diff --git a/pkg/scheduler/context.go b/pkg/scheduler/context.go
index ca2aebe4b..33a7c3182 100644
--- a/pkg/scheduler/context.go
+++ b/pkg/scheduler/context.go
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ func (cc *ClusterContext) updateSchedulerConfig(conf *configs.SchedulerConfig, r
 		part, ok := cc.partitions[p.Name]
 		if ok {
 			// make sure the new info passes all checks
-			_, err = newPartitionContext(p, rmID, nil)
+			_, err = newPartitionContextForValidation(p, rmID, nil)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/scheduler/objects/queue.go b/pkg/scheduler/objects/queue.go
index c758667fc..95607ab93 100644
--- a/pkg/scheduler/objects/queue.go
+++ b/pkg/scheduler/objects/queue.go
@@ -118,21 +118,19 @@ func newBlankQueue() *Queue {
 func NewConfiguredQueue(conf configs.QueueConfig, parent *Queue) (*Queue, error) {
 	queue, err := newConfiguredQueueInternal(conf, parent)
 	if queue != nil {
+		queue.queueEvents = schedEvt.NewQueueEvents(events.GetEventSystem())
 		log.Log(log.SchedQueue).Info("configured queue added to scheduler",
 			zap.String("queueName", queue.QueuePath))
+		queue.queueEvents.SendNewQueueEvent(queue.QueuePath, queue.isManaged)
 	}
 	return queue, err
 }
 
-// NewConfiguredShadowQueue creates a new queue from scratch based on the configuration and logs at debug level
+// NewConfiguredQueueForValidation is used to validate the queue configuration.
+// It works similarly to NewConfiguredQueue but neither logs the queue creation nor sends a queue event.
 // lock free as it cannot be referenced yet
-func NewConfiguredShadowQueue(conf configs.QueueConfig, parent *Queue) (*Queue, error) {
-	queue, err := newConfiguredQueueInternal(conf, parent)
-	if queue != nil {
-		log.Log(log.SchedQueue).Debug("shadow queue created",
-			zap.String("queueName", queue.QueuePath))
-	}
-	return queue, err
+func NewConfiguredQueueForValidation(conf configs.QueueConfig, parent *Queue) (*Queue, error) {
+	return newConfiguredQueueInternal(conf, parent)
 }
 
 func newConfiguredQueueInternal(conf configs.QueueConfig, parent *Queue) (*Queue, error) {
@@ -164,8 +162,6 @@ func newConfiguredQueueInternal(conf configs.QueueConfig, parent *Queue) (*Queue
 	} else {
 		sq.UpdateQueueProperties()
 	}
-	sq.queueEvents = schedEvt.NewQueueEvents(events.GetEventSystem())
-	sq.queueEvents.SendNewQueueEvent(sq.QueuePath, sq.isManaged)
 
 	return sq, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/scheduler/partition.go b/pkg/scheduler/partition.go
index 68e6746f2..e30deb09e 100644
--- a/pkg/scheduler/partition.go
+++ b/pkg/scheduler/partition.go
@@ -79,7 +79,29 @@ type PartitionContext struct {
 	locking.RWMutex
 }
 
+// newPartitionContextForValidation initializes a shadow partition based on the configuration.
+// The shadow partition is used to validate the configuration, it is not used for scheduling.
+func newPartitionContextForValidation(conf configs.PartitionConfig, rmID string, cc *ClusterContext) (*PartitionContext, error) {
+	pc, err := newPartitionContextInternal(conf, rmID, cc)
+	if pc != nil {
+		if err := pc.initialPartitionFromConfigForValidation(conf); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+	return pc, err
+}
+
 func newPartitionContext(conf configs.PartitionConfig, rmID string, cc *ClusterContext) (*PartitionContext, error) {
+	pc, err := newPartitionContextInternal(conf, rmID, cc)
+	if pc != nil {
+		if err := pc.initialPartitionFromConfig(conf); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+	return pc, err
+}
+
+func newPartitionContextInternal(conf configs.PartitionConfig, rmID string, cc *ClusterContext) (*PartitionContext, error) {
 	if conf.Name == "" || rmID == "" {
 		log.Log(log.SchedPartition).Info("partition cannot be created",
 			zap.String("partition name", conf.Name),
@@ -98,13 +120,41 @@ func newPartitionContext(conf configs.PartitionConfig, rmID string, cc *ClusterC
 		foreignAllocs:         make(map[string]*objects.Allocation),
 	}
 	pc.partitionManager = newPartitionManager(pc, cc)
-	if err := pc.initialPartitionFromConfig(conf); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
 
