diff --git a/src/app/ota_image_tool.py b/src/app/ota_image_tool.py
index 45fbe6bac9dddb..7e14ed19c97759 100755
--- a/src/app/ota_image_tool.py
+++ b/src/app/ota_image_tool.py
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@
 DIGEST_ALL_ALGORITHMS = hashlib.algorithms_available.intersection(
     DIGEST_ALGORITHM_ID.keys())
 
+# Buffer size used for file reads to ensure large files do not need to be loaded
+# into memory fully before processing.
 PAYLOAD_BUFFER_SIZE = 16 * 1024
 
 
@@ -76,6 +78,46 @@ class HeaderTag(IntEnum):
     DIGEST = 9
 
 
+def warn(message: str):
+    sys.stderr.write(f'warning: {message}\n')
+
+
+def error(message: str):
+    sys.stderr.write(f'error: {message}\n')
+    sys.exit(1)
+
+
+def validate_header_attributes(args: object):
+    """
+    Validate attributes to be stored in OTA image header
+    """
+
+    if args.vendor_id == 0:
+        error('Vendor ID is zero')
+
+    if args.product_id == 0:
+        error('Product ID is zero')
+
+    if not 1 <= len(args.version_str) <= 64:
+        error('Software version string is not of length 1-64')
+
+    if args.min_version is not None and args.min_version >= args.version:
+        error('Minimum applicable version is greater or equal to software version')
+
+    if args.max_version is not None and args.max_version >= args.version:
+        error('Maximum applicable version is greater or equal to software version')
+
+    if args.min_version is not None and args.max_version is not None and args.max_version < args.min_version:
+        error('Minimum applicable version is greater than maximum applicable version')
+
+    if args.release_notes is not None:
+        if not 1 <= len(args.release_notes) <= 256:
+            error('Release notes URL must be of length 1-256')
+
+        if not args.release_notes.startswith('https://'):
+            warn('Release notes URL does not start with "https://"')
+
+
 def generate_payload_summary(args: object):
     """
     Calculate total size and hash of all concatenated input payload files
@@ -84,6 +126,9 @@ def generate_payload_summary(args: object):
     total_size = 0
     digest = hashlib.new(args.digest_algorithm)
 
+    if digest.digest_size < (256 // 8):
+        warn('Using digest length below 256 bits is not recommended')
+
     for path in args.input_files:
         with open(path, 'rb') as file:
             while True:
@@ -111,14 +156,14 @@ def generate_header_tlv(args: object, payload_size: int, payload_digest: bytes):
         HeaderTag.DIGEST: payload_digest,
     }
 
-    if args.min_version:
+    if args.min_version is not None:
         fields.update({HeaderTag.MIN_VERSION: uint(args.min_version)})
 
-    if args.max_version:
+    if args.max_version is not None:
         fields.update({HeaderTag.MAX_VERSION: uint(args.max_version)})
 
-    if args.release_notes:
-        fields.append({HeaderTag.RELEASE_NOTES_URL: args.release_notes})
+    if args.release_notes is not None:
+        fields.update({HeaderTag.RELEASE_NOTES_URL: args.release_notes})
 
     writer = TLVWriter()
     writer.put(None, fields)
@@ -242,6 +287,7 @@ def any_base_int(s): return int(s, 0)
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
     if args.subcommand == 'create':
+        validate_header_attributes(args)
         generate_image(args)
     elif args.subcommand == 'show':
         show_header(args)