diff --git a/bin/cli/base.js b/bin/cli/base.js
index 1e1dd3f..35dee02 100644
--- a/bin/cli/base.js
+++ b/bin/cli/base.js
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ const fs = require('fs')
 const path = require('path')
 const dotenv = require('dotenv')
 const Beau = require('../../src/beau')
+const Ajv = require('ajv').default
+
+const ajv = new Ajv()
+const validate = ajv.compile(require('../../schema.json'))
 
 class Base extends Command {
     openConfigFile(configFile) {
@@ -13,6 +17,13 @@ class Base extends Command {
 
         let config
         yaml.safeLoadAll(fs.readFileSync(configFile, 'utf-8'), (doc) => {
+            const valid = validate(doc)
+
+            if (!valid) {
+                this.log(validate.errors)
+                this.error(`The configuration file is not valid.`)
+            }
+
             if (typeof config === 'undefined') {
                 config = doc
             } else {
diff --git a/examples/httpbin.yml b/examples/httpbin.yml
index fffb8b9..3210d24 100644
--- a/examples/httpbin.yml
+++ b/examples/httpbin.yml
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ environment:
     name: David
 
 GET /anything:
-  alias: anything
-  payload:
-    name: $env.params.name
+  - alias: anything
+    payload:
+      name: $env.params.name
+  - alias: anything2
 
 GET /cookies/set:
   alias: set-cookies
diff --git a/schema.json b/schema.json
index 97dbce4..03a2644 100644
--- a/schema.json
+++ b/schema.json
@@ -9,50 +9,54 @@
                 { "type": "string" },
                 {
                     "type": "object",
-                    "required": ["alias"],
-                    "properties": {
-                        "alias": {
-                            "type": "string",
-                            "description": "The name of this request."
-                        },
-                        "headers": {
-                            "type": "object",
-                            "additionalProperties": true,
-                            "description": "Headers that are part of this request."
-                        },
-                        "params": {
-                            "type": "object",
-                            "additionalProperties": true,
-                            "description": "Query String parameters to add to this request."
-                        },
-                        "payload": {
-                            "description": "This request's body. It is converted to json automatically if given an object. It's sent as a string otherwise.",
-                            "oneOf": [
-                                { "type": "string" },
-                                {
-                                    "type": "object",
-                                    "additionalProperties": true
-                                }
-                            ]
-                        },
-                        "form": {
-                            "type": "object",
-                            "additionalProperties": true,
-                            "description": "This request's body. Sets the content-type to application/x-www-form-urlencoded."
-                        },
-                        "formdata": {
-                            "type": "object",
-                            "additionalProperties": true,
-                            "description": "This request's body. Sets the content-type to multipart/form-data."
-                        }
-                    },
-                    "allOf": [
-                        { "not": { "required": ["payload", "form"] } },
-                        { "not": { "required": ["payload", "formdata"] } },
-                        { "not": { "required": ["formdata", "form"] } }
-                    ]
+                    "$ref": "#/definitions/requestObject",
+                    "required": ["alias"]
                 }
             ]
+        },
+        "requestObject": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "properties": {
+                "alias": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "description": "The name of this request."
+                },
+                "headers": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "additionalProperties": true,
+                    "description": "Headers that are part of this request."
+                },
+                "params": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "additionalProperties": true,
+                    "description": "Query String parameters to add to this request."
+                },
+                "payload": {
+                    "description": "This request's body. It is converted to json automatically if given an object. It's sent as a string otherwise.",
+                    "oneOf": [
+                        { "type": "string" },
+                        {
+                            "type": "object",
+                            "additionalProperties": true
+                        }
+                    ]
+                },
+                "form": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "additionalProperties": true,
+                    "description": "This request's body. Sets the content-type to application/x-www-form-urlencoded."
+                },
+                "formdata": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "additionalProperties": true,
+                    "description": "This request's body. Sets the content-type to multipart/form-data."
+                }
+            },
+            "allOf": [
+                { "not": { "required": ["payload", "form"] } },
+                { "not": { "required": ["payload", "formdata"] } },
+                { "not": { "required": ["formdata", "form"] } }
+            ]
         }
     },
     "properties": {
@@ -68,7 +72,7 @@
             "type": "boolean"
         },
         "defaults": {
-            "$ref": "#/definitions/request"
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/requestObject"
         },
         "plugins": {
             "type": "array",