diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 31c8f0a..959e1ca 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+const peliasConfig = require('pelias-config').generate();
+require('./src/configValidation').validate(peliasConfig);
+
 var createLookupStream = require('./src/lookupStream');
 var createWofPipResolver = require('./src/resolversFactory');
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d1b0dd4..9365933 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -21,11 +21,13 @@
     "who's on first"
   ],
   "dependencies": {
+    "joi": "^10.1.0",
     "lodash": "^4.6.0",
     "pelias-config": "2.4.0",
     "pelias-logger": "0.1.0",
     "pelias-parallel-stream": "0.0.2",
     "pelias-wof-pip-service": "1.12.0",
+    "proxyquire": "^1.7.10",
     "request": "^2.67.0",
     "through2": "^2.0.0"
   },
@@ -33,11 +35,12 @@
     "event-stream": "^3.3.2",
     "intercept-stdout": "^0.1.2",
     "jshint": "^2.8.0",
-    "precommit-hook": "^3.0.0",
     "pelias-model": "4.4.0",
+    "precommit-hook": "^3.0.0",
+    "proxyquire": "^1.7.10",
+    "semantic-release": "^6.3.2",
     "tap-dot": "^1.0.1",
-    "tape": "^4.2.2",
-    "semantic-release": "^6.3.2"
+    "tape": "^4.2.2"
   },
   "pre-commit": [
     "lint",
diff --git a/src/configValidation.js b/src/configValidation.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9466857
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/configValidation.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const Joi = require('joi');
+
+// requires just `maxConcurrentReqs`
+const schema = Joi.object().keys({
+  imports: {
+    adminLookup: {
+      maxConcurrentReqs: Joi.number().integer()
+    }
+  }
+}).unknown(true);
+
+module.exports = {
+  validate: function validate(config) {
+    Joi.validate(config, schema, { allowUnknown: true }, (err, value) => {
+      if (err) {
+        throw new Error(err.details[0].message);
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
+};
diff --git a/test/configValidationTest.js b/test/configValidationTest.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0cc7442
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/configValidationTest.js
@@ -0,0 +1,170 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const tape = require('tape');
+
+const configValidation = require('../src/configValidation');
+const proxyquire = require('proxyquire').noCallThru();
+
+tape('tests configuration scenarios', function(test) {
+  test.test('missing imports should not throw error', function(t) {
+    const config = {};
+
+    t.doesNotThrow(function() {
+      configValidation.validate(config);
+    });
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test.test('non-object imports should throw error', function(t) {
+    [null, 17, 'string', [], true].forEach((value) => {
+      const config = { imports: value };
+
+      t.throws(function() {
+        configValidation.validate(config);
+      }, /"imports" must be an object/);
+    });
+
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test.test('missing imports.adminLookup should not throw error', function(t) {
+    const config = {
+      imports: {
+      }
+    };
+
+    t.doesNotThrow(function() {
+      configValidation.validate(config);
+    });
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test.test('non-object imports.adminLookup should throw error', function(t) {
+    [null, 17, 'string', [], true].forEach((value) => {
+      const config = {
+        imports: {
+          adminLookup: value
+        }
+      };
+
+      t.throws(function() {
+        configValidation.validate(config);
+      }, /"adminLookup" must be an object/);
+    });
+
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test.test('non-number imports.adminLookup.maxConcurrentReqs should throw error', function(t) {
+    [null, 'string', {}, [], true].forEach((value) => {
+      const config = {
+        imports: {
+          adminLookup: {
+            maxConcurrentReqs: value
+          }
+        }
+      };
+
+      t.throws(function() {
+        configValidation.validate(config);
+      }, /"maxConcurrentReqs" must be a number/);
+
+    });
+
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test.test('non-integer imports.adminLookup.maxConcurrentReqs should throw error', function(t) {
+    const config = {
+      imports: {
+        adminLookup: {
+          maxConcurrentReqs: 17.3
+        }
+      }
+    };
+
+    t.throws(function() {
+      configValidation.validate(config);
+    }, /"maxConcurrentReqs" must be an integer/);
+
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test.test('missing imports.adminLookup.maxConcurrentReqs should not throw error', function(t) {
+    const config = {
+      imports: {
+        adminLookup: {
+        }
+      }
+    };
+
+    t.doesNotThrow(function() {
+      configValidation.validate(config);
+    });
+
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test.test('integer imports.adminLookup.maxConcurrentReqs should not throw error', function(t) {
+    const config = {
+      imports: {
+        adminLookup: {
+          maxConcurrentReqs: 17
+        }
+      }
+    };
+
+    t.doesNotThrow(function() {
+      configValidation.validate(config);
+    });
+
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test.test('unknown properties should not throw errors', function(t) {
+    const config = {
+      imports: {
+        adminLookup: {
+          maxConcurrentReqs: 17,
+          unknown_property: 'property value'
+        }
+      }
+    };
+
+    t.doesNotThrow(function() {
+      configValidation.validate(config);
+    });
+
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+});
+
+tape('tests for main entry point', function(test) {
+  test.test('configValidation throwing error should rethrow', function(t) {
+    const config = {};
+
+    t.throws(function() {
+      proxyquire('../index', {
+        './src/configValidation': {
+          validate: () => {
+            throw Error('config is not valid');
+          }
+        }
+      });
+
+      configValidation.validate(config);
+    }, /config is not valid/);
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index 61159de..f5f1087 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+require ('./configValidationTest.js');
 require ('./lookupStreamTest.js');
 require ('./resolversFactoryTest.js');
 require ('./resolversFactoryLocalTest.js');