 	return pc, nil
 }
 
+// initialPartitionFromConfigForValidation is used to validate the partition configuration.
+// It works similarly to initialPartitionFromConfig but neither logs the queue creation, sends a queue event, logs the node sorting policy,
+// nor updates user settings.
+func (pc *PartitionContext) initialPartitionFromConfigForValidation(conf configs.PartitionConfig) error {
+	if len(conf.Queues) == 0 || conf.Queues[0].Name != configs.RootQueue {
+		return fmt.Errorf("partition cannot be created without root queue")
+	}
+
+	// Setup the queue structure: root first it should be the only queue at this level
+	// Add the rest of the queue structure recursively
+	queueConf := conf.Queues[0]
+	var err error
+	if pc.root, err = objects.NewConfiguredQueueForValidation(queueConf, nil); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// recursively add the queues to the root
+	if err = pc.addQueueForValidation(queueConf.Queues, pc.root); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// We need to pass in the locked version of the GetQueue function.
+	// Placing an application will not have a lock on the partition context.
+	pc.placementManager = placement.NewPlacementManager(conf.PlacementRules, pc.GetQueue)
+	// get the user group cache for the partition
+	pc.userGroupCache = security.GetUserGroupCache("")
+	pc.updateNodeSortingPolicyForValidation(conf)
+	pc.updatePreemption(conf)
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Initialise the partition
 func (pc *PartitionContext) initialPartitionFromConfig(conf configs.PartitionConfig) error {
 	if len(conf.Queues) == 0 || conf.Queues[0].Name != configs.RootQueue {
@@ -138,6 +188,13 @@ func (pc *PartitionContext) initialPartitionFromConfig(conf configs.PartitionCon
 	return ugm.GetUserManager().UpdateConfig(queueConf, conf.Queues[0].Name)
 }
 
+// updateNodeSortingPolicyForValidation is used to validate the partition configuration.
+// It works similarly to updateNodeSortingPolicy but without logging.
+// NOTE: this is a lock free call. It should only be called holding the PartitionContext lock.
+func (pc *PartitionContext) updateNodeSortingPolicyForValidation(conf configs.PartitionConfig) {
+	pc.updateNodeSortingPolicyInternal(conf)
+}
+
 // NOTE: this is a lock free call. It should only be called holding the PartitionContext lock.
 func (pc *PartitionContext) updateNodeSortingPolicy(conf configs.PartitionConfig) {
 	var configuredPolicy policies.SortingPolicy
@@ -150,6 +207,10 @@ func (pc *PartitionContext) updateNodeSortingPolicy(conf configs.PartitionConfig
 		log.Log(log.SchedPartition).Info("NodeSorting policy set from config",
 			zap.Stringer("policyName", configuredPolicy))
 	}
+	pc.updateNodeSortingPolicyInternal(conf)
+}
+
+func (pc *PartitionContext) updateNodeSortingPolicyInternal(conf configs.PartitionConfig) {
 	pc.nodes.SetNodeSortingPolicy(objects.NewNodeSortingPolicy(conf.NodeSortPolicy.Type, conf.NodeSortPolicy.ResourceWeights))
 }
 
@@ -191,17 +252,27 @@ func (pc *PartitionContext) updatePartitionDetails(conf configs.PartitionConfig)
 	return ugm.GetUserManager().UpdateConfig(queueConf, conf.Queues[0].Name)
 }
 
+func (pc *PartitionContext) addQueueForValidation(conf []configs.QueueConfig, parent *objects.Queue) error {
+	err := pc.addQueueInternal(conf, parent, objects.NewConfiguredQueueForValidation)
+	return err
+}
+
 // Process the config structure and create a queue info tree for this partition
 func (pc *PartitionContext) addQueue(conf []configs.QueueConfig, parent *objects.Queue) error {
+	err := pc.addQueueInternal(conf, parent, objects.NewConfiguredQueue)
+	return err
+}
+
+func (pc *PartitionContext) addQueueInternal(conf []configs.QueueConfig, parent *objects.Queue, newQueueFn func(configs.QueueConfig, *objects.Queue) (*objects.Queue, error)) error {
 	// create the queue at this level
 	for _, queueConf := range conf {
-		thisQueue, err := objects.NewConfiguredQueue(queueConf, parent)
+		thisQueue, err := newQueueFn(queueConf, parent)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		// recursive create the queues below
 		if len(queueConf.Queues) > 0 {
-			err = pc.addQueue(queueConf.Queues, thisQueue)
+			err = pc.addQueueInternal(queueConf.Queues, thisQueue, newQueueFn)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -224,7 +295,7 @@ func (pc *PartitionContext) updateQueues(config []configs.QueueConfig, parent *o
 		queue := pc.getQueueInternal(pathName)
 		var err error
 		if queue == nil {
-			queue, err = objects.NewConfiguredShadowQueue(queueConfig, parent)
+			queue, err = objects.NewConfiguredQueue(queueConfig, parent)
 		} else {
 			err = queue.ApplyConf(queueConfig)
 		}