diff --git a/pkg/validation/modifier_test.go b/pkg/validation/modifier_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..432b0464a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/validation/modifier_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+package validation
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/kyverno/chainsaw/pkg/apis/v1alpha1"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation/field"
+)
+
+func TestValidateModifier(t *testing.T) {
+	multiple := v1alpha1.Modifier{
+		Label: &v1alpha1.Any{
+			Value: map[string]any{
+				"foo": "bar",
+			},
+		},
+		Merge: &v1alpha1.Any{
+			Value: map[string]any{
+				"foo": "bar",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		path     *field.Path
+		modifier v1alpha1.Modifier
+		want     field.ErrorList
+	}{{
+		name: "invalid match",
+		path: field.NewPath("foo"),
+		modifier: v1alpha1.Modifier{
+			Match: &v1alpha1.Match{},
+			Label: &v1alpha1.Any{
+				Value: map[string]any{
+					"foo": "bar",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		want: field.ErrorList{
+			field.Invalid(field.NewPath("foo").Child("match"), &v1alpha1.Check{}, "a value must be specified"),
+		},
+	}, {
+		name:     "no statement",
+		path:     field.NewPath("foo"),
+		modifier: v1alpha1.Modifier{},
+		want: field.ErrorList{
+			field.Invalid(field.NewPath("foo"), v1alpha1.Modifier{}, "no statement found in modifier"),
+		},
+	}, {
+		name: "annotate",
+		path: field.NewPath("foo"),
+		modifier: v1alpha1.Modifier{
+			Annotate: &v1alpha1.Any{
+				Value: map[string]any{
+					"foo": "bar",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		want: nil,
+	}, {
+		name: "label",
+		path: field.NewPath("foo"),
+		modifier: v1alpha1.Modifier{
+			Label: &v1alpha1.Any{
+				Value: map[string]any{
+					"foo": "bar",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		want: nil,
+	}, {
+		name: "merge",
+		path: field.NewPath("foo"),
+		modifier: v1alpha1.Modifier{
+			Merge: &v1alpha1.Any{
+				Value: map[string]any{
+					"foo": "bar",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		want: nil,
+	}, {
+		name:     "multiple statements",
+		path:     field.NewPath("foo"),
+		modifier: multiple,
+		want: field.ErrorList{
+			field.Invalid(field.NewPath("foo"), multiple, "only one statement is allowed per modifier (found 2)"),
+		},
+	}}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := ValidateModifier(tt.path, tt.modifier)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, got)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/validation/modifiers_test.go b/pkg/validation/modifiers_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..993512524
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/validation/modifiers_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+package validation
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/kyverno/chainsaw/pkg/apis/v1alpha1"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation/field"
+)
+
+func TestValidateModifiers(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name      string
+		path      *field.Path
+		modifiers []v1alpha1.Modifier
+		want      field.ErrorList
+	}{{
+		name:      "nil",
+		path:      nil,
+		modifiers: nil,
+		want:      nil,
+	}, {
+		name:      "empty",
+		path:      field.NewPath("foo"),
+		modifiers: []v1alpha1.Modifier{},
+		want:      nil,
+	}, {
+		name: "invalid match",
+		path: field.NewPath("foo"),
+		modifiers: []v1alpha1.Modifier{{
+			Match: &v1alpha1.Match{},
+			Label: &v1alpha1.Any{
+				Value: map[string]any{
+					"foo": "bar",
+				},
+			},
+		}},
+		want: field.ErrorList{
+			field.Invalid(field.NewPath("foo").Index(0).Child("match"), &v1alpha1.Check{}, "a value must be specified"),
+		},
+	}, {
+		name: "valid",
+		path: field.NewPath("foo"),
+		modifiers: []v1alpha1.Modifier{{
+			Annotate: &v1alpha1.Any{
+				Value: map[string]any{
+					"foo": "bar",
+				},
+			},
+		}},
+		want: nil,
+	}}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := ValidateModifiers(tt.path, tt.modifiers...)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, got)
+		})
+	}
+}