diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index 436afb85..c44809f1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@ New Features
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
 - Added simulation config validation
 - Added a new  commandline subcommand: ``validate-simulation``
+- Added an alias ``validate-circuit`` for the old ``validate`` subcommand
+
+  - deprecated ``validate``
+
+
+Breaking Changes
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+- Deprecated the commandline subcommand ``validate`` in favor of new ``validate-circuit`` command
 
 
 Version v2.0.2
diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index a26c6233..2fedc88e 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ This functionality is provided by either the cli function:
 
 .. code-block:: shell
 
-    bluepysnap validate my/circuit/path/circuit_config.json
+    bluepysnap validate-circuit my/circuit/path/circuit_config.json
 
 
 Or a python free function:
diff --git a/bluepysnap/cli.py b/bluepysnap/cli.py
index c952071f..e77da4ad 100644
--- a/bluepysnap/cli.py
+++ b/bluepysnap/cli.py
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 """The project's command line launcher."""
+import functools
 import logging
+import warnings
 
 import click
 
 from bluepysnap import circuit_validation, simulation_validation
+from bluepysnap.utils import Deprecate
 
 CLICK_EXISTING_FILE = click.Path(exists=True, file_okay=True, dir_okay=False)
 
@@ -20,18 +23,50 @@ def cli(verbose):
     )
 
 
+def circuit_validation_params(func):
+    """Small helper to have shared params."""
+
+    @click.argument("config_file", type=CLICK_EXISTING_FILE)
+    @click.option(
+        "--skip-slow/--no-skip-slow",
+        default=True,
+        help=(
+            "Skip slow checks; checking all edges refer to existing node ids, "
+            "edge indices are correct, etc"
+        ),
+    )
+    @click.option("--only-errors", is_flag=True, help="Only print fatal errors (ignore warnings)")
+    @functools.wraps(func)
+    def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+        return func(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    return wrapper
+
+
 @cli.command()
-@click.argument("config_file", type=CLICK_EXISTING_FILE)
-@click.option(
-    "--skip-slow/--no-skip-slow",
-    default=True,
-    help=(
-        "Skip slow checks; checking all edges refer to existing node ids, "
-        "edge indices are correct, etc"
-    ),
-)
-@click.option("--only-errors", is_flag=True, help="Only print fatal errors (ignore warnings)")
+@circuit_validation_params
 def validate(config_file, skip_slow, only_errors):
+    """[DEPRECATED] Validate Sonata circuit based on config file.
+
+    Args:
+        config_file (str): path to Sonata circuit config file
+        skip_slow (bool): skip slow tests
+        only_errors (bool): only print fatal errors
+    """
+    with warnings.catch_warnings():
+        # Making sure the warning is shown
+        warnings.simplefilter("always", DeprecationWarning)
+        Deprecate.warn(
+            "Calling circuit validation with 'validate' is deprecated. "
+            "Please use 'validate-circuit' instead."
+        )
+
+    circuit_validation.validate(config_file, skip_slow, only_errors)
+
+
+@cli.command()
+@circuit_validation_params
+def validate_circuit(config_file, skip_slow, only_errors):
     """Validate Sonata circuit based on config file.
 
     Args:
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index c36d92d1..dc939351 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
+import warnings
 from unittest.mock import Mock, patch
 
 import click
+import pytest
 from click.testing import CliRunner
 
 from bluepysnap.cli import cli
+from bluepysnap.exceptions import BluepySnapDeprecationWarning
 
 from utils import TEST_DATA_DIR
 
@@ -13,7 +16,13 @@
 @patch("bluepysnap.schemas.validate_circuit_schema", Mock(return_value=[]))
 def test_cli_correct():
     runner = CliRunner()
-    result = runner.invoke(cli, ["validate", str(TEST_DATA_DIR / "circuit_config.json")])
+
+    with pytest.warns(
+        BluepySnapDeprecationWarning,
+        match="Calling circuit validation with 'validate' is deprecated",
+    ):
+        result = runner.invoke(cli, ["validate", str(TEST_DATA_DIR / "circuit_config.json")])
+
     assert result.exit_code == 0
     assert click.style("No Error: Success.", fg="green") in result.stdout
 
@@ -25,9 +34,20 @@ def test_cli_no_config():
     assert "Missing argument 'CONFIG_FILE'" in result.stdout
 
 
+@patch("bluepysnap.schemas.validate_nodes_schema", Mock(return_value=[]))
+@patch("bluepysnap.schemas.validate_edges_schema", Mock(return_value=[]))
+@patch("bluepysnap.schemas.validate_circuit_schema", Mock(return_value=[]))
+def test_cli_validate_circuit_correct():
+    runner = CliRunner()
+    result = runner.invoke(cli, ["validate-circuit", str(TEST_DATA_DIR / "circuit_config.json")])
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    assert click.style("No Error: Success.", fg="green") in result.stdout
+
+
 def test_cli_validate_simulation_correct():
     runner = CliRunner()
     result = runner.invoke(
         cli, ["validate-simulation", str(TEST_DATA_DIR / "simulation_config.json")]
     )
     assert result.exit_code == 0
+    assert click.style("No Error: Success.", fg="green") in result.stdout