diff --git a/lua/submode/init.lua b/lua/submode/init.lua
index 77d98ee..d8294a5 100644
--- a/lua/submode/init.lua
+++ b/lua/submode/init.lua
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 local utils = require("submode.utils")
 local mode = require("submode.mode")
 local snapshot = require("submode.snapshot")
+local validate = require("submode.validate").validate
 
 ---Default state of this plugin
 ---@class SubmodeState
@@ -23,9 +24,9 @@ local M = {
 ---@param opts SubmodeOpts Options of this submode.
 ---@param default? fun(register: SubmodeDefaultMappingRegister) Default mappings register
 function M.create(name, opts, default)
-    vim.validate("name", name, "string")
-    vim.validate("opts", opts, "table")
-    vim.validate("default", default, "function", true)
+    validate("name", name, "string")
+    validate("opts", opts, "table")
+    validate("default", default, "function", true)
 
     local state = M.state
 
@@ -77,9 +78,9 @@ function M.create(name, opts, default)
     ---@param rhs string | fun():string?
     ---@param opts_ vim.keymap.set.Opts?
     local register = function(lhs, rhs, opts_)
-        vim.validate("lhs", lhs, "string")
-        vim.validate("rhs", rhs, { "string", "function" })
-        vim.validate("opts", opts_, "table", true)
+        validate("lhs", lhs, "string")
+        validate("rhs", rhs, { "string", "function" })
+        validate("opts", opts_, "table", true)
 
         M.state.submode_to_default_mappings[name][lhs] = {
             rhs = rhs,
@@ -99,10 +100,10 @@ end
 ---@param rhs string | fun():string? Rhs of mapping. Can be function.
 ---@param opts? vim.keymap.set.Opts Options of this mapping. Same as `opts` of `vim.keymap.set`.
 function M.set(name, lhs, rhs, opts)
-    vim.validate("name", name, "string")
-    vim.validate("lhs", lhs, "string")
-    vim.validate("rhs", rhs, { "string", "function" })
-    vim.validate("opts", opts, "table", true)
+    validate("name", name, "string")
+    validate("lhs", lhs, "string")
+    validate("rhs", rhs, { "string", "function" })
+    validate("opts", opts, "table", true)
 
     M.state.submode_to_user_mappings[name][lhs] = {
         rhs = rhs,
@@ -119,9 +120,9 @@ end
 ---@param lhs string Lhs of target keymap.
 ---@param opts? vim.keymap.del.Opts Options for this deletion. Same as `opts` in `vim.keymap.del`.
 function M.del(name, lhs, opts)
-    vim.validate("name", name, "string")
-    vim.validate("lhs", lhs, "string")
-    vim.validate("opts", opts, "table", true)
+    validate("name", name, "string")
+    validate("lhs", lhs, "string")
+    validate("opts", opts, "table", true)
 
     if not M.state.submode_to_user_mappings[name][lhs] then
         return
@@ -170,7 +171,7 @@ end
 ---Enter the submode.
 ---@param name string Name of submode to enter.
 function M.enter(name)
-    vim.validate("name", name, "string")
+    validate("name", name, "string")
 
     local state = M.state
     local opts = state.submode_to_opts[name]
diff --git a/lua/submode/snapshot/keymap.lua b/lua/submode/snapshot/keymap.lua
index fd351e4..fd4c3cc 100644
--- a/lua/submode/snapshot/keymap.lua
+++ b/lua/submode/snapshot/keymap.lua
@@ -17,17 +17,19 @@
 ---@field callback function?
 ---@field replace_keycodes boolean?
 
+local validate = require("submode.validate").validate
+
 ---@param mode ShortenMode
 ---@param buf  integer? Buffer handle or 0 for current buffer, or nil for global.
 ---@return KeymapInfo[]
 local function get_keymap(mode, buf)
-    vim.validate("mode", mode, function(s)
+    validate("mode", mode, function(s)
         -- stylua: ignore
         return vim.list_contains({
             "n", "v", "x", "s", "o", "i", "l", "c", "t", "!", ""
         }, s)
     end, "n, v, x, s, o, i, l, c, t, ! or ''")
-    vim.validate("buf", buf, { "number", "nil" })
+    validate("buf", buf, { "number", "nil" })
 
     local getter = function(m)
         if buf then
diff --git a/lua/submode/validate.lua b/lua/submode/validate.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a45d1e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lua/submode/validate.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+local M = {}
+
+--- Thin wrapper for form-1 vim.validate
+function M.validate(name, value, validator, optional, message)
+    if vim.fn.has("nvim-0.11") == 1 then
+        -- spec-style validate is deprecated in nvim-0.11.
+        vim.validate(name, value, validator, optional, message)
+    else
+        if type(optional) == "boolean" then
+            if optional then
+                vim.validate {
+                    [name] = { value, validator, true },
+                }
+            else
+                vim.validate {
+                    [name] = { value, validator, message },
+                }
+            end
+        elseif type(optional) == "string" then
+            vim.validate {
+                [name] = { value, validator, optional },
+            }
+        else
+            vim.validate {
+                [name] = { value, validator },
+            }
+        end
+    end
+end
+
+return M