diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index bb78a74..0845043 100755
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ run-rules: ## validate the rules directory
 			--config-name config-stderr.yml \
 			--rules $(ROOT_PATH)/rules/salty-dog.yml \
 			--source $${file} \
-			--tag important > /dev/null; \
+			--tag important > /dev/null || exit 1; \
 	done
 
 run-stream: ## validate stdin and write it to stdout, errors to stderr
diff --git a/rules/ansible.yml b/rules/ansible.yml
index 965b2a9..2972faf 100644
--- a/rules/ansible.yml
+++ b/rules/ansible.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+name: salty-dog-ansible
 rules:
   - name: ansible-playbook
     desc: ensure plays have important properties
diff --git a/rules/gitlab-ci.yml b/rules/gitlab-ci.yml
index 839a5e2..5d87925 100644
--- a/rules/gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/rules/gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+name: salty-dog-gitlab-ci
 rules:
   - name: gitlab-stages
     desc: should specify stages
diff --git a/rules/kubernetes.yml b/rules/kubernetes.yml
index 139bed2..ec5b9e8 100644
--- a/rules/kubernetes.yml
+++ b/rules/kubernetes.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+name: salty-dog-kubernetes
 rules:
   - name: kubernetes-resources
     desc: containers must have complete resources specified
diff --git a/rules/salty-dog.yml b/rules/salty-dog.yml
index f68e2f8..d1a3f42 100644
--- a/rules/salty-dog.yml
+++ b/rules/salty-dog.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,45 @@
+name: salty-dog-meta
+definitions:
+  rule:
+    type: object
+    additionalProperties: false
+    required:
+      # metadata
+      - name
+      - desc
+      - level
+      - tags
+      # data
+      - select
+      - check
+    properties:
+      name:
+        type: string
+        pattern: "[-a-z0-9]+"
+      desc:
+        type: string
+        minLength: 8
+        maxLength: 255
+      level:
+        type: string
+        enum:
+          - debug
+          - info
+          - warn
+          - error
+      tags:
+        type: array
+        items:
+          type: string
+          pattern: "[-:a-z0-9]+"
+      select:
+        type: string
+        minLength: 1
+      filter:
+        type: object
+      check:
+        type: object
+
 rules:
   - name: salty-dog-rule
     desc: rules must be complete
@@ -7,42 +49,32 @@ rules:
       - salty-dog
 
     select: '$.rules[*]'
+    check:
+      $ref: "salty-dog-meta#/definitions/rule"
+      
+  - name: salty-dog-source
+    desc: source files must have rules
+    level: info
+    tags:
+      - important
+      - salty-dog
+
+    select: '$'
     check:
       type: object
       additionalProperties: false
-      required:
-        # metadata
-        - name
-        - desc
-        - level
-        - tags
-        # data
-        - select
-        - check
+      required: [name, rules]
       properties:
+        definitions:
+          type: object
+          additionalProperties: false
+          patternProperties:
+            "[-a-z]+":
+              type: object
         name:
           type: string
-          pattern: "[-a-z0-9]+"
-        desc:
-          type: string
-          minLength: 8
-          maxLength: 255
-        level:
-          type: string
-          enum:
-            - debug
-            - info
-            - warn
-            - error
-        tags:
+        rules:
           type: array
+          minItems: 1
           items:
-            type: string
-            pattern: "[-:a-z0-9]+"
-        select:
-          type: string
-          minLength: 1
-        filter:
-          type: object
-        check:
-          type: object
\ No newline at end of file
+            $ref: "salty-dog-meta#/definitions/rule"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 57d2df0..1013b4e 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -103,10 +103,6 @@ export async function main(argv: Array<string>): Promise<number> {
     return STATUS_ERROR;
   }
 
-  const rules = await loadRules(args.rules);
-  const source = await loadSource(args.source);
-
-  const activeRules = await resolveRules(rules, args as any);
   const ctx = new VisitorContext({
     coerce: args.coerce,
     defaults: args.mode === 'fix',
@@ -114,8 +110,12 @@ export async function main(argv: Array<string>): Promise<number> {
   });
 
   const parser = new YamlParser();
+  const source = await loadSource(args.source);
   let data = parser.parse(source);
 
+  const rules = await loadRules(args.rules, ctx.ajv);
+  const activeRules = await resolveRules(rules, args as any);
+
   for (const rule of activeRules) {
     const workingCopy = cloneDeep(data);
     const ruleErrors = await rule.visit(ctx, workingCopy);
diff --git a/src/rule.ts b/src/rule.ts
index 83a8dd8..670c7a1 100644
--- a/src/rule.ts
+++ b/src/rule.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,13 @@ export interface RuleSelector {
   includeTag: Array<string>;
 }
 
-export async function loadRules(paths: Array<string>): Promise<Array<Rule>> {
+export interface RuleSource {
+  definitions?: Array<any>;
+  name: string;
+  rules: Array<RuleData>;
+}
+
+export async function loadRules(paths: Array<string>, ajv: any): Promise<Array<Rule>> {
   const parser = new YamlParser();
   const rules = [];
 
@@ -37,7 +43,15 @@ export async function loadRules(paths: Array<string>): Promise<Array<Rule>> {
       encoding: 'utf-8',
     });
 
-    const data = parser.parse(contents);
+    const data = parser.parse(contents) as RuleSource;
+
+    if (!isNil(data.definitions)) {
+      ajv.addSchema({
+        '$id': data.name,
+        definitions: data.definitions,
+      });
+    }
+
     rules.push(...data.rules.map((data: any) => new Rule(data)));
   }