diff --git a/api/deployment/create.go b/api/deployment/create.go
index f4c3f5ca1..11ccd9bf3 100644
--- a/api/deployment/create.go
+++ b/api/deployment/create.go
@@ -101,6 +101,29 @@ func CreateDeployment(c *gin.Context) {
 		input.SetRef(fmt.Sprintf("refs/heads/%s", r.GetBranch()))
 	}
 
+	deployConfigYAML, err := getDeploymentConfig(c, l, u, r, input.GetRef())
+	if err != nil {
+		retErr := fmt.Errorf("unable to get deployment config for %s: %w", r.GetFullName(), err)
+
+		util.HandleError(c, http.StatusInternalServerError, retErr)
+
+		return
+	}
+
+	deployConfig := deployConfigYAML.ToPipeline()
+
+	if !deployConfig.Empty() {
+		err := deployConfig.Validate(input.GetTarget(), input.GetPayload())
+
+		if err != nil {
+			retErr := fmt.Errorf("unable to validate deployment config for %s: %w", r.GetFullName(), err)
+
+			util.HandleError(c, http.StatusBadRequest, retErr)
+
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
 	// send API call to create the deployment
 	err = scm.FromContext(c).CreateDeployment(ctx, u, r, input)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/api/deployment/get_config.go b/api/deployment/get_config.go
index bf8323e33..987f7dced 100644
--- a/api/deployment/get_config.go
+++ b/api/deployment/get_config.go
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"gorm.io/gorm"
 
+	"github.com/go-vela/server/api/types"
 	"github.com/go-vela/server/compiler"
+	"github.com/go-vela/server/compiler/types/yaml/yaml"
 	"github.com/go-vela/server/database"
 	"github.com/go-vela/server/router/middleware/repo"
 	"github.com/go-vela/server/router/middleware/user"
@@ -72,11 +74,25 @@ func GetDeploymentConfig(c *gin.Context) {
 	r := repo.Retrieve(c)
 	u := user.Retrieve(c)
 
-	ctx := c.Request.Context()
-
 	// capture ref from parameters - use default branch if not provided
 	ref := util.QueryParameter(c, "ref", r.GetBranch())
 
+	deployConfig, err := getDeploymentConfig(c, l, u, r, ref)
+	if err != nil {
+		retErr := fmt.Errorf("unable to get deployment config for %s: %w", r.GetFullName(), err)
+
+		util.HandleError(c, http.StatusInternalServerError, retErr)
+
+		return
+	}
+
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, deployConfig)
+}
+
+// getDeploymentConfig is a helper function that lightly compiles a Vela pipeline to retrieve the deployment configuration.
+func getDeploymentConfig(c *gin.Context, l *logrus.Entry, u *types.User, r *types.Repo, ref string) (yaml.Deployment, error) {
+	ctx := c.Request.Context()
+
 	entry := fmt.Sprintf("%s@%s", r.GetFullName(), ref)
 
 	l.Debugf("reading deployment config %s", entry)
@@ -91,19 +107,11 @@ func GetDeploymentConfig(c *gin.Context) {
 
 			config, err = scm.FromContext(c).ConfigBackoff(ctx, u, r, ref)
 			if err != nil {
-				retErr := fmt.Errorf("unable to get pipeline configuration for %s: %w", entry, err)
-
-				util.HandleError(c, http.StatusNotFound, retErr)
-
-				return
+				return yaml.Deployment{}, fmt.Errorf("unable to get pipeline configuration for %s: %w", entry, err)
 			}
 		} else {
 			// some other error
-			retErr := fmt.Errorf("unable to get pipeline for %s: %w", entry, err)
-
-			util.HandleError(c, http.StatusInternalServerError, retErr)
-
-			return
+			return yaml.Deployment{}, fmt.Errorf("unable to get pipeline for %s: %w", entry, err)
 		}
 	} else {
 		l.Debugf("pipeline %s found in database", entry)
@@ -117,12 +125,8 @@ func GetDeploymentConfig(c *gin.Context) {
 	// compile the pipeline
 	pipeline, _, err := compiler.CompileLite(ctx, config, nil, true)
 	if err != nil {
-		retErr := fmt.Errorf("unable to compile pipeline %s: %w", entry, err)
-
-		util.HandleError(c, http.StatusBadRequest, retErr)
-
-		return
+		return yaml.Deployment{}, fmt.Errorf("unable to compile pipeline %s: %w", entry, err)
 	}
 
-	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, pipeline.Deployment)
+	return pipeline.Deployment, nil
 }
diff --git a/compiler/types/pipeline/deployment.go b/compiler/types/pipeline/deployment.go
index 475946dea..26b2efefa 100644
--- a/compiler/types/pipeline/deployment.go
+++ b/compiler/types/pipeline/deployment.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func (d *Deployment) Validate(target string, inputParams map[string]string) erro
 
 	// validate targets
 	if len(d.Targets) > 0 && !slices.Contains(d.Targets, target) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("deployment target %s not found in deployment config targets", target)
+		return fmt.Errorf("deployment target `%s` not found in deployment config targets", target)
 	}
 
 	// validate params