diff --git a/encode.go b/encode.go
index c8090b2..5fb2071 100644
--- a/encode.go
+++ b/encode.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package main
 import (
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
-	"net/url"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/nbd-wtf/go-nostr/nip19"
@@ -220,22 +219,3 @@ func validate32BytesHex(target string) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
-
-func validateRelayURLs(wsurls []string) error {
-	for _, wsurl := range wsurls {
-		u, err := url.Parse(wsurl)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("invalid relay url '%s': %s", wsurl, err)
-		}
-
-		if u.Scheme != "ws" && u.Scheme != "wss" {
-			return fmt.Errorf("relay url must use wss:// or ws:// schemes, got '%s'", wsurl)
-		}
-
-		if u.Host == "" {
-			return fmt.Errorf("relay url '%s' is missing the hostname", wsurl)
-		}
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/fetch.go b/fetch.go
index 6b6fd2f..d626f32 100644
--- a/fetch.go
+++ b/fetch.go
@@ -10,11 +10,19 @@ import (
 )
 
 var fetch = &cli.Command{
-	Name:        "fetch",
-	Usage:       "fetches events related to the given nip19 code from the included relay hints",
-	Description: ``,
-	Flags:       []cli.Flag{},
-	ArgsUsage:   "[nip19code]",
+	Name:  "fetch",
+	Usage: "fetches events related to the given nip19 code from the included relay hints",
+	Description: `example usage:
+        nak fetch nevent1qqsxrwm0hd3s3fddh4jc2574z3xzufq6qwuyz2rvv3n087zvym3dpaqprpmhxue69uhhqatzd35kxtnjv4kxz7tfdenju6t0xpnej4
+        echo npub1h8spmtw9m2huyv6v2j2qd5zv956z2zdugl6mgx02f2upffwpm3nqv0j4ps | nak fetch --relay wss://relay.nostr.band`,
+	Flags: []cli.Flag{
+		&cli.StringSliceFlag{
+			Name:    "relay",
+			Aliases: []string{"r"},
+			Usage:   "also use these relays to fetch from",
+		},
+	},
+	ArgsUsage: "[nip19code]",
 	Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
 		filter := nostr.Filter{}
 		code := getStdinOrFirstArgument(c)
@@ -24,7 +32,10 @@ var fetch = &cli.Command{
 			return err
 		}
 
-		var relays []string
+		relays := c.StringSlice("relay")
+		if err := validateRelayURLs(relays); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 		var authorHint string
 
 		switch prefix {
diff --git a/helpers.go b/helpers.go
index d71c02a..d319ede 100644
--- a/helpers.go
+++ b/helpers.go
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"net/url"
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
@@ -27,3 +29,22 @@ func getStdinOrFirstArgument(c *cli.Context) string {
 	}
 	return getStdin()
 }
+
+func validateRelayURLs(wsurls []string) error {
+	for _, wsurl := range wsurls {
+		u, err := url.Parse(wsurl)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("invalid relay url '%s': %s", wsurl, err)
+		}
+
+		if u.Scheme != "ws" && u.Scheme != "wss" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("relay url must use wss:// or ws:// schemes, got '%s'", wsurl)
+		}
+
+		if u.Host == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("relay url '%s' is missing the hostname", wsurl)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}