diff --git a/pkg/config/schema.go b/pkg/config/schema.go
index 98257d1a..9ddd3463 100644
--- a/pkg/config/schema.go
+++ b/pkg/config/schema.go
@@ -4,13 +4,16 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"strings"
 	"text/template"
 
 	"github.com/qri-io/jsonschema"
 	"github.com/thoas/go-funk"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/resource"
+	k8sYaml "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/yaml"
 )
 
 // TargetKind represents the part of the config to be validated
@@ -49,6 +52,25 @@ type SchemaCheck struct {
 type resourceMinimum string
 type resourceMaximum string
 
+func ParseCheck(rawBytes []byte) (SchemaCheck, error) {
+	fmt.Println("parse", string(rawBytes))
+	reader := bytes.NewReader(rawBytes)
+	check := SchemaCheck{}
+	d := k8sYaml.NewYAMLOrJSONDecoder(reader, 4096)
+	for {
+		if err := d.Decode(&check); err != nil {
+			if err == io.EOF {
+				return check, nil
+			}
+			return check, fmt.Errorf("Decoding schema check failed: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (check *SchemaCheck) MarshalYAML() (interface{}, error) {
+	return nil
+}
+
 func init() {
 	jsonschema.RegisterValidator("resourceMinimum", newResourceMinimum)
 	jsonschema.RegisterValidator("resourceMaximum", newResourceMaximum)
@@ -127,7 +149,6 @@ func validateRange(path string, limit interface{}, data interface{}, isMinimum b
 
 // Initialize sets up the schema
 func (check *SchemaCheck) Initialize(id string) error {
-	fmt.Println("init", id, check.JSONSchema, check.Schema)
 	check.ID = id
 	if check.JSONSchema != "" {
 		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(check.JSONSchema), &check.Schema); err != nil {
@@ -137,29 +158,34 @@ func (check *SchemaCheck) Initialize(id string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (check SchemaCheck) TemplateForResource(res interface{}) (SchemaCheck, error) {
-	newCheck := check
-	var tmpl *template.Template
-	var err error
-	tmpl = template.New(check.ID)
-	yaml, err := yaml.Marshal()
-	fmt.Println("json sch", check.JSONSchema)
-	tmpl, err = tmpl.Parse(check.JSONSchema)
+func (check SchemaCheck) TemplateForResource(res interface{}) (*SchemaCheck, error) {
+	yamlBytes, err := yaml.Marshal(check.Schema)
 	if err != nil {
-		return newCheck, err
+		return nil, err
 	}
+
+	tmpl := template.New(check.ID)
+	tmpl, err = tmpl.Parse(string(yamlBytes))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	w := bytes.Buffer{}
 	err = tmpl.Execute(&w, res)
 	if err != nil {
-		return newCheck, err
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	newCheck, err := ParseCheck(w.Bytes())
+	fmt.Println("parse check")
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println("err", err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	fmt.Println("templated", w.String())
-	newCheck.JSONSchema = w.String()
 	err = newCheck.Initialize(check.ID)
 	if err != nil {
-		return newCheck, err
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	return newCheck, nil
+	return &newCheck, nil
 }
 
 // CheckPod checks a pod spec against the schema
diff --git a/pkg/validator/schema.go b/pkg/validator/schema.go
index fd32419d..b85cd582 100644
--- a/pkg/validator/schema.go
+++ b/pkg/validator/schema.go
@@ -1,16 +1,13 @@
 package validator
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
-	"io"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/gobuffalo/packr/v2"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metaV1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/yaml"
 
 	"github.com/fairwindsops/polaris/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/fairwindsops/polaris/pkg/kube"
@@ -66,29 +63,15 @@ func init() {
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
-		check, err := parseCheck(contents)
+		check, err := config.ParseCheck(contents)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
-		check.ID = checkID
+		check.Initialize(checkID)
 		builtInChecks[checkID] = check
 	}
 }
 
-func parseCheck(rawBytes []byte) (config.SchemaCheck, error) {
-	reader := bytes.NewReader(rawBytes)
-	check := config.SchemaCheck{}
-	d := yaml.NewYAMLOrJSONDecoder(reader, 4096)
-	for {
-		if err := d.Decode(&check); err != nil {
-			if err == io.EOF {
-				return check, nil
-			}
-			return check, fmt.Errorf("Decoding schema check failed: %v", err)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func resolveCheck(conf *config.Configuration, checkID string, test schemaTestCase) (*config.SchemaCheck, error) {
 	if !conf.DisallowExemptions && hasExemptionAnnotation(test.Resource.ObjectMeta, checkID) {
 		return nil, nil
@@ -111,11 +94,11 @@ func resolveCheck(conf *config.Configuration, checkID string, test schemaTestCas
 	if !check.IsActionable(test.Target, test.Resource.Kind, test.IsInitContianer) {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
-	check, err := check.TemplateForResource(test.Resource.Resource.Object)
+	checkPtr, err := check.TemplateForResource(test.Resource.Resource.Object)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return &check, nil
+	return checkPtr, nil
 }
 
 func makeResult(conf *config.Configuration, check *config.SchemaCheck, passes bool) ResultMessage {
diff --git a/test/checks_test.go b/test/checks_test.go
index 741b1148..38086ed3 100644
--- a/test/checks_test.go
+++ b/test/checks_test.go
@@ -61,9 +61,13 @@ func TestChecks(t *testing.T) {
 			panic(err)
 		}
 		c, err := config.Parse([]byte("checks:\n  " + tc.check + ": danger"))
-		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
 		result, err := validator.ApplyAllSchemaChecks(&c, res)
-		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
 		summary := result.GetSummary()
 		total := summary.Successes + summary.Dangers
 		msg := fmt.Sprintf("Check %s ran %d times instead of 1", tc.check, total)