diff --git a/src/util/cache/getJsonFromCachedFile.test.ts b/src/util/cache/getJsonFromCachedFile.test.ts
index d1a9002..d878c4c 100644
--- a/src/util/cache/getJsonFromCachedFile.test.ts
+++ b/src/util/cache/getJsonFromCachedFile.test.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,13 @@ const loadJsonMock = (loadJsonFile as jest.Mock).mockResolvedValue({
 });
 
 describe('getJsonFromCachedFile', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.clearAllMocks();
+    loadJsonMock.mockResolvedValue({
+      the: 'json',
+    });
+  });
+
   it('can load and parse the JSON from a file stored in cache', async () => {
     expect.assertions(2);
     await expect(
@@ -46,4 +53,24 @@ describe('getJsonFromCachedFile', () => {
       ),
     ).resolves.toBe(undefined);
   });
+
+  it('throws malformed cached JSON errors with the cached file path', async () => {
+    expect.assertions(1);
+    loadJsonMock.mockRejectedValueOnce(
+      new Error(
+        'Invalid JSON in "/home/uname/.emulsify/cache/systems/12345/compound/system.emulsify.json": Expected property name or \'}\' in JSON',
+      ),
+    );
+
+    await expect(
+      getJsonFromCachedFile(
+        'systems',
+        ['compound'],
+        'branch-name',
+        'system.emulsify.json',
+      ),
+    ).rejects.toThrow(
+      'Invalid JSON in "/home/uname/.emulsify/cache/systems/12345/compound/system.emulsify.json"',
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/util/fs/loadJsonFile.test.ts b/src/util/fs/loadJsonFile.test.ts
index 0a5c60c..a0fd622 100644
--- a/src/util/fs/loadJsonFile.test.ts
+++ b/src/util/fs/loadJsonFile.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ import loadJsonFile from './loadJsonFile.js';
 const readFileMock = fs.readFile as jest.Mock;
 
 describe('loadJsonFile', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
   it('can read and parse json from a file located within the users current path', async () => {
     expect.assertions(2);
     readFileMock.mockResolvedValueOnce('{ "field": "value" }');
@@ -17,6 +21,30 @@ describe('loadJsonFile', () => {
 
   it('returns void if the file is not found', async () => {
     expect.assertions(1);
+    readFileMock.mockRejectedValueOnce(
+      Object.assign(new Error('not found'), { code: 'ENOENT' }),
+    );
+
     await expect(loadJsonFile('path.json')).resolves.toBe(undefined);
   });
+
+  it('throws a clear error if an existing file contains malformed json', async () => {
+    expect.assertions(1);
+    readFileMock.mockResolvedValueOnce('{ "field": ');
+
+    await expect(loadJsonFile('path.json')).rejects.toThrow(
+      'Invalid JSON in "path.json":',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('throws non-missing read errors', async () => {
+    expect.assertions(1);
+    readFileMock.mockRejectedValueOnce(
+      Object.assign(new Error('permission denied'), { code: 'EACCES' }),
+    );
+
+    await expect(loadJsonFile('path.json')).rejects.toThrow(
+      'permission denied',
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/util/fs/loadJsonFile.ts b/src/util/fs/loadJsonFile.ts
index 04ff345..8d548b5 100644
--- a/src/util/fs/loadJsonFile.ts
+++ b/src/util/fs/loadJsonFile.ts
@@ -11,12 +11,25 @@ export default async function loadJsonFile<Output>(
   path: string,
 ): Promise<Output | void> {
   try {
-    return JSON.parse(
-      await fs.readFile(path, {
-        encoding: 'utf-8',
-      }),
-    ) as Output;
-  } catch {
-    return undefined;
+    const json = await fs.readFile(path, {
+      encoding: 'utf-8',
+    });
+
+    return JSON.parse(json) as Output;
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (error instanceof SyntaxError) {
+      throw new Error(`Invalid JSON in "${path}": ${error.message}`);
+    }
+
+    if (
+      error &&
+      typeof error === 'object' &&
+      'code' in error &&
+      error.code === 'ENOENT'
+    ) {
+      return undefined;
+    }
+
+    throw error;
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/util/project/getEmulsifyConfig.test.ts b/src/util/project/getEmulsifyConfig.test.ts
index b746a13..1960611 100644
--- a/src/util/project/getEmulsifyConfig.test.ts
+++ b/src/util/project/getEmulsifyConfig.test.ts
@@ -8,15 +8,27 @@ import getEmulsifyConfig from './getEmulsifyConfig.js';
 const findFileMock = (findFileInCurrentPath as jest.Mock).mockReturnValue(
   '/projects/project.emulsify.json',
 );
-(loadJsonFile as jest.Mock).mockResolvedValue({
-  emulsify: 'config',
-});
+const loadJsonFileMock = loadJsonFile as jest.Mock;
+const projectConfig = {
+  project: {
+    platform: 'drupal',
+    name: 'Cornflake',
+    machineName: 'cornflake',
+  },
+  starter: {
+    repository: 'https://github.com/emulsify-ds/emulsify-starter',
+  },
+};
 
