diff --git a/src/instructlab/schema/taxonomy.py b/src/instructlab/schema/taxonomy.py
index a3e9e14..02ba92f 100644
--- a/src/instructlab/schema/taxonomy.py
+++ b/src/instructlab/schema/taxonomy.py
@@ -293,6 +293,18 @@ def _yamllint(self, text: str, taxonomy: Taxonomy) -> None:
                             line=line,
                             col=col,
                         )
+                elif line.startswith("invalid config:"):
+                    taxonomy.error(
+                        "yamllint_config: %s",
+                        line,
+                    )
+                    return
+                elif line.startswith("Traceback"):
+                    taxonomy.error(
+                        'yamllint_config: invalid config: "%s"',
+                        self.yamllint_config,
+                    )
+                    return
 
     def _schema_validate(self, text: str, taxonomy: Taxonomy) -> None:
         retrieve = functools.partial(_retrieve, f"v{taxonomy.version}")
diff --git a/tests/test_parse.py b/tests/test_parse.py
index e13e778..32aee69 100644
--- a/tests/test_parse.py
+++ b/tests/test_parse.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ def test_invalid(self, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture, testdata: pathlib.Path)
             filter=self.message_filter(r"created_by.*required property"),
         ).contains_only(logging.ERROR)
 
-    def test_invalid_yamlint_strict(self, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture, testdata: pathlib.Path) -> None:
+    def test_invalid_yamllint_strict(self, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture, testdata: pathlib.Path) -> None:
         yamllint_config = "{extends: relaxed, rules: {line-length: {max: 120}}}"
         test_yaml = "compositional_skills/invalid_yaml/qna.yaml"
         rel_path = testdata.joinpath(test_yaml)
@@ -107,6 +107,46 @@ def test_invalid_custom_yaml_config(self, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture, test
             filter=self.message_filter(r"created_by.*required property"),
         ).contains_only(logging.ERROR)
 
+    def test_empty_yamllint_config(self, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture, testdata: pathlib.Path) -> None:
+        yamllint_config = ""
+        test_yaml = "compositional_skills/skill_valid/qna.yaml"
+        rel_path = testdata.joinpath(test_yaml)
+        parser = TaxonomyParser(schema_version=0, message_format="logging", yamllint_config=yamllint_config)
+        taxonomy = parser.parse(rel_path)
+
+        assert_that(taxonomy.warnings).is_zero()
+        assert_that(taxonomy.errors).is_equal_to(1)
+        assert_that(taxonomy.path.as_posix()).is_equal_to(test_yaml)
+        assert_that(taxonomy.rel_path).is_equal_to(rel_path)
+        assert_that(caplog.records).extracting(
+            "message",
+            filter=self.message_filter(f"{re.escape(test_yaml)}:"),
+        ).is_length(len(caplog.records))
+        assert_that(caplog.records).extracting(
+            "levelno",
+            filter=self.message_filter(r"invalid config:"),
+        ).contains_only(logging.ERROR)
+
+    def test_invalid_yamllint_config(self, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture, testdata: pathlib.Path) -> None:
+        yamllint_config = "a=b"
+        test_yaml = "compositional_skills/skill_valid/qna.yaml"
+        rel_path = testdata.joinpath(test_yaml)
+        parser = TaxonomyParser(schema_version=0, message_format="logging", yamllint_config=yamllint_config)
+        taxonomy = parser.parse(rel_path)
+
+        assert_that(taxonomy.warnings).is_zero()
+        assert_that(taxonomy.errors).is_equal_to(1)
+        assert_that(taxonomy.path.as_posix()).is_equal_to(test_yaml)
+        assert_that(taxonomy.rel_path).is_equal_to(rel_path)
+        assert_that(caplog.records).extracting(
+            "message",
+            filter=self.message_filter(f"{re.escape(test_yaml)}:"),
+        ).is_length(len(caplog.records))
+        assert_that(caplog.records).extracting(
+            "levelno",
+            filter=self.message_filter(r"invalid config:"),
+        ).contains_only(logging.ERROR)
+
     def test_incomplete_skill(self, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture, testdata: pathlib.Path) -> None:
         test_yaml = "compositional_skills/skill_incomplete/qna.yaml"
         rel_path = testdata.joinpath(test_yaml)