diff --git a/src/Config/FileSystemRuntimeConfigLoader.cs b/src/Config/FileSystemRuntimeConfigLoader.cs
index 447ee4be57..bcab135b6d 100644
--- a/src/Config/FileSystemRuntimeConfigLoader.cs
+++ b/src/Config/FileSystemRuntimeConfigLoader.cs
@@ -162,9 +162,20 @@ public bool TryLoadConfig(
                 }
 
                 config = RuntimeConfig;
+
+                if (lastValidRuntimeConfig is null)
+                {
+                    lastValidRuntimeConfig = RuntimeConfig;
+                }
+
                 return true;
             }
 
+            if (lastValidRuntimeConfig is not null)
+            {
+                RuntimeConfig = lastValidRuntimeConfig;
+            }
+
             config = null;
             return false;
         }
@@ -202,7 +213,16 @@ public override bool TryLoadKnownConfig([NotNullWhen(true)] out RuntimeConfig? c
     public void HotReloadConfig(string defaultDataSourceName, ILogger? logger = null)
     {
         logger?.LogInformation(message: "Starting hot-reload process for config: {ConfigFilePath}", ConfigFilePath);
-        TryLoadConfig(ConfigFilePath, out _, replaceEnvVar: true, defaultDataSourceName: defaultDataSourceName);
+        if (!TryLoadConfig(ConfigFilePath, out _, replaceEnvVar: true, defaultDataSourceName: defaultDataSourceName))
+        {
+            throw new DataApiBuilderException(
+                message: "Deserialization of the configuration file failed.",
+                statusCode: HttpStatusCode.ServiceUnavailable,
+                subStatusCode: DataApiBuilderException.SubStatusCodes.ErrorInInitialization);
+        }
+
+        isNewConfigDetected = true;
+        isNewConfigValidated = false;
         SendEventNotification();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Config/RuntimeConfigLoader.cs b/src/Config/RuntimeConfigLoader.cs
index fda5dc3b16..aae4238a47 100644
--- a/src/Config/RuntimeConfigLoader.cs
+++ b/src/Config/RuntimeConfigLoader.cs
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ public abstract class RuntimeConfigLoader
     // state in place of using out params.
     public RuntimeConfig? RuntimeConfig;
 
+    public RuntimeConfig? lastValidRuntimeConfig;
+
+    public bool isNewConfigDetected;
+
+    public bool isNewConfigValidated = true;
+
     public RuntimeConfigLoader(HotReloadEventHandler<HotReloadEventArgs>? handler = null, string? connectionString = null)
     {
         _handler = handler;
diff --git a/src/Core/Configurations/RuntimeConfigProvider.cs b/src/Core/Configurations/RuntimeConfigProvider.cs
index 79f63d5b7f..7364480e19 100644
--- a/src/Core/Configurations/RuntimeConfigProvider.cs
+++ b/src/Core/Configurations/RuntimeConfigProvider.cs
@@ -3,12 +3,14 @@
 
 using System.Data.Common;
 using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
+using System.IO.Abstractions;
 using System.Net;
 using Azure.DataApiBuilder.Config;
 using Azure.DataApiBuilder.Config.Converters;
 using Azure.DataApiBuilder.Config.NamingPolicies;
 using Azure.DataApiBuilder.Config.ObjectModel;
 using Azure.DataApiBuilder.Service.Exceptions;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
 
 namespace Azure.DataApiBuilder.Core.Configurations;
 
@@ -74,6 +76,34 @@ public RuntimeConfigProvider(RuntimeConfigLoader runtimeConfigLoader)
     /// <exception cref="DataApiBuilderException">Thrown when the loader is unable to load an instance of the config from its known location.</exception>
     public RuntimeConfig GetConfig()
     {
+        // Only used in hot reload to validate the configuration file
+        if (_configLoader.isNewConfigDetected && !_configLoader.isNewConfigValidated)
+        {
+            IFileSystem fileSystem = new FileSystem();
+            ILoggerFactory loggerFactory = new LoggerFactory();
+            ILogger<RuntimeConfigValidator> logger = loggerFactory.CreateLogger<RuntimeConfigValidator>();
+            RuntimeConfigValidator runtimeConfigValidator = new(this, fileSystem, logger, true);
+
+            _configLoader.isNewConfigDetected = false;
+            _configLoader.isNewConfigValidated = runtimeConfigValidator.TryValidateConfig(ConfigFilePath, loggerFactory).Result;
+
+            // Saves the lastValidRuntimeConfig as the new RuntimeConfig if it is validated for hot reload
+            if (_configLoader.isNewConfigValidated)
+            {
+                _configLoader.lastValidRuntimeConfig = _configLoader.RuntimeConfig;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                _configLoader.isNewConfigValidated = true;
+                _configLoader.RuntimeConfig = _configLoader.lastValidRuntimeConfig;
+
+                throw new DataApiBuilderException(
+                    message: "Failed validation of configuration file.",
+                    statusCode: HttpStatusCode.ServiceUnavailable,
+                    subStatusCode: DataApiBuilderException.SubStatusCodes.ErrorInInitialization);
+            }
+        }
+
         if (_configLoader.RuntimeConfig is not null)
         {
             return _configLoader.RuntimeConfig;