diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 9da4b22..72ad0fc 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -133,13 +133,13 @@ The package contains several text analysis tasks to generate the terms used in t
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-  $ ./mange.py construct_tfidf_model gensim_data/immix_summaries.mm gensim_data/immix_summaries.tfidf_model
+  $ ./manage.py construct_tfidf_model gensim_data/immix_summaries.mm gensim_data/immix_summaries.tfidf_model
 
 7. Add the topN 'most descriptive' terms to each indexed document:
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-  $ ./mange.py analyze_text index_descriptive_terms "immix_analyzed/summaries/*.tar.gz"  gensim_data/immix_summaries_pruned.dict gensim_data/immix_summaries.tfidf_model gensim_data/immix_summaries.tfidf_model 'quamerdes_immix_20140920' 'text_descriptive_terms' 10
+  $ ./manage.py analyze_text index_descriptive_terms "immix_analyzed/summaries/*.tar.gz"  gensim_data/immix_summaries_pruned.dict gensim_data/immix_summaries.tfidf_model gensim_data/immix_summaries.tfidf_model 'quamerdes_immix_20140920' 'text_descriptive_terms' 10
 
 License
 -------
diff --git a/avresearcher/app.py b/avresearcher/app.py
index 8cbd70f..f82d771 100644
--- a/avresearcher/app.py
+++ b/avresearcher/app.py
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
 from .extensions import mail, db, bcrypt, sentry, login_manager
 
 
+__all__ = ['create_app']
+
+
 DEFAULT_BLUEPRINTS = (
     views,
 )
@@ -23,6 +26,7 @@ def create_app(package_name='avresearcher', settings_override=None):
 
     app.config.from_object('avresearcher.settings')
     app.config.from_object(settings_override)
+    _validate(app.config)
 
     if app.config['DEBUG'] and app.config['SENTRY_DSN']:
         sentry.init_app(app)
@@ -51,3 +55,34 @@ def load_user(user_id):
         app.register_blueprint(bp)
 
     return app
+
+
+def _validate(config):
+    # Settings validation: should catch common settings.py/local_settings.py
+    # mistakes. Add rules as needed.
+
+    collections_config = config['COLLECTIONS_CONFIG']
+    for coll in config['ENABLED_COLLECTIONS']:
+        if coll not in collections_config:
+            raise ValueError("collection %r enabled, but not configured"
+                             " in COLLECTIONS_CONFIG" % (coll))
+
+    for index, settings in collections_config.iteritems():
+        index_name = settings.get('index_name')
+        if not isinstance(index_name, basestring):
+            raise TypeError("not a valid index_name for index %r: %r of %r"
+                            % (index, index_name, type(index_name)))
+
+        aggregations = settings.get('available_aggregations', [])
+        for facet in settings.get('enabled_facets', []):
+            if facet not in aggregations:
+                raise ValueError("facet %r not among available_aggregations=%r"
+                                 " for index %r"
+                                 % (facet, list(aggregations.keys()), index))
+
+        avail_fields = settings['available_search_fields']
+        for field in settings['enabled_search_fields']:
+            if field not in avail_fields:
+                raise ValueError("search field %r not among"
+                                 " available_search_fields=%r for index %r"
+                                 % (field, list(avail_fields), index))
diff --git a/avresearcher/tests/test_app.py b/avresearcher/tests/test_app.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..479ce33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/avresearcher/tests/test_app.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+from avresearcher.app import _validate
+
+from copy import deepcopy
+
+from nose.tools import assert_raises
+
+
+config = {
+    "COLLECTIONS_CONFIG": {
+        "index1": {
+            "index_name": "hello?",
+            "enabled_facets": ["cheap_facet"],
+            "available_aggregations": {
+                "cheap_facet": {}
+            },
+            "available_search_fields": {
+                "field1": {"name": "1", "fields": ["1"]},
+                "field2": {"name": "2", "fields": ["2"]},
+            },
+            "enabled_search_fields": ["field1", "field2"],
+        },
+    },
+    "ENABLED_COLLECTIONS": ["index1"],
+}
+
+
+def test_validate():
+    _validate(config)
+
+    c = deepcopy(config)
+    c["ENABLED_COLLECTIONS"] += "index2"
+    assert_raises(ValueError, _validate, c)
+
+    c = deepcopy(config)
+    c["COLLECTIONS_CONFIG"]["index1"]["index_name"] = 123456
+    assert_raises(TypeError, _validate, c)
+
+    c = deepcopy(config)
+    c["COLLECTIONS_CONFIG"]["index1"]["enabled_facets"] += "expensive_facet"
+    assert_raises(ValueError, _validate, c)
+
+    c = deepcopy(config)
+    c["COLLECTIONS_CONFIG"]["index1"]["enabled_search_fields"] += "field3"
+    assert_raises(ValueError, _validate, c)