diff --git a/zooid/api.go b/zooid/api.go
index 0a33d39..aaae1fe 100644
--- a/zooid/api.go
+++ b/zooid/api.go
@@ -291,10 +291,11 @@ func (api *APIHandler) validatePatchedConfig(config *Config) error {
 	if _, err := nostr.SecretKeyFromHex(config.Secret); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid secret key: %w", err)
 	}
-	if config.Info.Pubkey != "" {
-		if _, err := nostr.PubKeyFromHex(config.Info.Pubkey); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("invalid info.pubkey: %w", err)
-		}
+	if config.Info.Pubkey == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("info.pubkey is required")
+	}
+	if _, err := nostr.PubKeyFromHex(config.Info.Pubkey); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid info.pubkey: %w", err)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/zooid/config.go b/zooid/config.go
index 389ea44..b81076e 100644
--- a/zooid/config.go
+++ b/zooid/config.go
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ func LoadConfig(filename string) (*Config, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("schema is required")
 	}
 
+	if config.Info.Pubkey == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("info.pubkey is required")
+	}
+
 	secret, err := nostr.SecretKeyFromHex(config.Secret)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err