@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/Southclaws/fault"
+	"github.com/pelletier/go-toml/v2"
+
+	"alin.ovh/searchix/internal/config"
+)
+
+type CheckConfig struct{}
+
+func (*CheckConfig) Execute(_ []string) error {
+	err := config.Load(string(globalOptions.Config), &config.Config{})
+	if err != nil {
+		var details *toml.StrictMissingError
+		if errors.As(err, &details) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%s", strings.ReplaceAll(details.String(), "missing", "unknown"))
+		}
+
+		return fault.Wrap(err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func init() {
+	var opts CheckConfig
+
+	_, err := parser.AddCommand(
+		"check-config",
+		"validate configuration",
+		"Validate the configuration file",
+		&opts,
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+}

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 func main() {
 	parser.CommandHandler = func(cmd flags.Commander, args []string) (err error) {
 		switch cmd.(type) {
-		case *PrintDefaultsOptions, *Version:
+		case *PrintDefaultsOptions, *Version, *CheckConfig:
 		default:
 			logger = log.Configure(!globalOptions.Dev)
 

@@ -107,28 +107,31 @@
 	return
 }
 
+func Load(filename string, target *Config) error {
+	//nolint:forbidigo // need to read config file from anywhere
+	f, err := os.Open(filename)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("reading config failed"))
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	dec := toml.NewDecoder(f)
+	dec.DisallowUnknownFields()
+	err = dec.Decode(&target)
+
+	return fault.Wrap(err)
+}
+
 func GetConfig(filename string, log *log.Logger) (*Config, error) {
+	log.Debug("reading config", "filename", filename)
+
 	config := DefaultConfig
 	if filename != "" {
-		log.Debug("reading config", "filename", filename)
-		//nolint:forbidigo // need to read config file from anywhere
-		f, err := os.Open(filename)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("reading config failed"))
-		}
-		defer f.Close()
-
-		dec := toml.NewDecoder(f)
-		dec.DisallowUnknownFields()
-		err = dec.Decode(&config)
+		err := Load(filename, &config)
 		if err != nil {
 			var tomlError *toml.DecodeError
 			if errors.As(err, &tomlError) {
 				return nil, fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With(tomlError.Error()))
-			}
-			var missingConfigError *toml.StrictMissingError
-			if errors.As(err, &missingConfigError) {
-				return nil, fault.Newf("unexpected config: %s", missingConfigError.String())
 			}
 
 			return nil, fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("config error"))

@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ inherit (cfg) environment;
         serviceConfig =
           defaultServiceConfig
           // {
+            ExecStartPre = "${package}/bin/searchix-web --config ${configFile} check-config";
             ExecStart = "${package}/bin/searchix-web --config ${configFile} serve";
           }
           // lib.optionalAttrs (cfg.settings.web.port < 1024) {