diff --git a/pkg/acquisition/acquisition.go b/pkg/acquisition/acquisition.go
index 8ab7784a2..239b409a7 100644
--- a/pkg/acquisition/acquisition.go
+++ b/pkg/acquisition/acquisition.go
@@ -195,10 +195,14 @@ func LoadAcquisitionFromFile(config *csconfig.CrowdsecServiceCfg) ([]DataSource,
 			if err := yaml.Unmarshal(inBytes, &sub); err != nil {
 				return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "configuration isn't valid config in %s : %s", acquisFile, string(inBytes))
 			}
+			sub.ConfigFile = acquisFile
 			//it's an empty item, skip it
 			if len(sub.Labels) == 0 {
-				log.Debugf("skipping empty item in %s", acquisFile)
-				continue
+				if sub.Type == "" {
+					log.Debugf("skipping empty item in %s", acquisFile)
+					continue
+				}
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("missing labels in %s", acquisFile)
 			}
 			//for backward compat ('type' was not mandatory, detect it)
 			if guessType := detectBackwardCompatAcquis(inBytes); guessType != "" {
@@ -213,7 +217,7 @@ func LoadAcquisitionFromFile(config *csconfig.CrowdsecServiceCfg) ([]DataSource,
 			}
 			src, err := DataSourceConfigure(inBytes, sub)
 			if err != nil {
-				return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "while configuring datasource from %s", acquisFile)
+				return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "while configuring datasource of type %s from %s", sub.Type, sub.ConfigFile)
 			}
 			sources = append(sources, *src)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/acquisition/acquisition_test.go b/pkg/acquisition/acquisition_test.go
index 24072fcf7..0c97089f4 100644
--- a/pkg/acquisition/acquisition_test.go
+++ b/pkg/acquisition/acquisition_test.go
@@ -243,6 +243,34 @@ func TestLoadAcquisitionFromFile(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			ExpectedLen: 2,
 		},
+		{
+			TestName: "missing_labels",
+			Config: csconfig.CrowdsecServiceCfg{
+				AcquisitionFiles: []string{"test_files/missing_labels.yaml"},
+			},
+			ExpectedError: "missing labels in test_files/missing_labels.yaml",
+		},
+		{
+			TestName: "backward_compat",
+			Config: csconfig.CrowdsecServiceCfg{
+				AcquisitionFiles: []string{"test_files/backward_compat.yaml"},
+			},
+			ExpectedLen: 2,
+		},
+		{
+			TestName: "bad_type",
+			Config: csconfig.CrowdsecServiceCfg{
+				AcquisitionFiles: []string{"test_files/bad_source.yaml"},
+			},
+			ExpectedError: "unknown data source does_not_exist in test_files/bad_source.yaml",
+		},
+		{
+			TestName: "invalid_filetype_config",
+			Config: csconfig.CrowdsecServiceCfg{
+				AcquisitionFiles: []string{"test_files/bad_filetype.yaml"},
+			},
+			ExpectedError: "while configuring datasource of type file from test_files/bad_filetype.yaml",
+		},
 	}
 	for _, test := range tests {
 		dss, err := LoadAcquisitionFromFile(&test.Config)
diff --git a/pkg/acquisition/test_files/backward_compat.yaml b/pkg/acquisition/test_files/backward_compat.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d56bf9a8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/acquisition/test_files/backward_compat.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+filename: /tmp/test.log
+labels:
+  type: syslog
+---
+filenames:
+ - /tmp/test*.log
+labels:
+  type: syslog
+---
+# to be uncommented when we reimplement back journalctl
+# journalctl_filter:
+#  - "_SYSTEMD_UNIT=ssh.service"
+# labels:
+#   type: syslog
+---
diff --git a/pkg/acquisition/test_files/bad_filetype.yaml b/pkg/acquisition/test_files/bad_filetype.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c7bd131e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/acquisition/test_files/bad_filetype.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+type: file
+filenames: /tmp/tltlt.log #it should be an array
+labels:
+  type: syslog
+  
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/acquisition/test_files/bad_source.yaml b/pkg/acquisition/test_files/bad_source.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..596fcd744
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/acquisition/test_files/bad_source.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+type: does_not_exist
+labels:
+  type: syslog
+foobar: toto
diff --git a/pkg/acquisition/test_files/missing_labels.yaml b/pkg/acquisition/test_files/missing_labels.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b02a817ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/acquisition/test_files/missing_labels.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+type: file
+filename: /tmp/test.log