diff --git a/compiler/cpp/test_parser.sh b/compiler/cpp/test_parser.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..066e09a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/cpp/test_parser.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Tests the parser, independently of whether any generators
+# are correct or useful.
+# Currently only tests that valid .thrift files parse cleanly.
+# Doesn't test that correct information is extracted from them.
+
+shopt -s extglob
+
+MY_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
+ROOT_DIR=`cd $MY_DIR/../../ && pwd`
+TEST_THRIFT_DIR=${ROOT_DIR}/test
+THRIFT_FILES=`find ${TEST_THRIFT_DIR} -type f -name *.thrift ! -name BrokenConstants.thrift`
+
+OUTPUT_DIR=`mktemp -d -t test_thrift_parser.XXXXX`
+
+PASS=0
+FAIL=0
+for f in ${THRIFT_FILES};
+do
+  echo "Parsing ${f}"
+  ${MY_DIR}/thrift -o ${OUTPUT_DIR} -nowarn --allow-64bit-consts --gen cpp ${f}
+  EXIT_CODE=$?
+  if [ ${EXIT_CODE} -eq 0 ]; then
+    let PASS=PASS+1
+  else
+    let FAIL=FAIL+1
+  fi
+done
+echo
+echo "${PASS} files parsed correctly. ${FAIL} files failed to parse."