diff --git a/docs/docsite/rst/dev_guide/testing_validate-modules.rst b/docs/docsite/rst/dev_guide/testing_validate-modules.rst
index fdd3e98c78..2499410487 100644
--- a/docs/docsite/rst/dev_guide/testing_validate-modules.rst
+++ b/docs/docsite/rst/dev_guide/testing_validate-modules.rst
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@ Errors
 +---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | 318     | Module deprecated, but DOCUMENTATION.deprecated is missing                                                                                 |
 +---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| 319     | ``RETURN`` fragments missing  or invalid                                                                                                   |
++---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 +---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | **4xx** | **Syntax**                                                                                                                                 |
 +---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
diff --git a/test/sanity/validate-modules/schema.py b/test/sanity/validate-modules/schema.py
index ffef4922a8..008e53bc06 100644
--- a/test/sanity/validate-modules/schema.py
+++ b/test/sanity/validate-modules/schema.py
@@ -57,6 +57,30 @@ option_schema = Schema(
 # for example in Python 3: {str: option_schema}
 list_dict_option_schema = [{str_type: option_schema} for str_type in string_types]
 
+
+def return_schema(data):
+
+    return_schema_dict = {
+        Required('description'): Any(list, *string_types),
+        Required('returned'): Any(*string_types),
+        Required('type'): Any('string', 'list', 'boolean', 'dict', 'complex', 'bool', 'float', 'int', 'dictionary', 'str'),
+        'sample': Any(None, list, dict, int, float, *string_types),
+        'example': Any(None, list, dict, int, float, *string_types)
+    }
+    if isinstance(data, dict):
+        if 'type' in data and (data['type'] == 'complex'):
+            # This will just check if the schema has a 'contains' value.
+            # It won't recursively validate the contents of the 'contains' field
+            additional_schema = {
+                Required('contains'): Any(dict, list, *string_types)
+            }
+            return_schema_dict.update(additional_schema)
+
+    return Schema(
+        return_schema_dict,
+        extra=PREVENT_EXTRA
+    )
+
 def doc_schema(module_name):
     if module_name.startswith('_'):
         module_name = module_name[1:]
@@ -77,6 +101,7 @@ def doc_schema(module_name):
         extra=PREVENT_EXTRA
     )
 
+
 def metadata_schema(deprecated):
     valid_status = Any('stableinterface', 'preview', 'deprecated', 'removed')
     if deprecated:
@@ -94,7 +119,7 @@ def metadata_schema(deprecated):
 
 # Things to add soon
 ####################
-# 1) Validate RETURN, including `contains` if `type: complex`
+# 1) Recursively validate `type: complex` fields
 #    This will improve documentation, though require fair amount of module tidyup
 
 # Possible Future Enhancements
diff --git a/test/sanity/validate-modules/validate-modules b/test/sanity/validate-modules/validate-modules
index 3f3f8bbc7e..717b7b9537 100755
--- a/test/sanity/validate-modules/validate-modules
+++ b/test/sanity/validate-modules/validate-modules
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ from ansible.utils.plugin_docs import BLACKLIST, get_docstring
 
 from module_args import get_argument_spec
 
-from schema import doc_schema, option_schema, metadata_schema
+from schema import doc_schema, option_schema, metadata_schema, return_schema
 
 from utils import CaptureStd, parse_yaml
 from voluptuous.humanize import humanize_error
@@ -696,9 +696,13 @@ class ModuleValidator(Validator):
             else:
                 self.warnings.append((312, 'No RETURN provided'))
         else:
-            _, errors, traces = parse_yaml(doc_info['RETURN']['value'],
+            data, errors, traces = parse_yaml(doc_info['RETURN']['value'],
                                            doc_info['RETURN']['lineno'],
                                            self.name, 'RETURN')
+
+            if data:
+                for ret_key in data:
+                    self._validate_docs_schema(data[ret_key], return_schema(data[ret_key]), 'RETURN.%s' % ret_key, 319)
             self.errors.extend([(313, error) for error in errors])
             self.traces.extend(traces)