diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index a997d62..4780a63 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ requires = ["setuptools"]
 build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 [project]
 name = "gdex-api-client"
-version = "2.0.2"
+version = "2.0.3"
 dependencies = [
     "requests",
 ]
diff --git a/src/gdex_api_client/gdex_client.py b/src/gdex_api_client/gdex_client.py
index 8dd7389..dcd9259 100755
--- a/src/gdex_api_client/gdex_client.py
+++ b/src/gdex_api_client/gdex_client.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import argparse
 import codecs
 import pdb
+import re
 
 
 BASE_URL = 'https://gdex.ucar.edu/api/'
@@ -67,6 +68,13 @@ def query(args=None):
         print(json.dumps(result, indent=3))
     return result
 
+def validate_dsid(dsid):
+    """ Validate dsid from command line input """
+    ms = re.match(r'^([a-z]{1})(\d{3})(\d{3})$', dsid)
+    if ms:
+        return dsid
+    else:
+        raise ValueError("dataset number 'dsid' must be formatted as 'dnnnnnn'")
 
 def get_userinfo():
     """Get token from command line."""
@@ -500,10 +508,11 @@ def write_control_file_template(ds, write_location='./'):
     Returns:
         dict: JSON decoded result of the query.
     """
+    dsid = validate_dsid(ds)
     _json = get_control_file_template(ds)
     control_str = _json['data']['template']
 
-    template_filename = write_location + ds + '_control.ctl'
+    template_filename = write_location + dsid + '_control.ctl'
     if os.path.exists(template_filename):
         print(template_filename + " already exists.\nExiting")
         exit(1)