diff --git a/lib/galaxy/tool_util/verify/asserts/text.py b/lib/galaxy/tool_util/verify/asserts/text.py
index 74b7d741215..a82568f63c7 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/tool_util/verify/asserts/text.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/tool_util/verify/asserts/text.py
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ def assert_has_line(output, line):
     assert match is not None, "No line of output file was '%s' (output was '%s') " % (line, output)
 
 
+def assert_has_n_lines(output, n):
+    """Asserts the specified output contains ``n`` lines."""
+    n_lines_found = len(output.splitlines())
+    assert n_lines_found == int(n), "Expected %s lines in output, found %s lines" % (n, n_lines_found)
+
+
 def assert_has_text_matching(output, expression):
     """ Asserts the specified output contains text matching the
     regular expression specified by the argument expression."""
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/tool_util/xsd/galaxy.xsd b/lib/galaxy/tool_util/xsd/galaxy.xsd
index 7dc2cf01deb..bf3c575eb85 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/tool_util/xsd/galaxy.xsd
+++ b/lib/galaxy/tool_util/xsd/galaxy.xsd
@@ -785,6 +785,7 @@ specified and instead a series of assertions is made about the output.
             <!-- &#009; is XML escape code for tab -->
             <has_line line="chr7&#009;127471195&#009;127489808" />
             <has_n_columns n="3" />
+            <has_n_lines n="3" />
         </assert_contents>
     </output>
 </test>
@@ -1671,6 +1672,12 @@ module.
           </xs:documentation>
         </xs:annotation>
       </xs:element>
+      <xs:element name="has_n_lines" type="xs:anyType">
+        <xs:annotation>
+          <xs:documentation><![CDATA[Asserts that an output contains ``n`` lines, e.g. ``<has_n_lines n="3" />``.]]>
+          </xs:documentation>
+        </xs:annotation>
+      </xs:element>
       <xs:element name="has_line_matching" type="xs:anyType">
         <xs:annotation>
           <xs:documentation><![CDATA[Asserts a line matching the specified regular expression (``expression``) appears in the output (e.g. ``<has_line_matching expression=".*\s+127489808\s+127494553" />``).]]>
diff --git a/test/functional/tools/validation_default.xml b/test/functional/tools/validation_default.xml
index 0aba8077931..a043679f599 100644
--- a/test/functional/tools/validation_default.xml
+++ b/test/functional/tools/validation_default.xml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-<tool id="validation_default" name="Validation (default)">
+<tool id="validation_default" name="Validation (default)" version="0.1">
   <command>
-    echo "$input1" > out1;
+    echo '$input1' > out1;
     echo $float_param > out2;
     echo $select_param > out3;
   </command>
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
       <output name="out_file1">
          <assert_contents>
             <has_line line="__dq__ X echo __dq__moo" />
+            <has_n_lines n="1" />
          </assert_contents>
       </output>
     </test>