diff --git a/include/spirv-tools/libspirv.h b/include/spirv-tools/libspirv.h
index 5dcf4ff26..75de45d95 100644
--- a/include/spirv-tools/libspirv.h
+++ b/include/spirv-tools/libspirv.h
@@ -351,6 +351,10 @@ typedef enum {
 // Returns a string describing the given SPIR-V target environment.
 const char* spvTargetEnvDescription(spv_target_env env);
 
+// Parses s into *env and returns true if successful.  If unparsable, returns
+// false and sets *env to SPV_ENV_UNIVERSAL_1_0.
+bool spvParseTargetEnv(const char* s, spv_target_env* env);
+
 // Creates a context object.  Returns null if env is invalid.
 spv_context spvContextCreate(spv_target_env env);
 
diff --git a/source/spirv_target_env.cpp b/source/spirv_target_env.cpp
index 77137718c..116d6b5cd 100644
--- a/source/spirv_target_env.cpp
+++ b/source/spirv_target_env.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@
 // TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE
 // MATERIALS OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE MATERIALS.
 
-#include <assert.h>
+#include <cassert>
+#include <cstring>
 
 #include "spirv-tools/libspirv.h"
 #include "spirv_constant.h"
@@ -57,3 +58,19 @@ uint32_t spvVersionForTargetEnv(spv_target_env env) {
   assert(0 && "Unhandled SPIR-V target environment");
   return SPV_SPIRV_VERSION_WORD(0, 0);
 }
+
+bool spvParseTargetEnv(const char* s, spv_target_env* env) {
+  if (!strncmp(s, "vulkan1.0", strlen("vulkan1.0"))) {
+    if (env) *env = SPV_ENV_VULKAN_1_0;
+    return true;
+  } else if (!strncmp(s, "spv1.0", strlen("spv1.0"))) {
+    if (env) *env = SPV_ENV_UNIVERSAL_1_0;
+    return true;
+  } else if (!strncmp(s, "spv1.1", strlen("spv1.1"))) {
+    if (env) *env = SPV_ENV_UNIVERSAL_1_1;
+    return true;
+  } else {
+    if (env) *env = SPV_ENV_UNIVERSAL_1_0;
+    return false;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tools/val/val.cpp b/tools/val/val.cpp
index d7e998a74..1ee1a0e0e 100644
--- a/tools/val/val.cpp
+++ b/tools/val/val.cpp
@@ -24,10 +24,9 @@
 // TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE
 // MATERIALS OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE MATERIALS.
 
-#include <assert.h>
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <string.h>
-
+#include <cassert>
+#include <cstdio>
+#include <cstring>
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "spirv-tools/libspirv.h"
@@ -46,6 +45,8 @@ NOTE: The validator is a work in progress.
 Options:
   -h, --help   Print this help.
   --version    Display validator version information.
+  --target-env {vulkan1.0|spv1.0|spv1.1}
+               Use Vulkan/SPIR-V1.0/SPIR-V1.1 validation rules.
 )",
       argv0, argv0);
 }
@@ -66,8 +67,17 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
       } else if (0 == strcmp(cur_arg, "--help") || 0 == strcmp(cur_arg, "-h")) {
         print_usage(argv[0]);
         return 0;
-      } else if (0 == strcmp(cur_arg, "--vulkan")) {
-        target_env = SPV_ENV_VULKAN_1_0;
+      } else if (0 == strcmp(cur_arg, "--target-env")) {
+        if (argi + 1 < argc) {
+          const auto env_str = argv[++argi];
+          if (!spvParseTargetEnv(env_str, &target_env)) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "error: Unrecognized target env: %s\n", env_str);
+            return 1;
+          }
+        } else {
+          fprintf(stderr, "error: Missing argument to --target-env\n");
+          return 1;
+        }
       } else if (0 == cur_arg[1]) {
         // Setting a filename of "-" to indicate stdin.
         if (!inFile) {