diff --git a/pkgs/archive/archive.go b/pkgs/archive/archive.go
index 126f33a..30bc818 100644
--- a/pkgs/archive/archive.go
+++ b/pkgs/archive/archive.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ package archive
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log"
 	"os"
@@ -38,6 +40,16 @@ func New() (*Archive, error) {
 }
 
 func (archive *Archive) Write(path string, mode os.FileMode) error {
+	// Archive verification is done in these steps:
+	// 1. write archive to a temp location
+	// 2. checksum the temp archive
+	// 3. compare size of archive with amount of free space in target dir
+	// 4. extract the archive to make sure it's valid / can be extracted
+	// 5. copy archive to destination dir
+	// 6. checksum target, compare to temp file checksum
+	// 7. rename archive at destination to final target name
+
+	targetDir := filepath.Dir(path)
 
 	if err := archive.writeCpio(); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -47,7 +59,93 @@ func (archive *Archive) Write(path string, mode os.FileMode) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err := archive.writeCompressed(path, mode); err != nil {
+	// 1. write archive to a temp location
+	tmpOutDir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", filepath.Base(path))
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Print("Unable to create temporary work dir")
+		return err
+	}
+
+	tmpOutFile := filepath.Join(tmpOutDir, filepath.Base(path))
+
+	if err := archive.writeCompressed(tmpOutFile, mode); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer os.Remove(tmpOutFile)
+
+	// 2. checksum the temp archive
+	tmpFileChecksum, err := checksum(tmpOutFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// 3. compare size of archive with amount of free space in target dir
+	tmpOutFileSize, err := os.Stat(tmpOutFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Print("Unable to stat tmp output file: ", tmpOutFile)
+	}
+	actualFreeSpace, err := misc.FreeSpace(targetDir)
+	// leave 10% free at target, because we're not monsters
+	freeSpace := int64(float64(actualFreeSpace) * 0.9)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Print("Unable to verify free space of target directory: ", targetDir)
+		return err
+	}
+	if tmpOutFileSize.Size() >= freeSpace {
+		return errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("Not enough free space in target dir (%q) for file. Need: %d bytes, free space: %d bytes",
+			targetDir, tmpOutFileSize.Size(), freeSpace))
+	}
+
+	// 4. extract the archive to make sure it's valid / can be extracted
+	extractDir, err := ioutil.TempDir(tmpOutDir, "extract-test")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(extractDir)
+	if err := extract(tmpOutFile, extractDir); err != nil {
+		log.Print("Extraction of archive failed!")
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// 5. copy archive to destination dir
+	tmpTargetFileFd, err := ioutil.TempFile(targetDir, filepath.Base(path))
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Print("Unable to create temp file in target dir: ", targetDir)
+		return err
+	}
+	tmpOutFileFd, err := os.Open(tmpOutFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Print("Unable to open temp file", tmpOutFile)
+		return err
+	}
+	defer tmpOutFileFd.Close()
+	if _, err := io.Copy(tmpTargetFileFd, tmpOutFileFd); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// fsync
+	if err := tmpTargetFileFd.Sync(); err != nil {
+		log.Print("Unable to call fsync on temp file: ", targetDir)
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := tmpTargetFileFd.Close(); err != nil {
+		log.Print("Unable to save temp file to target dir: ", targetDir)
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// 6. checksum target, compare to temp file checksum
+	targetFileChecksum, err := checksum(tmpTargetFileFd.Name())
+
+	if tmpFileChecksum != targetFileChecksum {
+		return errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("Unable to save archive to path %q, checksum mismatch (expected: %q, got: %q)",
+			path, tmpFileChecksum, targetFileChecksum))
+	}
+
+	// 7. rename archive at destination to final target name
+	if err := os.Rename(tmpTargetFileFd.Name(), path); err != nil {
+		log.Print("Unable to save archive to path: ", path)
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := os.Chmod(path, mode); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}