diff --git a/cli/src/main.rs b/cli/src/main.rs
index cbcbb181..6e9aa552 100644
--- a/cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/cli/src/main.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use anyhow::{anyhow, Context, Error, Result};
 use clap::{App, AppSettings, Arg, SubCommand};
 use glob::glob;
+use std::collections::HashSet;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::{env, fs, u64};
 use tree_sitter::{ffi, Point};
@@ -257,6 +258,12 @@ fn run() -> Result<()> {
                         .help("Check that highlighting captures conform strictly to standards")
                         .long("check"),
                 )
+                .arg(
+                    Arg::with_name("captures-path")
+                        .help("Path to a file with captures")
+                        .long("captures-path")
+                        .takes_value(true),
+                )
                 .arg(&scope_arg)
                 .arg(&time_arg)
                 .arg(&quiet_arg)
@@ -602,7 +609,22 @@ fn run() -> Result<()> {
                     language_config.highlight_config(language, apply_all_captures)?
                 {
                     if should_check {
-                        let names = highlight_config.nonconformant_capture_names();
+                        let names = if let Some(path) = matches.value_of("captures-path") {
+                            let path = Path::new(path);
+                            let file = fs::read_to_string(path)?;
+                            let capture_names = file
+                                .lines()
+                                .filter_map(|line| {
+                                    if line.trim().is_empty() || line.trim().starts_with(';') {
+                                        return None;
+                                    }
+                                    line.split(';').next().map(|s| s.trim().trim_matches('"'))
+                                })
+                                .collect::<HashSet<_>>();
+                            highlight_config.nonconformant_capture_names(&capture_names)
+                        } else {
+                            highlight_config.nonconformant_capture_names(&HashSet::new())
+                        };
                         if names.is_empty() {
                             eprintln!("All highlight captures conform to standards.");
                         } else {
diff --git a/highlight/src/lib.rs b/highlight/src/lib.rs
index 4e72e729..4e96fe41 100644
--- a/highlight/src/lib.rs
+++ b/highlight/src/lib.rs
@@ -390,12 +390,16 @@ impl HighlightConfiguration {
     // Return the list of this configuration's capture names that are neither present in the
     // list of predefined 'canonical' names nor start with an underscore (denoting 'private' captures
     // used as part of capture internals).
-    pub fn nonconformant_capture_names(&self) -> Vec<&String> {
-        return self
-            .names()
+    pub fn nonconformant_capture_names(&self, capture_names: &HashSet<&str>) -> Vec<&String> {
+        let capture_names = if capture_names.is_empty() {
+            &*STANDARD_CAPTURE_NAMES
+        } else {
+            &capture_names
+        };
+        self.names()
             .iter()
-            .filter(|&n| !(n.starts_with('_') || STANDARD_CAPTURE_NAMES.contains(n.as_str())))
-            .collect();
+            .filter(|&n| !(n.starts_with('_') || capture_names.contains(n.as_str())))
+            .collect()
     }
 }