diff --git a/evennia/prototypes/prototypes.py b/evennia/prototypes/prototypes.py
index 0020f807c1..bb917a8dc4 100644
--- a/evennia/prototypes/prototypes.py
+++ b/evennia/prototypes/prototypes.py
@@ -416,3 +416,45 @@ def list_prototypes(caller, key=None, tags=None, show_non_use=False, show_non_ed
     table.reformat_column(2, width=11, align='c')
     table.reformat_column(3, width=16)
     return table
+
+
+def validate_prototype(prototype, protkey=None, protparents=None, _visited=None):
+    """
+    Run validation on a prototype, checking for inifinite regress.
+
+    Args:
+        prototype (dict): Prototype to validate.
+        protkey (str, optional): The name of the prototype definition. If not given, the prototype
+            dict needs to have the `prototype_key` field set.
+        protpartents (dict, optional): The available prototype parent library. If
+            note given this will be determined from settings/database.
+        _visited (list, optional): This is an internal work array and should not be set manually.
+    Raises:
+        RuntimeError: If prototype has invalid structure.
+
+    """
+    if not protparents:
+        protparents = {prototype['prototype_key']: prototype for prototype in search_prototype()}
+    if _visited is None:
+        _visited = []
+
+    protkey = protkey and protkey.lower() or prototype.get('prototype_key', None)
+
+    assert isinstance(prototype, dict)
+
+    if id(prototype) in _visited:
+        raise RuntimeError("%s has infinite nesting of prototypes." % protkey or prototype)
+
+    _visited.append(id(prototype))
+    protstrings = prototype.get("prototype")
+
+    if protstrings:
+        for protstring in make_iter(protstrings):
+            protstring = protstring.lower()
+            if protkey is not None and protstring == protkey:
+                raise RuntimeError("%s tries to prototype itself." % protkey or prototype)
+            protparent = protparents.get(protstring)
+            if not protparent:
+                raise RuntimeError(
+                    "%s's prototype '%s' was not found." % (protkey or prototype, protstring))
+            validate_prototype(protparent, protstring, protparents, _visited)
diff --git a/evennia/prototypes/spawner.py b/evennia/prototypes/spawner.py
index 8cadd43656..5a1196513a 100644
--- a/evennia/prototypes/spawner.py
+++ b/evennia/prototypes/spawner.py
@@ -426,10 +426,12 @@ def spawn(*prototypes, **kwargs):
 
     """
     # get available protparents
-    protparents = {prot['prototype_key']: prot for prot in protlib.search_prototype()}
+    protparents = {prot['prototype_key'].lower(): prot for prot in protlib.search_prototype()}
 
     # overload module's protparents with specifically given protparents
-    protparents.update(kwargs.get("prototype_parents", {}))
+    protparents.update(
+        {key.lower(): value for key, value in kwargs.get("prototype_parents", {}).items()})
+
     for key, prototype in protparents.items():
         protlib.validate_prototype(prototype, key.lower(), protparents)
 
diff --git a/evennia/prototypes/tests.py b/evennia/prototypes/tests.py
index 1b8e340377..e9ef4bce9f 100644
--- a/evennia/prototypes/tests.py
+++ b/evennia/prototypes/tests.py
@@ -50,10 +50,10 @@ class TestSpawner(EvenniaTest):
     def test_spawn(self):
         obj1 = spawner.spawn(self.prot1)
         # check spawned objects have the right tag
-        self.assertEqual(list(spawner.search_objects_with_prototype("testprototype")), obj1)
+        self.assertEqual(list(protlib.search_objects_with_prototype("testprototype")), obj1)
         self.assertEqual([o.key for o in spawner.spawn(
                           _PROTPARENTS["GOBLIN"], _PROTPARENTS["GOBLIN_ARCHWIZARD"],
-                          prototype_parents=_PROTPARENTS)], [])
+                          prototype_parents=_PROTPARENTS)], ['goblin grunt', 'goblin archwizard'])
 
 
 class TestPrototypeStorage(EvenniaTest):