diff --git a/lib/octocatalog-diff/catalog.rb b/lib/octocatalog-diff/catalog.rb
index 6001191d..1fd3d1f4 100644
--- a/lib/octocatalog-diff/catalog.rb
+++ b/lib/octocatalog-diff/catalog.rb
@@ -272,6 +272,10 @@ def build_resource_hash
       resources.each do |resource|
         @resource_hash[resource['type']] ||= {}
         @resource_hash[resource['type']][resource['title']] = resource
+
+        if resource.key?('parameters') && resource['parameters'].key?('alias')
+          @resource_hash[resource['type']][resource['parameters']['alias']] = resource
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/octocatalog-diff/fixtures/repos/reference-validation/hieradata/roles/broken-alias.yaml b/spec/octocatalog-diff/fixtures/repos/reference-validation/hieradata/roles/broken-alias.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d1191b42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/octocatalog-diff/fixtures/repos/reference-validation/hieradata/roles/broken-alias.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+  classes:
+    - test::alias_callers
diff --git a/spec/octocatalog-diff/fixtures/repos/reference-validation/hieradata/roles/working-alias.yaml b/spec/octocatalog-diff/fixtures/repos/reference-validation/hieradata/roles/working-alias.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a8b2719f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/octocatalog-diff/fixtures/repos/reference-validation/hieradata/roles/working-alias.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+  classes:
+    - test::alias_callers
+    - test::alias_targets
diff --git a/spec/octocatalog-diff/fixtures/repos/reference-validation/modules/test/manifests/alias_callers.pp b/spec/octocatalog-diff/fixtures/repos/reference-validation/modules/test/manifests/alias_callers.pp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..77d7cb64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/octocatalog-diff/fixtures/repos/reference-validation/modules/test/manifests/alias_callers.pp
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+class test::alias_callers {
+  exec { 'before alias caller':
+    command => '/bin/true',
+    before  => Exec['before alias target'],
+  }
+
+  exec { 'notify alias caller':
+    command => '/bin/true',
+    before  => Exec['notify alias target'],
+  }
+
+  exec { 'require alias caller':
+    command => '/bin/true',
+    before  => Exec['require alias target'],
+  }
+
+  exec { 'subscribe alias caller':
+    command => '/bin/true',
+    before  => Exec['subscribe alias target'],
+  }
+}
diff --git a/spec/octocatalog-diff/fixtures/repos/reference-validation/modules/test/manifests/alias_targets.pp b/spec/octocatalog-diff/fixtures/repos/reference-validation/modules/test/manifests/alias_targets.pp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a1194910
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/octocatalog-diff/fixtures/repos/reference-validation/modules/test/manifests/alias_targets.pp
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+class test::alias_targets {
+  exec { 'the before alias target':
+    command => '/bin/true',
+    alias   => 'before alias target',
+  }
+
+  exec { 'the notify alias target':
+    command => '/bin/true',
+    alias   => 'notify alias target',
+  }
+
+  exec { 'the require alias target':
+    command => '/bin/true',
+    alias   => 'require alias target',
+  }
+
+  exec { 'the subscribe alias target':
+    command => '/bin/true',
+    alias   => 'subscribe alias target',
+  }
+}
diff --git a/spec/octocatalog-diff/integration/reference_validation_spec.rb b/spec/octocatalog-diff/integration/reference_validation_spec.rb
index 1c40478c..b8f6b6f7 100644
--- a/spec/octocatalog-diff/integration/reference_validation_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/octocatalog-diff/integration/reference_validation_spec.rb
@@ -188,6 +188,51 @@ def self.catalog_contains_resource(result, type, title)
   end
 end
 
+describe 'validation of alias references' do
+  context 'with valid catalog' do
+    before(:all) do
+      @result = OctocatalogDiff::Spec.reference_validation_catalog('working-alias', %w(before require subscribe notify))
+    end
+
+    it 'should succeed' do
+      expect(@result.exitcode).to eq(2)
+    end
+
+    it 'should not raise any exceptions' do
+      expect(@result.exception).to be_nil, OctocatalogDiff::Integration.format_exception(@result)
+    end
+
+    it 'should contain representative resources' do
+      pending 'Catalog failed' unless @result.exitcode == 2
+      expect(OctocatalogDiff::Spec.catalog_contains_resource(@result, 'Exec', 'before alias caller')).to eq(true)
+      expect(OctocatalogDiff::Spec.catalog_contains_resource(@result, 'Exec', 'before alias target')).to eq(true)
+      expect(OctocatalogDiff::Spec.catalog_contains_resource(@result, 'Exec', 'the before alias target')).to eq(true)
+    end
+  end
+
+  context 'with broken references' do
+    before(:all) do
+      @result = OctocatalogDiff::Spec.reference_validation_catalog('broken-alias', %w(before require subscribe notify))
+    end
+
+    it 'should not succeed' do
+      expect(@result.exitcode).to eq(-1), OctocatalogDiff::Integration.format_exception(@result)
+    end
+
+    it 'should raise ReferenceValidationError' do
+      expect(@result.exception).to be_a_kind_of(OctocatalogDiff::Catalog::ReferenceValidationError)
+    end
+
+    it 'should have formatted error messages' do
+      msg = @result.exception.message
+      expect(msg).to match(/exec\[before alias caller\] -> before\[Exec\[before alias target\]\]/)
+      expect(msg).to match(/exec\[notify alias caller\] -> before\[Exec\[notify alias target\]\]/)
+      expect(msg).to match(/exec\[require alias caller\] -> before\[Exec\[require alias target\]\]/)
+      expect(msg).to match(/exec\[subscribe alias caller\] -> before\[Exec\[subscribe alias target\]\]/)
+    end
+  end
+end
+
 describe 'validation of references in catalog-diff' do
   context 'with valid catalog' do
     before(:all) do
diff --git a/spec/octocatalog-diff/tests/catalog_spec.rb b/spec/octocatalog-diff/tests/catalog_spec.rb
index 976978ce..12021607 100644
--- a/spec/octocatalog-diff/tests/catalog_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/octocatalog-diff/tests/catalog_spec.rb
@@ -479,4 +479,34 @@
       expect { catalog.validate_references }.to raise_error(OctocatalogDiff::Catalog::ReferenceValidationError, error_str)
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#build_resource_hash' do
+    before(:each) do
+      resource_array = [
+        {
+          'type' => 'Exec',
+          'title' => 'title of the exec',
+          'file' => '/etc/puppetlabs/code/site/manifests/init.pp',
+          'line' => 6,
+          'exported' => false,
+          'parameters' => {
+            'alias' => 'the exec',
+            'command' => '/bin/true'
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+      described_object = described_class.allocate
+      expect(described_object).to receive(:resources).and_return(resource_array)
+      described_object.send(:build_resource_hash)
+      @resource_hash = described_object.instance_variable_get(:'@resource_hash')
+    end
+
+    it 'should contain the entry for the titled resource' do
+      expect(@resource_hash['Exec']['title of the exec']).to be_a_kind_of(Hash)
+    end
+
+    it 'should contain the entry for the aliased resource' do
+      expect(@resource_hash['Exec']['the exec']).to be_a_kind_of(Hash)
+    end
+  end
 end