diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_codebuild_batch.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_codebuild_batch.yml
index 243638f65..1038136d0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_codebuild_batch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_codebuild_batch.yml
@@ -1298,6 +1298,25 @@ jobs:
           buildspec-override: codebuild/py312/decrypt_golden_manifest_with_masterkey.yml
           image-override: aws/codebuild/standard:7.0
 
+  # Python Release Validation with examples as alternate
+  python_release_examples_validation:
+    name: Python Release Validation with Examples
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Configure AWS Credentials
+        uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v2
+        with:
+          role-to-assume: ${{ secrets.CI_AWS_ROLE_ARN }}
+          aws-region: us-west-2
+          role-duration-seconds: 7200
+      - name: Run CodeBuild
+        uses: aws-actions/aws-codebuild-run-build@v1
+        timeout-minutes: 120
+        with:
+          project-name: python-esdk
+          buildspec-override: codebuild/release/validate_with_examples.yml
+          image-override: aws/codebuild/standard:7.0
+
   # Code Coverage and Compliance jobs
   code_coverage:
     name: Code Coverage
diff --git a/codebuild/release/validate_with_examples.yml b/codebuild/release/validate_with_examples.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..45f1a0246
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codebuild/release/validate_with_examples.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+version: 0.2
+
+env:
+  variables:
+    # Default VERSION if not provided externally
+    VERSION: 4.0.2
+    REGION: "us-west-2"
+    AWS_ENCRYPTION_SDK_PYTHON_INTEGRATION_TEST_AWS_KMS_KEY_ID: >-
+      arn:aws:kms:us-west-2:658956600833:key/b3537ef1-d8dc-4780-9f5a-55776cbb2f7f
+    AWS_ENCRYPTION_SDK_PYTHON_INTEGRATION_TEST_AWS_KMS_KEY_ID_2: >-
+      arn:aws:kms:eu-central-1:658956600833:key/75414c93-5285-4b57-99c9-30c1cf0a22c2
+    AWS_ENCRYPTION_SDK_PYTHON_INTEGRATION_TEST_AWS_KMS_MRK_KEY_ID_1: >-
+      arn:aws:kms:us-west-2:658956600833:key/mrk-80bd8ecdcd4342aebd84b7dc9da498a7
+    AWS_ENCRYPTION_SDK_PYTHON_INTEGRATION_TEST_AWS_KMS_MRK_KEY_ID_2: >-
+      arn:aws:kms:us-east-1:658956600833:key/mrk-80bd8ecdcd4342aebd84b7dc9da498a7
+
+phases:
+  install:
+    runtime-versions:
+      python: 3.11
+    commands:
+      - pip install "tox < 4.0"
+      - pip install --upgrade pip
+  build:
+    commands:
+      # Set initial retry count
+      - NUM_RETRIES=3
+      
+      # Run non-MPL-specific tests with the MPL installed
+      - |
+        while [ $NUM_RETRIES -gt 0 ]
+        do
+          VERSION=$VERSION tox -e validate-pypi-release
+          if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+            echo "Standard examples successful"
+            break
+          fi
+          NUM_RETRIES=$((NUM_RETRIES-1))
+          if [ $NUM_RETRIES -eq 0 ]; then
+            echo "All standard example attempts failed, stopping"
+            exit 1
+          else
+            echo "Standard examples failed, retrying in 60 seconds; will retry $NUM_RETRIES more times" && sleep 60
+          fi
+        done
+      
+      # Assume special role for MPL-specific tests
+      - echo "Running tests with special role for MPL features"
+      - TMP_ROLE=$(aws sts assume-role --role-arn "arn:aws:iam::370957321024:role/GitHub-CI-Public-ESDK-Python-Role-us-west-2" --role-session-name "CB-ValidateReleased")
+      - export TMP_ROLE
+      - export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=$(echo "${TMP_ROLE}" | jq -r '.Credentials.AccessKeyId')
+      - export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=$(echo "${TMP_ROLE}" | jq -r '.Credentials.SecretAccessKey')
+      - export AWS_SESSION_TOKEN=$(echo "${TMP_ROLE}" | jq -r '.Credentials.SessionToken')
+      - aws sts get-caller-identity
+      
+      # Run MPL examples with a fresh retry count
+      - NUM_RETRIES=3
+      - |
+        while [ $NUM_RETRIES -gt 0 ]
+        do
+          VERSION=$VERSION tox -e validate-pypi-release-mpl
+          if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+            echo "MPL examples successful"
+            break
+          fi
+          NUM_RETRIES=$((NUM_RETRIES-1))
+          if [ $NUM_RETRIES -eq 0 ]; then
+            echo "All MPL example attempts failed, stopping"
+            exit 1
+          else
+            echo "MPL examples failed, retrying in 60 seconds; will retry $NUM_RETRIES more times" && sleep 60
+          fi
+        done
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 2a1121409..5514c7964 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ envlist =
 # build :: Builds source and wheel dist files.
 # test-release :: Builds dist files and uploads to testpypi pypirc profile.
 # release :: Builds dist files and uploads to pypi pypirc profile.
+# validate-pypi-release :: Tests a released version from PyPI instead of source.
+# validate-pypi-release-mpl :: Tests a released version with MPL features.
 
 # Reporting environments:
 #
@@ -395,3 +397,48 @@ passenv =
 commands =
     {[testenv:release-base]commands}
     twine upload --skip-existing --repository pypi {toxinidir}/dist/*
+
+# Test the PyPI released version (not local source code)
+[testenv:py-validate-base]
+basepython = python3
+skip_install = true
+passenv = {[testenv]passenv}
+deps =
+    pytest
+    pytest-mock
+    mock
+    coverage
+    # Add dev requirements for testing
+    -rdev_requirements/test-requirements.txt
+
+# Standard test environment for PyPI-released version (no MPL)
+[testenv:validate-pypi-release]
+basepython = {[testenv:py-validate-base]basepython}
+skip_install = {[testenv:py-validate-base]skip_install}
+passenv = {[testenv:py-validate-base]passenv}
+deps = {[testenv:py-validate-base]deps}
+setenv =
+    VERSION = {env:VERSION:latest}
+commands =
+    # Install the specified version from PyPI (without MPL extras)
+    pip install "aws-encryption-sdk=={env:VERSION}" --force-reinstall
+    # Run non-MPL examples
+    {[testenv:base-command]commands} examples/test/legacy/ -m examples
+
+# MPL test environment for PyPI-released version
+[testenv:validate-pypi-release-mpl]
+basepython = {[testenv:py-validate-base]basepython}
+skip_install = {[testenv:py-validate-base]skip_install}
+passenv = {[testenv:py-validate-base]passenv}
+deps = 
+    {[testenv:py-validate-base]deps}
+    boto3
+setenv =
+    VERSION = {env:VERSION:latest}
+commands =
+    # Install the specified version from PyPI with MPL extras
+    pip install "aws-encryption-sdk[MPL]=={env:VERSION}" --force-reinstall
+    # Install MPL requirements needed for MPL examples
+    pip install -r requirements_mpl.txt
+    # Run MPL-specific examples
+    {[testenv:base-command]commands} examples/test/ -m examples --ignore examples/test/legacy/