diff --git a/dtschema/dtb_validate.py b/dtschema/dtb_validate.py
index 6a02946..e22d5dd 100755
--- a/dtschema/dtb_validate.py
+++ b/dtschema/dtb_validate.py
@@ -103,7 +103,8 @@ def main():
                     help="Filename or directory of devicetree DTB input file(s)")
     ap.add_argument('-s', '--schema', help="preparsed schema file or path to schema files")
     ap.add_argument('-p', '--preparse', help="preparsed schema file (deprecated, use '-s')")
-    ap.add_argument('-l', '--limit', help="limit validation to schemas with $id matching LIMIT substring")
+    ap.add_argument('-l', '--limit', help="limit validation to schemas with $id matching LIMIT substring. " \
+                    "Multiple substrings separated by ':' can be listed (e.g. foo:bar:baz).")
     ap.add_argument('-c', '--compatible-match', action="store_true",
                     help="limit validation to schema matching nodes' most specific compatible string")
     ap.add_argument('-m', '--show-unmatched',
@@ -118,14 +119,17 @@ def main():
 
     verbose = args.verbose
     show_unmatched = args.show_unmatched
-    match_schema_file = args.limit
+    if args.limit:
+        match_schema_file = args.limit.split(':')
     compatible_match = args.compatible_match
 
     # Maintain prior behaviour which accepted file paths by stripping the file path
     if args.url_path and args.limit:
-        for d in args.url_path.split(os.path.sep):
-            if d and match_schema_file.startswith(d):
-                match_schema_file = match_schema_file[(len(d) + 1):]
+        for i,match in enumerate(match_schema_file):
+            for d in args.url_path.split(os.path.sep):
+                if d and match.startswith(d):
+                    match = match[(len(d) + 1):]
+            match_schema_file[i] = match
 
     if args.preparse:
         sg = schema_group(args.preparse)
diff --git a/dtschema/validator.py b/dtschema/validator.py
index 8223407..4d94d9e 100644
--- a/dtschema/validator.py
+++ b/dtschema/validator.py
@@ -416,12 +416,20 @@ def annotate_error(self, id, error):
         error.linecol = -1, -1
         error.note = None
 
+    def _filter_match(self, schema_id, filter):
+        if not filter:
+            return True
+        for f in filter:
+            if f in schema_id:
+                return True
+        return False
+
     def iter_errors(self, instance, filter=None, compatible_match=False):
         if 'compatible' in instance:
             for inst_compat in instance['compatible']:
                 if inst_compat in self.compat_map:
                     schema_id = self.compat_map[inst_compat]
-                    if not filter or filter in schema_id:
+                    if self._filter_match(schema_id, filter):
                         schema = self.schemas[schema_id]
                         for error in self.DtValidator(schema,
                                                     resolver=self.resolver,
@@ -434,7 +442,7 @@ def iter_errors(self, instance, filter=None, compatible_match=False):
             return
 
         for schema_id in self.always_schemas:
-            if filter and filter not in schema_id:
+            if not self._filter_match(schema_id, filter):
                 continue
             schema = {'if': self.schemas[schema_id]['select'],
                       'then': self.schemas[schema_id]}