diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0a4fdfd..f279097 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -77,29 +77,34 @@ To manipulate the steps, you have the possibility to overwrite each step, just l
 
 In the default chain, **chain.clean:main** calls:
 
- * clean.tmp:init:
- * clean.tmp:before:
- * clean.tmp:main:
- * clean.tmp:after:
+ * clean.tmp:init
+ * clean.tmp:before
+ * clean.tmp:main
+ * clean.tmp:after
  * clean.tmp
 
 In the default chain, **chain.init:main** calls:
 
- * composer.update:init:
- * composer.update:before:
- * composer.update:main:
- * composer.update:after:
- * composer.update:
+ * composer.validate:init
+ * composer.validate:before
+ * composer.validate:main
+ * composer.validate:after
+ * composer.validate
+ * composer.update:init
+ * composer.update:before
+ * composer.update:main
+ * composer.update:after
+ * composer.update
 
 In the default chain, **chain.test:main** calls:
 
- * test.phplint:init:
- * test.phplint:before:
- * test.phplint:main:
- * test.phplint:after:
- * test.phplint:
- * test.phpunit:init:
- * test.phpunit:before:
- * test.phpunit:main:
- * test.phpunit:after:
- * test.phpunit:
\ No newline at end of file
+ * test.phplint:init
+ * test.phplint:before
+ * test.phplint:main
+ * test.phplint:after
+ * test.phplint
+ * test.phpunit:init
+ * test.phpunit:before
+ * test.phpunit:main
+ * test.phpunit:after
+ * test.phpunit
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 6abaeb2..798e389 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-6.2.0
+6.3.0
diff --git a/commons/chains/default.xml b/commons/chains/default.xml
index fa9dfe7..841597c 100644
--- a/commons/chains/default.xml
+++ b/commons/chains/default.xml
@@ -1,44 +1,53 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 
 
-<project name="chain" default="clean:main">
+<project>
 
 
     <echo message="loading chain: default" />
 
 
-    <!-- ============================================ -->
-    <!-- standard chain                               -->
-    <!-- ============================================ -->
+    <target name="clean" depends="clean:before, clean:main, clean:after" />
     <target name="clean:main" hidden="true" depends="clean.tmp" />
-    <target name="init:main" hidden="true" depends="composer.update" />
+
+
+    <target name="init" depends="clean, init:before, init:main, init:after" />
+    <target name="init:main" hidden="true" depends="composer.validate, composer.update" />
+
+
+    <target name="test" depends="init, test:before, test:main, test:after" />
     <target name="test:main" hidden="true" depends="test.phplint, test.phpunit" />
 
 
-    <target name="bundle:main"  hidden="true">
+    <target name="bundle" depends="test, bundle:before, bundle:main, bundle:after" />
+    <target name="bundle:main" hidden="true">
         <echo message="no actions defined" level="debug" />
     </target>
 
 
-    <target name="package:main"  hidden="true">
+    <target name="package" depends="bundle, package:before, package:main, package:after" />
+    <target name="package:main" hidden="true">
         <echo message="no actions defined" level="debug" />
     </target>
 
 
-    <target name="deploy:main"  hidden="true">
+    <target name="deploy" depends="package, deploy:before, deploy:main, deploy:after" />
+    <target name="deploy:main" hidden="true">
         <echo message="no actions defined" level="debug" />
     </target>
 
 
-    <target name="build:main"  hidden="true">
+    <target name="build" depends="deploy, build:before, build:main, build:after" />
+    <target name="build:main" hidden="true">
         <echo message="no actions defined" level="debug" />
     </target>
 
 
-    <!-- ============================================ -->
-    <!-- additional targets                           -->
-    <!-- ============================================ -->
+    <target name="release" depends="test, release:before, release:main, release:after" />
     <target name="release:main" hidden="true" depends="project.update.version" />
+
+
+    <target name="report" depends="clean.reports, test, report:before, report:main, report:after" />
     <target name="report:main" hidden="true" depends="report.apigen, report.phpcpd, report.phpcs, report.phpdepend, report.phploc, report.phpmd" />
 
 
diff --git a/commons/chains/hooks/default.xml b/commons/chains/hooks.xml
similarity index 98%
rename from commons/chains/hooks/default.xml
rename to commons/chains/hooks.xml
index 62a8038..b0fadac 100644
--- a/commons/chains/hooks/default.xml
+++ b/commons/chains/hooks.xml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 
 
