", function() {
 		let testEvent = new link.Event({
 			type: 'test',
 			links: ['source-target'],
+			eventProperties: {
+				"test": { type: "string" },
+			},
 		});
 
 		describe("constructor", function() {