diff --git a/smithy-jar/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/gradle/tasks/SmithyValidateTask.java b/smithy-base/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/gradle/tasks/SmithyValidateTask.java
similarity index 83%
rename from smithy-jar/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/gradle/tasks/SmithyValidateTask.java
rename to smithy-base/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/gradle/tasks/SmithyValidateTask.java
index e7cd947..c89cbe0 100644
--- a/smithy-jar/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/gradle/tasks/SmithyValidateTask.java
+++ b/smithy-base/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/gradle/tasks/SmithyValidateTask.java
@@ -42,21 +42,14 @@ public SmithyValidateTask(ObjectFactory objectFactory) {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Jar file to use as a source for the Smithy CLI validate command.
+     * Files to use as a sources for the Smithy CLI {@code validate} command.
      *
-     * <p>This is a required input for the {@link SmithyValidateTask}. In general
-     * this should be the output of a {@link org.gradle.jvm.tasks.Jar task}. For example:
+     * <p>This is a required input of the SmithyValidate task.
      *
-     * <pre>
-     *     Task jarTask = project.getTasks()
-     *      .getByName(JavaPlugin.JAR_TASK_NAME);
-     *     ...
-     *     validateTask.getJarToValidate().set(
-     *      jarTask.getOutputs().getFiles());
-     * </pre>
+     * @return file collection to use as sources for the validate task.
      */
     @InputFiles
-    public abstract Property<FileCollection> getJarToValidate();
+    public abstract Property<FileCollection> getSources();
 
     /**
      * Disable model discovery.
@@ -107,7 +100,7 @@ public void execute() {
 
         // Set models to an empty collection so source models are not included in validation path.
         executeCliProcess("validate", extraArgs,
-                getJarToValidate().get(),
+                getSources().get(),
                 getDisableModelDiscovery().get()
         );
     }
diff --git a/smithy-jar/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/gradle/SmithyJarPlugin.java b/smithy-jar/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/gradle/SmithyJarPlugin.java
index df8cc27..1bdd06d 100644
--- a/smithy-jar/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/gradle/SmithyJarPlugin.java
+++ b/smithy-jar/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/gradle/SmithyJarPlugin.java
@@ -140,8 +140,7 @@ private void addJavaTasksForSourceSet(SourceSet sourceSet, SmithyBuildTask build
 
                     // Only enable validation if the jar Task is also enabled
                     validateTask.setEnabled(jarTask.getEnabled());
-
-                    validateTask.getJarToValidate().set(jarTask.getOutputs().getFiles());
+                    validateTask.getSources().set(jarTask.getOutputs().getFiles());
                     validateTask.getAllowUnknownTraits().set(extension.getAllowUnknownTraits());
 
                     // Add to verification group, so this tasks shows up in the output of `gradle tasks`