diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.am b/scripts/Makefile.am
index 58c7f731..d660c0b9 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.am
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.am
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ LIBMAKEPKG_IN = \
 	libmakepkg/lint_pkgbuild/provides.sh \
 	libmakepkg/lint_pkgbuild/source.sh \
 	libmakepkg/lint_pkgbuild/util.sh \
+	libmakepkg/lint_pkgbuild/variable.sh \
 	libmakepkg/source.sh \
 	libmakepkg/source/bzr.sh \
 	libmakepkg/source/file.sh \
diff --git a/scripts/libmakepkg/lint_pkgbuild/variable.sh.in b/scripts/libmakepkg/lint_pkgbuild/variable.sh.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1daac267
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/libmakepkg/lint_pkgbuild/variable.sh.in
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#
+#   variable.sh - Check that variables are or are not arrays as appropriate
+#
+#   Copyright (c) 2014-2015 Pacman Development Team <pacman-dev@archlinux.org>
+#
+#   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+#   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+#   the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+#   (at your option) any later version.
+#
+#   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+#   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+#   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+#   GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+#   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+#   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+
+[[ -n "$LIBMAKEPKG_LINT_PKGBUILD_VARIABLE_SH" ]] && return
+LIBMAKEPKG_LINT_PKGBUILD_VARIABLE_SH=1
+
+LIBRARY=${LIBRARY:-'@libmakepkgdir@'}
+
+source "$LIBRARY/util/message.sh"
+
+
+lint_pkgbuild_functions+=('lint_variable')
+
+
+lint_variable() {
+	# TODO: refactor - similar arrays are used elsewhere
+	local array=(arch backup checkdepends groups license noextract options
+	             validpgpkeys)
+	local arch_array=(conflicts depends makedepends md5sums optdepends provides
+	                  replaces sha1sums sha256sums sha384sums sha512sums source)
+	local string=(changelog epoch install pkgdesc pkgrel pkgver url)
+
+	local i
+	for i in ${array[@]}; do
+		if grep -w -q -e "$i=[^(]" -e "$i+=[^(]" "$BUILDSCRIPT"; then
+			error "$(gettext "%s should be an array")" "$i"
+			ret=1
+		fi
+	done
+
+	for a in ${arch[@]}; do
+		[[ $a == "any" ]] && continue
+
+		for i in ${arch_array[@]}; do
+			if grep -w -q -e "$i_$a=[^(]" -e "$i_$a+=[^(]" "$BUILDSCRIPT"; then
+				error "$(gettext "%s_%s should be an array")" "$i" "$a"
+				ret=1
+			fi
+		done
+	done
+
+	for i in ${string[@]}; do
+		if grep -w -q -e "$i=(" -e "$i+=(" "$BUILDSCRIPT"; then
+			error "$(gettext "%s should not be an array")" "$i"
+			ret=1
+		fi
+	done
+}
diff --git a/scripts/po/POTFILES.in b/scripts/po/POTFILES.in
index 00cb1b8d..261374a5 100644
--- a/scripts/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/scripts/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ scripts/libmakepkg/lint_package/build_references.sh.in
 scripts/libmakepkg/lint_package/missing_backup.sh.in
 scripts/libmakepkg/lint_pkgbuild.sh.in
 scripts/libmakepkg/lint_pkgbuild/arch.sh.in
+scripts/libmakepkg/lint_pkgbuild/array.sh.in
 scripts/libmakepkg/lint_pkgbuild/backup.sh.in
 scripts/libmakepkg/lint_pkgbuild/changelog.sh.in
 scripts/libmakepkg/lint_pkgbuild/epoch.sh.in