diff --git a/packages/core/src/cli/cli.test.ts b/packages/core/src/cli/cli.test.ts
index d53988289..305a1ab24 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/cli/cli.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/cli/cli.test.ts
@@ -422,6 +422,27 @@ test('validate - contract must not have build info dir name', async t => {
       `${CLI} validate ${updatedDir} --referenceBuildInfoDirs ${referenceDir} --contract build-info:MyContract --reference build-info-v1:MyContract`,
     ),
   );
-  const expectation: string[] = [`Stdout: ${(error as any).stdout}`, `Stderr: ${(error as any).stderr}`];
-  t.snapshot(expectation.join('\n'));
+  t.true(error?.message.includes('Contract build-info:MyContract must be specified without a build info directory name'), error?.message);
 });
+
+test('validate - contract must not have build info dir name - fully qualified', async t => {
+  const temp = await getTempDir(t);
+  const referenceDir = path.join(temp, 'build-info-v1');
+  await fs.mkdir(referenceDir);
+
+  const referenceBuildInfo = await artifacts.getBuildInfo(`contracts/test/cli/ValidateBuildInfoV1.sol:MyContract`);
+  await fs.writeFile(path.join(referenceDir, 'validate.json'), JSON.stringify(referenceBuildInfo));
+
+  const updatedDir = path.join(temp, 'build-info');
+  await fs.mkdir(updatedDir);
+
+  const updatedBuildInfo = await artifacts.getBuildInfo(`contracts/test/cli/ValidateBuildInfoV2_Ok.sol:MyContract`);
+  await fs.writeFile(path.join(updatedDir, 'validate.json'), JSON.stringify(updatedBuildInfo));
+
+  const error = await t.throwsAsync(
+    execAsync(
+      `${CLI} validate ${updatedDir} --referenceBuildInfoDirs ${referenceDir} --contract build-info:contracts/test/cli/ValidateBuildInfoV2_Ok.sol:MyContract --reference build-info-v1:MyContract`,
+    ),
+  );
+  t.true(error?.message.includes('Contract build-info:contracts/test/cli/ValidateBuildInfoV2_Ok.sol:MyContract must be specified without a build info directory name'), error?.message);
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/core/src/cli/cli.test.ts.md b/packages/core/src/cli/cli.test.ts.md
index 6e5874123..4576c0dd7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/cli/cli.test.ts.md
+++ b/packages/core/src/cli/cli.test.ts.md
@@ -380,26 +380,3 @@ Generated by [AVA](https://avajs.dev).
     FAILED␊
     ␊
     Stderr: `
-
-## validate - contract must not have build info dir name
-
-> Snapshot 1
-
-    `Stdout: ␊
-    Stderr: /Users/eric/git/openzeppelin-upgrades/packages/core/dist/cli/validate/find-contract.js:39␊
-            throw new ReferenceContractNotFound(contractName, origin?.fullyQualifiedName, Object.keys(buildInfoDictionary));␊
-                  ^␊
-    ␊
-    ReferenceContractNotFound [Error]: Could not find contract build-info:MyContract.␊
-        at findContract (/Users/eric/git/openzeppelin-upgrades/packages/core/dist/cli/validate/find-contract.js:39:15)␊
-        at findSpecifiedContracts (/Users/eric/git/openzeppelin-upgrades/packages/core/dist/cli/validate/validate-upgrade-safety.js:53:56)␊
-        at validateUpgradeSafety (/Users/eric/git/openzeppelin-upgrades/packages/core/dist/cli/validate/validate-upgrade-safety.js:46:32)␊
-        at async main (/Users/eric/git/openzeppelin-upgrades/packages/core/dist/cli/validate.js:34:24)␊
-        at async run (/Users/eric/git/openzeppelin-upgrades/packages/core/dist/cli/cli.js:6:5) {␊
-      reference: 'build-info:MyContract',␊
-      origin: undefined,␊
-      buildInfoDirs: [ '', 'build-info', 'build-info-v1' ]␊
-    }␊
-    ␊
-    Node.js v18.18.2␊
-    `
diff --git a/packages/core/src/cli/cli.test.ts.snap b/packages/core/src/cli/cli.test.ts.snap
index 7db2eed05..dbca57c3d 100644
Binary files a/packages/core/src/cli/cli.test.ts.snap and b/packages/core/src/cli/cli.test.ts.snap differ
diff --git a/packages/core/src/cli/validate/find-contract.ts b/packages/core/src/cli/validate/find-contract.ts
index 74c962275..af36f6732 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/cli/validate/find-contract.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/cli/validate/find-contract.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,12 @@ export function findContract(
 ) {
   const foundContracts: SourceContract[] = [];
   if (onlyMainBuildInfoDir) {
-    // TODO give error if specified contract has a build info dir name
+    if (hasBuildInfoDirWithContractName(contractName) || hasBuildInfoDirWithFullyQualifiedName(contractName)) {
+      throw new ValidateCommandError(
+        `Contract ${contractName} must be specified without a build info directory name`,
+        () => `Build info directory names can only be specified for reference contracts.`,
+      );
+    }
     foundContracts.push(...buildInfoDictionary[''].filter(c => isMatchFound(contractName, c, '')));
   } else {
     for (const [dir, contracts] of Object.entries(buildInfoDictionary)) {
@@ -74,3 +79,12 @@ function isMatchFound(contractName: string, foundContract: SourceContract, build
     `${prefix}${foundContract.fullyQualifiedName}` === contractName || `${prefix}${foundContract.name}` === contractName
   );
 }
+
+function hasBuildInfoDirWithContractName(contractName: string): boolean {
+  return contractName.split(':').length === 2 && !contractName.includes('.sol:');
+}
+
+function hasBuildInfoDirWithFullyQualifiedName(contractName: string): boolean {
+  const tokens = contractName.split(':');
+  return tokens.length === 3 && tokens[1].endsWith('.sol');
+}
\ No newline at end of file