Objective: Borderline personality disorder is a severe and disabling condition, with suicide rates up to 10%. A simple and valid screening instrument for borderline symptomatology would be of great use. Method: We translated the McLean Screening Instrument for borderline personality disorder (MSI-BPD) in Dutch and present initial validation data from a sample of 459 (mostly female) undergraduates. Results: Principal component analysis indicated that a single component underlies variability in the 10 items of the MSI-BPD. Internal consistency was adequate (alpha=.76), and test-retest reliability in a subsample as high (ca 4 months: r=.80). Females scored significantly higher than males. Finally, the MSI-BPD correlated strongly (r=.62) with depression as assessed by the BDI-II-NL. Conclusions: These data provide initial support for the reliability and the validity of the Dutch MSI-BPD, yet application in clinical practice requires information on the diagnostic agreement with a validated structured clinical interview.