diff --git a/libappstream-glib/as-app-private.h b/libappstream-glib/as-app-private.h
index 5089ba88..8e501f97 100644
--- a/libappstream-glib/as-app-private.h
+++ b/libappstream-glib/as-app-private.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
  * @AS_APP_PROBLEM_DUPLICATE_SCREENSHOT:	More than one screenshot with the same URL
  * @AS_APP_PROBLEM_DUPLICATE_CONTENT_RATING:	More than one content rating with the same kind
  * @AS_APP_PROBLEM_DUPLICATE_AGREEMENT:		More than one agreement with the same kind
+ * @AS_APP_PROBLEM_MISSING_RELEASES_TAG:		The file lacks <releases> tag
  *
  * The application problems detected when loading.
  **/
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ typedef enum {
 	AS_APP_PROBLEM_DUPLICATE_SCREENSHOT	= 1 << 18,
 	AS_APP_PROBLEM_DUPLICATE_CONTENT_RATING	= 1 << 19,
 	AS_APP_PROBLEM_DUPLICATE_AGREEMENT	= 1 << 20,
+	AS_APP_PROBLEM_MISSING_RELEASES_TAG	= 1 << 21,
 	/*< private >*/
 	AS_APP_PROBLEM_LAST
 } AsAppProblems;
diff --git a/libappstream-glib/as-app-validate.c b/libappstream-glib/as-app-validate.c
index 60b46e53..7b036c6b 100644
--- a/libappstream-glib/as-app-validate.c
+++ b/libappstream-glib/as-app-validate.c
@@ -932,7 +932,7 @@ as_app_validate_kudos (AsApp *app, AsAppValidateHelper *helper, GError **error)
 }
 
 static gboolean
-as_app_validate_releases (AsApp *app, AsAppValidateHelper *helper, GError **error)
+as_app_validate_releases (AsApp *app, AsAppProblems problems, AsAppValidateHelper *helper, GError **error)
 {
 	GPtrArray *releases;
 	AsFormat *format;
@@ -958,7 +958,8 @@ as_app_validate_releases (AsApp *app, AsAppValidateHelper *helper, GError **erro
 	if (require_release && releases->len == 0) {
 		ai_app_validate_add (helper,
 				     AS_PROBLEM_KIND_TAG_MISSING,
-				     "<release> required");
+				     (problems & AS_APP_PROBLEM_MISSING_RELEASES_TAG) > 0 ?
+				         "<releases> required" : "<release> required in <releases>");
 		return TRUE;
 	}
 	for (guint i = 0; i < releases->len; i++) {
@@ -1623,7 +1624,7 @@ as_app_validate (AsApp *app, guint32 flags, GError **error)
 	as_app_validate_launchables (app, helper);
 
 	/* releases */
-	if (!as_app_validate_releases (app, helper, error))
+	if (!as_app_validate_releases (app, problems, helper, error))
 		return NULL;
 
 	/* kudos */
diff --git a/libappstream-glib/as-app.c b/libappstream-glib/as-app.c
index f5c8614c..176cca84 100644
--- a/libappstream-glib/as-app.c
+++ b/libappstream-glib/as-app.c
@@ -477,6 +477,7 @@ as_app_init (AsApp *app)
 {
 	AsAppPrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE (app);
 	g_mutex_init (&priv->unique_id_mutex);
+	priv->problems = AS_APP_PROBLEM_MISSING_RELEASES_TAG;
 	priv->categories = g_ptr_array_new_with_free_func ((GDestroyNotify) as_ref_string_unref);
 	priv->compulsory_for_desktops = g_ptr_array_new_with_free_func ((GDestroyNotify) as_ref_string_unref);
 	priv->content_ratings = g_ptr_array_new_with_free_func ((GDestroyNotify) g_object_unref);
@@ -5275,6 +5276,7 @@ as_app_node_parse_child (AsApp *app, GNode *n, guint32 flags,
 
 	/* <releases> */
 	case AS_TAG_RELEASES:
+		priv->problems &= ~AS_APP_PROBLEM_MISSING_RELEASES_TAG;
 		if (!(flags & AS_APP_PARSE_FLAG_APPEND_DATA))
 			g_ptr_array_set_size (priv->releases, 0);
 		for (c = n->children; c != NULL; c = c->next) {