diff --git a/mainsite/settings/__init__.py b/mainsite/settings/__init__.py
index f6cba5b4..8e6db0d3 100644
--- a/mainsite/settings/__init__.py
+++ b/mainsite/settings/__init__.py
@@ -163,6 +163,9 @@ set_option("DATA_QUALITY_MIN_PREFIXLEN_V6", 64)
 # maximum value to allow for prefix length on a v6 prefix
 set_option("DATA_QUALITY_MAX_PREFIXLEN_V6", 116)
 
+# maximum value to allow for irr set hierarchy depth
+set_option("DATA_QUALITY_MAX_IRR_DEPTH", 3)
+
 RATELIMITS = {
     "request_login_POST": "4/m",
     "request_translation": "2/m",
diff --git a/peeringdb_server/inet.py b/peeringdb_server/inet.py
index 7530b253..87e9b2b2 100644
--- a/peeringdb_server/inet.py
+++ b/peeringdb_server/inet.py
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ class RdapLookup(rdap.RdapClient):
         config = dict(
             bootstrap_url=settings.RDAP_URL.rstrip("/"),
             lacnic_apikey=settings.RDAP_LACNIC_APIKEY,
+            timeout=2.5,
         )
         super(RdapLookup, self).__init__(config)
 
diff --git a/peeringdb_server/validators.py b/peeringdb_server/validators.py
index 80d1b39e..f85f4b55 100644
--- a/peeringdb_server/validators.py
+++ b/peeringdb_server/validators.py
@@ -180,23 +180,62 @@ def validate_irr_as_set(value):
     for item in value.split(","):
         item = item.upper()
         source = None
+        as_set = None
 
         # <name>@<source>
-        parts_match = re.match("^(AS|RS)-([\w\d\-]+)@(\w+)$", item)
+        parts_match = re.match("^([\w\d\-:]+)@(\w+)$", item)
         if parts_match:
-            source = parts_match.group(3)
+            source = parts_match.group(2)
+            as_set = parts_match.group(1)
 
         # <source>::<name>
         else:
-            parts_match = re.match("^(\w+)::(AS|RS)-([\w\d\-]+)$", item)
+            parts_match = re.match("^(\w+)::([\w\d\-:]+)$", item)
             if parts_match:
                 source = parts_match.group(1)
+                as_set = parts_match.group(2)
             else:
                 raise ValidationError(_("Invalid formatting: {} - should be AS-SET@SOURCE or SOURCE::AS-SET").format(item))
 
         if source not in IRR_SOURCE:
             raise ValidationError(_("Unknown IRR source: {}").format(source))
 
+
+        # validate set name and as hierarchy
+        as_parts = as_set.split(":")
+
+        if len(as_parts) > settings.DATA_QUALITY_MAX_IRR_DEPTH:
+            raise ValidationError(
+                _("Maximum AS-SET hierarchy depth: {}").format(
+                    settings.DATA_QUALITY_MAX_IRR_DEPTH
+                )
+            )
+
+        set_found = False
+        typ = None
+        types = []
+
+        for part in as_parts:
+            match_set = re.match("^(AS|RS)-[\w\d\-]+$", part)
+            match_as = re.match("^(AS)[\d]+$", part)
+
+            # set name found
+
+            if match_set:
+                set_found = True
+                types.append(match_set.group(1))
+            elif not match_as:
+                raise ValidationError(_("Invalid formatting: {} - should be RS-SET, AS-SET or AS123").format(part))
+
+
+        if len(list(set(types))) > 1:
+            raise ValidationError(
+                _("All parts of an hierarchical name have to be of the same type")
+            )
+
+        if not set_found and len(as_parts) > 1:
+            raise ValidationError(_("At least one component must be an actual set name"))
+
         validated.append(item)
 
     return " ".join(validated)
diff --git a/tests/django_init.py b/tests/django_init.py
index dd9877f5..bcd58afb 100644
--- a/tests/django_init.py
+++ b/tests/django_init.py
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ settings.configure(
     DATA_QUALITY_MAX_PREFIXLEN_V4=28,
     DATA_QUALITY_MIN_PREFIXLEN_V6=64,
     DATA_QUALITY_MAX_PREFIXLEN_V6=116,
+    DATA_QUALITY_MAX_IRR_DEPTH=3,
     TUTORIAL_MODE=False,
     CAPTCHA_TEST_MODE=True,
     SITE_ID=1,
diff --git a/tests/test_validators.py b/tests/test_validators.py
index 491ee514..4a4a2985 100644
--- a/tests/test_validators.py
+++ b/tests/test_validators.py
@@ -156,11 +156,20 @@ def test_validate_prefix_overlap():
     # success validation
     ("RIPE::AS-FOO", "RIPE::AS-FOO"),
     ("AS-FOO@RIPE", "AS-FOO@RIPE"),
+    ("AS-FOO-BAR@RIPE", "AS-FOO-BAR@RIPE"),
     ("ripe::as-foo", "RIPE::AS-FOO"),
     ("as-foo@ripe", "AS-FOO@RIPE"),
     ("as-foo@ripe as-bar@ripe", "AS-FOO@RIPE AS-BAR@RIPE"),
     ("as-foo@ripe,as-bar@ripe", "AS-FOO@RIPE AS-BAR@RIPE"),
     ("as-foo@ripe, as-bar@ripe", "AS-FOO@RIPE AS-BAR@RIPE"),
+    (
+        "RIPE::AS12345:AS-FOO RIPE::AS12345:AS-FOO:AS9876",
+        "RIPE::AS12345:AS-FOO RIPE::AS12345:AS-FOO:AS9876"
+    ),
+    ("ripe::as-foo:as123:as345", "RIPE::AS-FOO:AS123:AS345"),
+    ("RIPE::AS12345", "RIPE::AS12345"),
+    ("AS12345@RIPE", "AS12345@RIPE"),
+    ("RIPE::AS123456:RS-FOO", "RIPE::AS123456:RS-FOO"),
 
     # fail validation
     ("AS-FOO", False),
@@ -170,6 +179,11 @@ def test_validate_prefix_overlap():
     ("UNKNOWN::ASFOO", False),
     ("AS-FOO RIPE:AS-FOO", False),
     ("AS-FOO AS-FOO@RIPE", False),
+    ("RIPE::RS15562:RS-FOO", False),
+    ("RIPE::AS123456:RS-FOO:AS-FOO", False),
+
+    # > DATA_QUALITY_MAX_IRR_DEPTH
+    ("ripe::as-foo:as123:as345:as678", False),
 ])
 def test_validate_irr_as_set(value, validated):
     if not validated: