diff --git a/core/package-lock.json b/core/package-lock.json
index 935b973492..b37d13f843 100644
--- a/core/package-lock.json
+++ b/core/package-lock.json
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
         "winston": "^3.17.0",
         "workerpool": "^9.1.3",
         "yaml": "^2.4.2",
-        "zod": "^3.24.2"
+        "zod": "^3.25.13"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "@babel/preset-env": "^7.24.7",
@@ -143,7 +143,8 @@
       "dependencies": {
         "@continuedev/config-types": "^1.0.14",
         "yaml": "^2.6.1",
-        "zod": "^3.24.2"
+        "zod": "^3.25.13",
+        "zod-validation-error": "^3.4.1"
       },
       "bin": {
         "config-yaml": "dist/cli.js"
@@ -16609,9 +16610,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/zod": {
-      "version": "3.24.2",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/zod/-/zod-3.24.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-lY7CDW43ECgW9u1TcT3IoXHflywfVqDYze4waEz812jR/bZ8FHDsl7pFQoSZTz5N+2NqRXs8GBwnAwo3ZNxqhQ==",
+      "version": "3.25.13",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/zod/-/zod-3.25.13.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-Q8mvk2iWi7rTDfpQBsu4ziE7A6AxgzJ5hzRyRYQkoV3A3niYsXVwDaP1Kbz3nWav6S+VZ6k2OznFn8ZyDHvIrg==",
       "funding": {
         "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/colinhacks"
       }
diff --git a/core/package.json b/core/package.json
index 5622cc9032..d7bfa6f739 100644
--- a/core/package.json
+++ b/core/package.json
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
     "winston": "^3.17.0",
     "workerpool": "^9.1.3",
     "yaml": "^2.4.2",
-    "zod": "^3.24.2"
+    "zod": "^3.25.13"
   },
   "engine-strict": true,
   "engines": {
diff --git a/extensions/vscode/package-lock.json b/extensions/vscode/package-lock.json
index 5634027da7..f726218bcc 100644
--- a/extensions/vscode/package-lock.json
+++ b/extensions/vscode/package-lock.json
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@
         "winston": "^3.17.0",
         "workerpool": "^9.1.3",
         "yaml": "^2.4.2",
-        "zod": "^3.24.2"
+        "zod": "^3.25.13"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "@babel/preset-env": "^7.24.7",
diff --git a/gui/package-lock.json b/gui/package-lock.json
index 8ab34dbe73..73dc69a706 100644
--- a/gui/package-lock.json
+++ b/gui/package-lock.json
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@
         "winston": "^3.17.0",
         "workerpool": "^9.1.3",
         "yaml": "^2.4.2",
-        "zod": "^3.24.2"
+        "zod": "^3.25.13"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "@babel/preset-env": "^7.24.7",
@@ -216,7 +216,8 @@
       "dependencies": {
         "@continuedev/config-types": "^1.0.14",
         "yaml": "^2.6.1",
-        "zod": "^3.24.2"
+        "zod": "^3.25.13",
+        "zod-validation-error": "^3.4.1"
       },
       "bin": {
         "config-yaml": "dist/cli.js"
diff --git a/packages/config-yaml/package-lock.json b/packages/config-yaml/package-lock.json
index dc3a327ed2..a60d909dad 100644
--- a/packages/config-yaml/package-lock.json
+++ b/packages/config-yaml/package-lock.json
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@
       "dependencies": {
         "@continuedev/config-types": "^1.0.14",
         "yaml": "^2.6.1",
-        "zod": "^3.24.2"
+        "zod": "^3.25.13",
+        "zod-validation-error": "^3.4.1"
       },
       "bin": {
         "config-yaml": "dist/cli.js"
@@ -3818,9 +3819,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/zod": {
-      "version": "3.24.2",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/zod/-/zod-3.24.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-lY7CDW43ECgW9u1TcT3IoXHflywfVqDYze4waEz812jR/bZ8FHDsl7pFQoSZTz5N+2NqRXs8GBwnAwo3ZNxqhQ==",
+      "version": "3.25.13",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/zod/-/zod-3.25.13.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-Q8mvk2iWi7rTDfpQBsu4ziE7A6AxgzJ5hzRyRYQkoV3A3niYsXVwDaP1Kbz3nWav6S+VZ6k2OznFn8ZyDHvIrg==",
       "funding": {
