diff --git a/cmd/lotus-shed/genesis-verify.go b/cmd/lotus-shed/genesis-verify.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2663986d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/lotus-shed/genesis-verify.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/ipfs/go-datastore"
+	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
+	"golang.org/x/xerrors"
+
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/stmgr"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/store"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/types"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/lib/blockstore"
+)
+
+var genesisVerifyCmd = &cli.Command{
+	Name:        "verify-genesis",
+	Description: "verify some basic attributes of a genesis car file",
+	Action: func(cctx *cli.Context) error {
+		if !cctx.Args().Present() {
+			return fmt.Errorf("must pass genesis car file")
+		}
+		bs := blockstore.NewBlockstore(datastore.NewMapDatastore())
+
+		cs := store.NewChainStore(bs, datastore.NewMapDatastore(), nil)
+
+		cf := cctx.Args().Get(0)
+		f, err := os.Open(cf)
+		if err != nil {
+			return xerrors.Errorf("opening the car file: %w", err)
+		}
+
+		ts, err := cs.Import(f)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		fmt.Println("File loaded, now verifying state tree balances...")
+
+		sm := stmgr.NewStateManager(cs)
+
+		total, err := stmgr.CheckTotalFIL(context.TODO(), sm, ts)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		fmt.Printf("Total FIL: %s\n", types.FIL(total))
+		return nil
+	},
+}
diff --git a/cmd/lotus-shed/main.go b/cmd/lotus-shed/main.go
index 30e7ff32d..5438a31ef 100644
--- a/cmd/lotus-shed/main.go
+++ b/cmd/lotus-shed/main.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ func main() {
 		verifRegCmd,
 		miscCmd,
 		mpoolCmd,
+		genesisVerifyCmd,
 	}
 
 	app := &cli.App{