diff --git a/backend/src/main/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataSourcesUiDefinitionController.groovy b/backend/src/main/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataSourcesUiDefinitionController.groovy
index 9d790f362..74f5e6d8c 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataSourcesUiDefinitionController.groovy
+++ b/backend/src/main/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataSourcesUiDefinitionController.groovy
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ package edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.controller
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper
 import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.configuration.CustomAttributesConfiguration
-import groovy.json.JsonOutput
+
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanInitializationException
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired
 import org.springframework.boot.context.properties.ConfigurationProperties
 import org.springframework.core.io.ResourceLoader
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ import static org.springframework.http.HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
  * interface in terms of JSON schema.
  *
  * @author Dmitriy Kopylenko
+ * @author Bill Smith (wsmith@unicon.net)
  */
 @RestController('/api/ui/MetadataSources')
 @ConfigurationProperties('shibui')
@@ -64,5 +66,17 @@ class MetadataSourcesUiDefinitionController {
     @PostConstruct
     def init() {
         jsonSchemaUrl = this.resourceLoader.getResource(this.metadataSourcesUiSchemaLocation).getURL()
+        //Detect malformed JSON schema early, during application start up and fail fast with useful exception message
+        try {
+            this.jacksonObjectMapper.readValue(this.jsonSchemaUrl, Map)
+        }
+        catch (Exception e) {
+            def msg = """                        
+                        An error is detected during JSON parsing => [${e.message}]
+                        **********************************************************
+                        Offending resource => [${this.jsonSchemaUrl}]
+                      """
+            throw new BeanInitializationException(msg.toString(), e)
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataSourcesUiDefinitionControllerIntegrationTests.groovy b/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataSourcesUiDefinitionControllerIntegrationTests.groovy
index 9d804ad57..2695ac803 100644
--- a/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataSourcesUiDefinitionControllerIntegrationTests.groovy
+++ b/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataSourcesUiDefinitionControllerIntegrationTests.groovy
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.controller
 
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanInitializationException
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired
 import org.springframework.boot.test.context.SpringBootTest
 import org.springframework.boot.test.web.client.TestRestTemplate
@@ -23,7 +24,6 @@ class MetadataSourcesUiDefinitionControllerIntegrationTests extends Specificatio
 
     def "GET Metadata Sources UI definition schema"() {
         when: 'GET request is made for metadata source UI definition schema'
-
         def result = this.restTemplate.getForEntity(RESOURCE_URI, Object)
 
         then: "Request completed successfully"
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class MetadataSourcesUiDefinitionControllerIntegrationTests extends Specificatio
 
     def "GET Malformed Metadata Sources UI definition schema"() {
         when: 'GET request is made for malformed metadata source UI definition schema'
-        configureMalformedJsonInput()
+        configureMalformedJsonInput(simulateApplicationStartup { false })
         def result = this.restTemplate.getForEntity(RESOURCE_URI, Object)
 
         then: "Request results in HTTP 500"
@@ -42,8 +42,32 @@ class MetadataSourcesUiDefinitionControllerIntegrationTests extends Specificatio
         result.body.sourceUiSchemaDefinitionFile
     }
 
-    private configureMalformedJsonInput() {
+    def "Malformed Metadata Sources UI definition schema is detected during application start up"() {
+        when: 'Application is starting up and malformed JSON schema is detected'
+        configureMalformedJsonInput(simulateApplicationStartup { true })
+
+        then:
+        def ex = thrown(BeanInitializationException)
+        ex.message.contains('An error is detected during JSON parsing =>')
+        ex.message.contains('Offending resource =>')
+
+    }
+
+    private configureMalformedJsonInput(boolean simulateApplicationStartup) {
         controllerUnderTest.metadataSourcesUiSchemaLocation = 'classpath:metadata-sources-ui-schema_MALFORMED.json'
-        controllerUnderTest.init()
+        try {
+            controllerUnderTest.init()
+        }
+        catch (Exception e) {
+            if (simulateApplicationStartup) {
+                throw e
+            }
+        }
+
+    }
+
+    //Just for the nicer, readable, DSL-like
+    private static boolean simulateApplicationStartup(Closure booleanFlagSupplier) {
+        booleanFlagSupplier()
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file