         "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/colinhacks"
       }
@@ -3834,6 +3835,17 @@
       "peerDependencies": {
         "zod": "^3.24.1"
       }
+    },
+    "node_modules/zod-validation-error": {
+      "version": "3.4.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/zod-validation-error/-/zod-validation-error-3.4.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-1KP64yqDPQ3rupxNv7oXhf7KdhHHgaqbKuspVoiN93TT0xrBjql+Svjkdjq/Qh/7GSMmgQs3AfvBT0heE35thw==",
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=18.0.0"
+      },
+      "peerDependencies": {
+        "zod": "^3.24.4"
+      }
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/config-yaml/package.json b/packages/config-yaml/package.json
index 5499f7a50b..948a593113 100644
--- a/packages/config-yaml/package.json
+++ b/packages/config-yaml/package.json
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@continuedev/config-types": "^1.0.14",
     "yaml": "^2.6.1",
-    "zod": "^3.24.2"
+    "zod": "^3.25.13",
+    "zod-validation-error": "^3.4.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/jest": "^29.5.14",
diff --git a/packages/config-yaml/src/load/unroll.test.ts b/packages/config-yaml/src/load/unroll.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aed83ccc89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/config-yaml/src/load/unroll.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import { configYamlSchema } from "../schemas/index.js";
+import { parseConfigYaml } from "./unroll.js";
+
+
+
+describe("config.yaml validation", () => {
+  it("parses valid config YAML", () => {
+    const yaml = `
+name: Local Assistant
+version: 1.0.0
+schema: v1
+
+models:
+  - name: granite3.3:8b
+    provider: ollama
+    model: granite3.3:8b
+    roles:
+      - autocomplete
+      - chat
+
+  - name: nomic-embed-text
+    provider: ollama
+    model: nomic-embed-text:latest
+    roles:
+      - embed
+
+context:
+  - provider: code
+  - provider: docs
+  - provider: diff
+  - provider: terminal
+  - provider: problems
+  - provider: folder
+  - provider: codebase
+  - provider: clipboard
+
+rules:
+  - name: Angry Teenager
+    rule: always respond like an angry teenager
+
+docs:
+  - name: Continue docs
+    startUrl: https://docs.continue.dev/
+`;
+    const result = parseConfigYaml(yaml);
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ name: "Local Assistant", version: "1.0.0" });
+    expect(() => configYamlSchema.parse(result)).not.toThrow();
+  });
+
+  it("throws on invalid YAML", () => {
+    const yaml = `
+name: Local Assistant
+version: 1.0.0
+schema: v1
+
+models: []
+
+context:
+  - provider: code
+  - provider: codebase
+
+data:
+  - destination: https://docs.continue.dev/
+`;
+
+    const expectedError = `Failed to parse assistant:
+Validation error: Required at \"data[0].name\"; Required at \"data[0].schema\", or Required at \"data[0].uses\"`;
+
+    expect(() => parseConfigYaml(yaml)).toThrow(expectedError);
+  });
+
+});
diff --git a/packages/config-yaml/src/load/unroll.ts b/packages/config-yaml/src/load/unroll.ts
index 0b5003473b..fa83e65ead 100644
--- a/packages/config-yaml/src/load/unroll.ts
+++ b/packages/config-yaml/src/load/unroll.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import * as YAML from "yaml";
+import { fromError } from "zod-validation-error";
 import { PlatformClient, Registry } from "../interfaces/index.js";
 import { encodeSecretLocation } from "../interfaces/SecretResult.js";
 import {
@@ -30,13 +31,9 @@ export function parseConfigYaml(configYaml: string): ConfigYaml {
     if (result.success) {
       return result.data;
     }
-    throw new Error(
-      result.error.errors
-        .map((e) => `${e.path.join(".")}: ${e.message}`)
-        .join(""),
-    );
-  } catch (e) {
-    console.log("Failed to parse rolled assistant:", configYaml);
+    throw fromError(result.error);
+  } catch (e : any) {
+    console.log("Failed to parse rolled assistant:", configYaml, e.message);
     throw new Error(
       `Failed to parse assistant:\n${e instanceof Error ? e.message : e}`,
     );