diff --git a/cmd/check.go b/cmd/check.go
index 696e20a67c..e416781e16 100644
--- a/cmd/check.go
+++ b/cmd/check.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/fatih/color"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"tidbyt.dev/pixlet/cmd/community"
+	"tidbyt.dev/pixlet/manifest"
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -45,6 +46,8 @@ func checkCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// TODO: this needs to be parallelized.
+
 	// Check every app.
 	foundIssue := false
 	for _, app := range apps {
@@ -64,13 +67,14 @@ func checkCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		}
 		defer os.Remove(f.Name())
 
-		// Check if app will render.
-		silenceOutput = true
-		output = f.Name()
-		err = render(cmd, []string{app})
+		// TODO: Check if app will render once we are able to enable target
+		// determination.
+
+		// Check if an app can load.
+		err = community.LoadApp(cmd, []string{app})
 		if err != nil {
 			foundIssue = true
-			failure(app, fmt.Errorf("app failed to render: %w", err), fmt.Sprintf("try `pixlet render %s` and resolve any errors", app))
+			failure(app, fmt.Errorf("app failed to load: %w", err), "try `pixlet community load-app` and resolve any runtime issues")
 			continue
 		}
 
@@ -93,18 +97,14 @@ func checkCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 		// Check app manifest exists
 		dir := filepath.Dir(app)
-		options := []string{
-			filepath.Join(dir, "manifest.yaml"),
-			filepath.Join(dir, "manifest.yml"),
-		}
-		manifestFile, err := findManifestFile(options)
-		if err != nil {
+		if !doesManifestExist(dir) {
 			foundIssue = true
-			failure(app, fmt.Errorf("couldn't find app manifest: %w", err), fmt.Sprintf("try `pixlet community create-manifest %s`", filepath.Join(dir, "manifest.yaml")))
+			failure(app, fmt.Errorf("couldn't find app manifest: %w", err), fmt.Sprintf("try `pixlet community create-manifest %s`", filepath.Join(dir, manifest.ManifestFileName)))
 			continue
 		}
 
 		// Validate manifest.
+		manifestFile := filepath.Join(dir, manifest.ManifestFileName)
 		err = community.ValidateManifest(cmd, []string{manifestFile})
 		if err != nil {
 			foundIssue = true
@@ -112,20 +112,16 @@ func checkCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		// Check spelling in both the app and the manifest.
+		// Check spelling.
 		community.SilentSpelling = true
-		err = community.SpellCheck(cmd, []string{app})
-		if err != nil {
-			foundIssue = true
-			failure(app, fmt.Errorf("app contains spelling errors: %w", err), fmt.Sprintf("try `pixlet community spell-check --fix %s`", app))
-			continue
-		}
 		err = community.SpellCheck(cmd, []string{manifestFile})
 		if err != nil {
 			foundIssue = true
 			failure(app, fmt.Errorf("manifest contains spelling errors: %w", err), fmt.Sprintf("try `pixlet community spell-check --fix %s`", manifestFile))
 			continue
 		}
+		// TODO: enable spell check for apps once we can run it successfully
+		// against the community repo.
 
 		// If we're here, the app and manifest are good to go!
 		success(app)
@@ -138,21 +134,18 @@ func checkCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func findManifestFile(options []string) (string, error) {
-	for _, file := range options {
-		_, err := os.Stat(file)
-		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			continue
-		}
-
-		if err != nil {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("couldn't check manifest existence: %w", err)
-		}
+func doesManifestExist(dir string) bool {
+	file := filepath.Join(dir, manifest.ManifestFileName)
+	_, err := os.Stat(file)
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return false
+	}
 
