diff --git a/distro/check_build.sh b/distro/check_build.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..bfcae6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/distro/check_build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#!/bin/bash -ef
+#
+# This is a temporary hack to verify the distribution archive is sound.
+#
+# The intent is to create a rule which does this and add to
+# rules_pkg. Comments within it are mostly for future me
+# while writing that.
+
+TARBALL=$(bazel build //distro:distro 2>&1 | grep 'rules_license-.*\.tar\.gz' | sed -e 's/ //g')
+REPO_NAME='rules_license'
+
+# This part can be standard from the rule
+
+
+TARNAME=$(basename "$TARBALL")
+
+TMP=$(mktemp -d) 
+trap '/bin/rm -rf "$TMP"; exit 0' 0 1 2 3 15
+
+cp "$TARBALL" "$TMP"
+
+cd "$TMP"
+cat >WORKSPACE <<INP
+workspace(name = "test")
+
+load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
+
+http_archive(
+    name = "$REPO_NAME",
+    urls = ["file:$TARNAME"],
+)
+INP
+
+#
+# The rest is specific to the package under test.
+#
+
+# You always need a BUILD, so that can be an attribute
+cat >BUILD <<INP
+load("@rules_license//rules:license.bzl", "license")
+
+license(
+   name = "license",
+   license_kinds = ["@rules_license//licenses/generic:notice"],
+   license_text = "LICENSE"
+)
+INP
+
+# Need for a script to set up other files
+# Or it folds into the tests cases?
+echo license >LICENSE
+
+# Then a list of commands to run. This can be a template
+# too so we can substitute the path to bazel.
+bazel build ...
+bazel build @rules_license//rules/... 
+bazel build @rules_license//licenses/...
+bazel query @rules_license//licenses/generic/...
+bazel query ...