 describe('getEmulsifyConfig', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.clearAllMocks();
+    findFileMock.mockReturnValue('/projects/project.emulsify.json');
+    loadJsonFileMock.mockResolvedValue(projectConfig);
+  });
+
   it('can load the Emulsify configuration for the project within the users cwd', async () => {
-    await expect(getEmulsifyConfig()).resolves.toEqual({
-      emulsify: 'config',
-    });
+    await expect(getEmulsifyConfig()).resolves.toEqual(projectConfig);
   });
 
   it('returns void if no Emulsify config file is found within the users cwd', async () => {
@@ -32,14 +44,39 @@ describe('getEmulsifyConfig', () => {
   });
 
   it('handles errors thrown by loadJsonFile', async () => {
-    (loadJsonFile as jest.Mock).mockImplementationOnce(() => {
+    loadJsonFileMock.mockImplementationOnce(() => {
       throw new Error('loadJsonFile error');
     });
     await expect(getEmulsifyConfig()).rejects.toThrow('loadJsonFile error');
   });
 
-  it('handles invalid JSON structure', async () => {
-    (loadJsonFile as jest.Mock).mockResolvedValueOnce({});
-    await expect(getEmulsifyConfig()).resolves.toEqual({});
+  it('reports schema-invalid config missing required project settings', async () => {
+    loadJsonFileMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      starter: {
+        repository: 'https://github.com/emulsify-ds/emulsify-starter',
+      },
+    });
+
+    await expect(getEmulsifyConfig()).rejects.toThrow(
+      'Invalid Emulsify project configuration in "/projects/project.emulsify.json": / must have required property \'project\'',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('reports schema-invalid variant platform values', async () => {
+    loadJsonFileMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      ...projectConfig,
+      system: {
+        repository: 'https://github.com/emulsify-ds/compound.git',
+        checkout: 'main',
+      },
+      variant: {
+        platform: 'wordpress',
+        structureImplementations: [],
+      },
+    });
+
+    await expect(getEmulsifyConfig()).rejects.toThrow(
+      'Invalid Emulsify project configuration in "/projects/project.emulsify.json": /variant/platform must be equal to one of the allowed values',
+    );
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/util/project/getEmulsifyConfig.ts b/src/util/project/getEmulsifyConfig.ts
index 70acfdb..a5b6def 100644
--- a/src/util/project/getEmulsifyConfig.ts
+++ b/src/util/project/getEmulsifyConfig.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,51 @@
 import type { EmulsifyProjectConfiguration } from '@emulsify-cli/config';
+import { Ajv, type ErrorObject, type ValidateFunction } from 'ajv';
 import { EMULSIFY_PROJECT_CONFIG_FILE } from '../../lib/constants.js';
 import findFileInCurrentPath from '../fs/findFileInCurrentPath.js';
 import loadJsonFile from '../fs/loadJsonFile.js';
 
+let validateProjectConfig: ValidateFunction | undefined;
+
+async function getProjectConfigValidator(): Promise<ValidateFunction> {
+  if (!validateProjectConfig) {
+    const [{ default: projectConfigSchema }, { default: variantSchema }] =
+      await Promise.all([
+        import('../../schemas/emulsifyProjectConfig.json', {
+          with: { type: 'json' },
+        }),
+        import('../../schemas/variant.json', { with: { type: 'json' } }),
+      ]);
+    const ajv = new Ajv({ allErrors: true });
+    ajv.addSchema(variantSchema, 'variant.json');
+    validateProjectConfig = ajv.compile(projectConfigSchema);
+  }
+
+  return validateProjectConfig;
+}
+
+function formatProjectConfigError(error: ErrorObject): string {
+  const location = error.instancePath || '/';
+  return `${location} ${error.message}`;
+}
+
+async function validateEmulsifyConfig(
+  config: unknown,
+  path: string,
+): Promise<EmulsifyProjectConfiguration> {
+  const validate = await getProjectConfigValidator();
+  if (!validate(config)) {
+    const errors = (validate.errors || [])
+      .map(formatProjectConfigError)
+      .join('; ');
+
+    throw new Error(
+      `Invalid Emulsify project configuration in "${path}": ${errors}`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  return config as EmulsifyProjectConfiguration;
+}
+
 /**
  * Finds the Emulsify project configuration, loads, and returns it.
  *
@@ -15,5 +58,10 @@ export default async function getEmulsifyConfig(): Promise<EmulsifyProjectConfig
     return undefined;
   }
 
-  return loadJsonFile<EmulsifyProjectConfiguration>(path);
+  const config = await loadJsonFile<unknown>(path);
+  if (config === undefined) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
+  return validateEmulsifyConfig(config, path);
 }