-		return file, nil
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
 	}
 
-	return "", fmt.Errorf("manifest doesn't exist")
+	return true
 }
 
 func success(app string) {
diff --git a/cmd/community/community.go b/cmd/community/community.go
index a07834b788..0dca47d42b 100644
--- a/cmd/community/community.go
+++ b/cmd/community/community.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 func init() {
 	CommunityCmd.AddCommand(CreateManifestCmd)
 	CommunityCmd.AddCommand(ListIconsCmd)
+	CommunityCmd.AddCommand(LoadAppCmd)
 	CommunityCmd.AddCommand(SpellCheckCmd)
 	CommunityCmd.AddCommand(TargetDeterminatorCmd)
 	CommunityCmd.AddCommand(ValidateIconsCmd)
diff --git a/cmd/community/createmanifest.go b/cmd/community/createmanifest.go
index 53cf6e58cd..07137e77c6 100644
--- a/cmd/community/createmanifest.go
+++ b/cmd/community/createmanifest.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"tidbyt.dev/pixlet/manifest"
 )
 
 var CreateManifestCmd = &cobra.Command{
@@ -19,8 +20,8 @@ var CreateManifestCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 func CreateManifest(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	fileName := filepath.Base(args[0])
-	if fileName != "manifest.yaml" && fileName != "manifest.yml" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("supplied manifest must be named manifest.yaml or manifest.yml")
+	if fileName != manifest.ManifestFileName {
+		return fmt.Errorf("supplied manifest must be named %s", manifest.ManifestFileName)
 	}
 
 	f, err := os.Create(args[0])
diff --git a/cmd/community/loadapp.go b/cmd/community/loadapp.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9fe01abf5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/community/loadapp.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package community
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"tidbyt.dev/pixlet/runtime"
+)
+
+var LoadAppCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:     "load-app <filespec>",
+	Short:   "Validates an app can be successfully loaded in our runtime.",
+	Example: `  pixlet community load-app app.star`,
+	Long:    `This command ensures an app can be loaded into our runtime successfully.`,
+	Args:    cobra.ExactArgs(1),
+	RunE:    LoadApp,
+}
+
+func LoadApp(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	script := args[0]
+
+	if !strings.HasSuffix(script, ".star") {
+		return fmt.Errorf("script file must have suffix .star: %s", script)
+	}
+
+	src, err := ioutil.ReadFile(script)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to read file %s: %w", script, err)
+	}
+	runtime.InitCache(runtime.NewInMemoryCache())
+
+	applet := runtime.Applet{}
+	err = applet.Load(script, src, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to load applet: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/community/validatemanifest.go b/cmd/community/validatemanifest.go
index f235578387..59ff12320e 100644
--- a/cmd/community/validatemanifest.go
+++ b/cmd/community/validatemanifest.go
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ validating the contents of each field.`,
 
 func ValidateManifest(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	fileName := filepath.Base(args[0])
-	if fileName != "manifest.yaml" && fileName != "manifest.yml" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("supplied manifest must be named manifest.yaml or manifest.yml")
+	if fileName != manifest.ManifestFileName {
+		return fmt.Errorf("supplied manifest must be named %s", manifest.ManifestFileName)
 	}
 
 	f, err := os.Open(args[0])
diff --git a/manifest/manifest.go b/manifest/manifest.go
index b095086925..bfa0281318 100644
--- a/manifest/manifest.go
+++ b/manifest/manifest.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
 
+const ManifestFileName = "manifest.yaml"
+
 // Manifest is a structure to define a starlark applet for Tidbyt in Go.
 type Manifest struct {
 	// ID is the unique identifier of this app. It has to be globally unique,
diff --git a/tools/generator/generator.go b/tools/generator/generator.go
index 2a6348f367..b29f051d99 100644
--- a/tools/generator/generator.go
+++ b/tools/generator/generator.go
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func (g *Generator) writeManifest(app *manifest.Manifest) error {
 	var p string
 	switch g.appType {
 	case Community:
-		p = path.Join(g.root, appsDir, app.PackageName, app.FileName)
+		p = path.Join(g.root, appsDir, app.PackageName, manifestName)
 	default:
 		p = path.Join(g.root, manifestName)
 	}