diff --git a/test/sanity/validate-modules/README.rst b/test/sanity/validate-modules/README.rst
index b94173d28f2..427f621894d 100644
--- a/test/sanity/validate-modules/README.rst
+++ b/test/sanity/validate-modules/README.rst
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ Errors
 +---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | 207     | ``REPLACER_WINDOWS`` not found in module                                                                                                   |
 +---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| 208     | ``module_utils`` imports should import specific components, not ``*``                                                                      |
++---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 +---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | **3xx** | **Documentation**                                                                                                                          |
 +---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
@@ -140,6 +142,8 @@ Warnings
 +=========+============================================================================================================================================+
 | **2xx** | **Imports**                                                                                                                                |
 +---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| 208     | ``module_utils`` imports should import specific components for legacy module, not ``*``                                                    |
++---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | 291     | Try/Except ``HAS_`` expression missing                                                                                                     |
 +---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | 292     | Did not find ``ansible.module_utils.basic`` import                                                                                         |
diff --git a/test/sanity/validate-modules/validate-modules b/test/sanity/validate-modules/validate-modules
index e5c0d3bf016..0cf61c81003 100755
--- a/test/sanity/validate-modules/validate-modules
+++ b/test/sanity/validate-modules/validate-modules
@@ -364,6 +364,19 @@ class ModuleValidator(Validator):
                     linenos.append(child.lineno)
 
                     for name in child.names:
+                        if ('module_utils' in getattr(child, 'module', '') and
+                                isinstance(name, ast.alias) and
+                                name.name == '*'):
+                            msg = (
+                                208,
+                                ('module_utils imports should import specific '
+                                 'components, not "*". line %d' % child.lineno)
+                            )
+                            if self._is_new_module():
+                                self.errors.append(msg)
+                            else:
+                                self.warnings.append(msg)
+
                         if (isinstance(name, ast.alias) and
                                 name.name == 'basic'):
                             found_basic = True