diff --git a/src/semeio/forward_models/__init__.py b/src/semeio/forward_models/__init__.py
index 979795b5..5f687407 100644
--- a/src/semeio/forward_models/__init__.py
+++ b/src/semeio/forward_models/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from typing import Optional
+from typing import Callable, Optional
 
 from ert import (
     ForwardModelStepDocumentation,
@@ -8,6 +8,17 @@
 
 from .scripts.design2params import description as design2params_description
 from .scripts.design_kw import description as design_kw_description
+from .scripts.design_kw import design_kw as DesignKWScript
+
+
+def validation_enabled(validation_func: Callable) -> Callable[..., None]:
+    def wrapper(
+        self: ForwardModelStepPlugin, fm_step_json: ForwardModelStepJSON
+    ) -> None:
+        if self.private_args.get("<VALIDATE>", "").lower() == "true":
+            validation_func(self, fm_step_json)
+
+    return wrapper
 
 
 class Design2Params(ForwardModelStepPlugin):
@@ -45,7 +56,8 @@ class DesignKW(ForwardModelStepPlugin):
     def __init__(self):
         super().__init__(
             name="DESIGN_KW",
-            command=["design_kw", "<template_file>", "<result_file>"],
+            command=["design_kw", "<template_file>", "<result_file>", "<VALIDATE>"],
+            default_mapping={"<VALIDATE>": "false"},
         )
 
     def validate_pre_realization_run(
@@ -53,8 +65,11 @@ def validate_pre_realization_run(
     ) -> ForwardModelStepJSON:
         return fm_step_json
 
+    @validation_enabled
     def validate_pre_experiment(self, fm_step_json: ForwardModelStepJSON) -> None:
-        pass
+        template_file_name = self.private_args["<template_file>"]
+        DesignKWScript.validate_configuration(template_file_name=template_file_name)
+        return fm_step_json
 
     @staticmethod
     def documentation() -> Optional[ForwardModelStepDocumentation]:
diff --git a/src/semeio/forward_models/design_kw/design_kw.py b/src/semeio/forward_models/design_kw/design_kw.py
index 0557c630..6449f2b8 100644
--- a/src/semeio/forward_models/design_kw/design_kw.py
+++ b/src/semeio/forward_models/design_kw/design_kw.py
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 import logging
+import os
 import re
 import shlex
 from typing import List
 
+from ert.config.forward_model_step import ForwardModelStepWarning
+
 _STATUS_FILE_NAME = "DESIGN_KW.OK"
 
 _logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+errors = []
 
 
 def run(
@@ -65,7 +69,9 @@ def all_matched(line, template_file_name, template):
                 f"but this is probably an xml file"
             )
         else:
-            _logger.error(f"{unmatched} not found in design matrix")
+            error_msg = f"{unmatched} not found in design matrix"
+            _logger.error(error_msg)
+            errors.append(error_msg)
             valid = False
     return valid
 
@@ -178,3 +184,41 @@ def rm_genkw_prefix(paramsdict, ignoreprefixes="LOG10_"):
         for keyvalue in keyvalues
         if keys.count(keyvalue[0]) == 1
     }
+
+
+def validate_configuration(
+    template_file_name: str, parameters_file_name: str = "parameters.txt"
+) -> None:
+    try:
+        if not os.path.exists(template_file_name):
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Argument template_file: '{template_file_name}' is not an existing file"
+            )
+
+        if not os.path.exists(parameters_file_name):
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Could not find required parameters file from DESIGN2PARAMS: '{parameters_file_name}'"
+            )
+        with open(parameters_file_name, encoding="utf-8") as parameters_file:
+            parameters = parameters_file.readlines()
+
+        key_vals = extract_key_value(parameters)
+
+        key_vals.update(rm_genkw_prefix(key_vals))
+
+        with open(template_file_name, encoding="utf-8") as template_file:
+            template = template_file.readlines()
+
+        for line in template:
+            if not is_comment(line):
+                for key, value in key_vals.items():
+                    line = line.replace(f"<{key}>", str(value))
+
+                all_matched(line, template_file_name, template)
+
+    except ValueError as e:
+        errors.append(str(e))
+
+    if errors:
+        error_message = f"DESIGN_KW configuration validation failed:\n{errors}"
+        ForwardModelStepWarning.warn(error_message)
diff --git a/src/semeio/forward_models/scripts/design_kw.py b/src/semeio/forward_models/scripts/design_kw.py
index 84669e31..a249473c 100755
--- a/src/semeio/forward_models/scripts/design_kw.py
+++ b/src/semeio/forward_models/scripts/design_kw.py
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 Example: If ``parameters.txt`` has the line ``MULTFLT:FLT_A10_B18 0.001``, both
 of the templates ``<MULTFLT:FLT_A10_B18>`` and ``<FLT_A10_B18>`` will expand to
 ``0.001``.
+
+Configuration validation pre experiment can be disabled by explicitly setting ``<VALIDATION>=false``
 """
 
 
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ def create_parser():
         default="WARNING",
         type=logging.getLevelName,
     )
-
+    parser.add_argument("--validate", required=False, type=bool, default=True)
     return parser