-<project name="chain" default="clean:before">
+<project>
 
 
     <target name="clean:before" hidden="true">
diff --git a/commons/commons.xml b/commons/commons.xml
index 9b97576..eaf7269 100644
--- a/commons/commons.xml
+++ b/commons/commons.xml
@@ -102,52 +102,7 @@
     <!-- setup the chains                             -->
     <!-- ============================================ -->
     <import file="${phing:commons:commons}/chains/default.xml" />
-    <import file="${phing:commons:commons}/chains/hooks/default.xml" />
-
-
-    <target name="clean" depends="chain.clean:before, chain.clean:main, chain.clean:after">
-        <echo message="successful" />
-    </target>
-
-
-    <target name="init" depends="clean, chain.init:before, chain.init:main, chain.init:after">
-        <echo message="successful" />
-    </target>
-
-
-    <target name="test" depends="init, chain.test:before, chain.test:main, chain.test:after">
-        <echo message="successful" />
-    </target>
-
-
-    <target name="bundle" depends="test, chain.bundle:before, chain.bundle:main, chain.bundle:after">
-        <echo message="successful" />
-    </target>
-
-
-    <target name="package" depends="bundle, chain.package:before, chain.package:main, chain.package:after">
-        <echo message="successful" />
-    </target>
-
-
-    <target name="deploy" depends="package, chain.deploy:before, chain.deploy:main, chain.deploy:after">
-        <echo message="successful" />
-    </target>
-
-
-    <target name="build" depends="deploy, chain.build:before, chain.build:main, chain.build:after">
-        <echo message="successful" />
-    </target>
-
-
-    <target name="release" depends="test, chain.release:before, chain.release:main, chain.release:after">
-        <echo message="successful" />
-    </target>
-
-
-    <target name="report" depends="clean.reports, test, chain.report:before, chain.report:main, chain.report:after">
-        <echo message="successful" />
-    </target>
+    <import file="${phing:commons:commons}/chains/hooks.xml" />
 
 
 </project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/commons/targets/composer.xml b/commons/targets/composer.xml
index 5de0fdc..f0f40c0 100644
--- a/commons/targets/composer.xml
+++ b/commons/targets/composer.xml
@@ -4,19 +4,17 @@
 <project default="composer:help">
 
 
-    <property name="composer.executable" value="composer" />
-    <property name="composer.args" value="" />
-
-
     <import file="${phing:commons:commons}/targets/composer/install.xml" />
     <import file="${phing:commons:commons}/targets/composer/update.xml" />
+    <import file="${phing:commons:commons}/targets/composer/validate.xml" />
 
 
-    <target name="composer:help" depends="composer.install:help, composer.update:help">
+    <target name="composer:help" depends="composer.install:help, composer.update:help, composer.validate:help">
         <echo message="TARGET                                            DESCRIPTION" />
         <echo message="----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------" />
         <echo message="composer.install                                  Install dependencies, if composer.lock available, keep exact versions" />
         <echo message="composer.update                                   Install latest versions of the dependencies and update the composer.lock" />
+        <echo message="composer.validate                                 Validates the composer.json in your project root" />
     </target>
 
 
diff --git a/commons/targets/composer/validate.xml b/commons/targets/composer/validate.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39caaf4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/commons/targets/composer/validate.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+
+
+<project default="composer.validate">
+
+
+    <target name="composer.validate:init" hidden="true">
+        <property name="composer.executable" value="composer" />
+        <property name="composer.args" value="" />
+    </target>
+
+
+    <target name="composer.validate:before" hidden="true">
+        <echo message="no actions defined" level="debug" />
+    </target>
+
+
+    <target name="composer.validate:main" hidden="true">
+        <available file="${project.root}/composer.json" type="file" property="composer.json.exists" />
+
+        <if>
+            <isset property="composer.json.exists" />
+            <then>
+                <exec executable="${composer.executable}" logoutput="true" passthru="true" level="info" checkreturn="yes">
+                    <arg line="validate" />
+                    <arg line="${composer.args}" />
+                </exec>
+            </then>
+        </if>
+    </target>
+
+
+    <target name="composer.validate:after" hidden="true">
+        <echo message="no actions defined" level="debug" />
+    </target>
+
+
+    <target name="composer.validate" depends="composer.validate:init, composer.validate:before, composer.validate:main, composer.validate:after">
+        <echo message="successful" />
+    </target>
+
+
+    <target name="composer.validate:help" depends="composer.validate:init">
+        <echo message="PROPERTY                                          VALUE" />
+        <echo message="----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------" />
+        <echo message="composer.executable                               ${composer.executable}" />
+        <echo message="composer.args                                     ${composer.args}" />
+    </target>
+
+
+</project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index 63142b3..fa62fc8 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-    "version": "6.2.0",
+    "version": "6.3.0",
     "name": "elnebuloso\/phing-commons",
     "type": "library",
     "license": "MIT",