diff --git a/checks/host_network.yaml b/checks/host_network.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..59447ece
--- /dev/null
+++ b/checks/host_network.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+name: HostNetworkSet
+id: hostNetworkSet
+successMessage: Host network is not configured
+failureMessage: Host network should not be configured
+category: Networking
+controllers:
+  exclude: []
+target: Pod
+schema:
+  '$schema': http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema
+  type: object
+  properties:
+    hostNetwork:
+      not:
+        enum:
+        - true
diff --git a/pkg/config/exemptions.go b/pkg/config/exemptions.go
index b132585b..090aa838 100644
--- a/pkg/config/exemptions.go
+++ b/pkg/config/exemptions.go
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 // IsActionable determines whether a check is actionable given the current configuration
-func (conf *Configuration) IsActionable(subConf interface{}, ruleName, controllerName string) bool {
+func (conf Configuration) IsActionable(subConf interface{}, ruleName, controllerName string) bool {
+	if subConfStr, ok := subConf.(string); ok {
+		subConf = conf.GetCategoryConfig(subConfStr)
+	}
 	ruleID := GetIDFromField(subConf, ruleName)
 	subConfRef := reflect.ValueOf(subConf)
 	fieldVal := reflect.Indirect(subConfRef).FieldByName(ruleName).Interface()
@@ -36,3 +39,29 @@ func (conf *Configuration) IsActionable(subConf interface{}, ruleName, controlle
 	}
 	return true
 }
+
+func (conf Configuration) GetCategoryConfig(category string) interface{} {
+	if category == "Networking" {
+		return conf.Networking
+	} else if category == "Security" {
+		return conf.Security
+	} else if category == "Health Checks" {
+		return conf.HealthChecks
+	} else if category == "Resources" {
+		return conf.Resources
+	} else if category == "Images" {
+		return conf.Images
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (conf Configuration) GetSeverity(category string, name string) Severity {
+	subConf := conf.GetCategoryConfig(category)
+	subConfRef := reflect.ValueOf(subConf)
+	fieldVal := reflect.Indirect(subConfRef).FieldByName(name).Interface()
+	if severity, ok := fieldVal.(Severity); ok {
+		return severity
+	}
+	// TODO: don't panic
+	panic("Unknown severity: " + category + "/" + name)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/validator/controller.go b/pkg/validator/controller.go
index f92f7521..d3ac89c1 100644
--- a/pkg/validator/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/validator/controller.go
@@ -31,11 +31,12 @@ func ValidateController(conf conf.Configuration, controller controller.Interface
 	controllerType := controller.GetType()
 	pod := controller.GetPodSpec()
 	podResult := ValidatePod(conf, pod, controller.GetName(), controllerType)
-	return ControllerResult{
+	result := ControllerResult{
 		Type:      controllerType.String(),
 		Name:      controller.GetName(),
 		PodResult: podResult,
 	}
+	return result
 }
 
 // ValidateControllers validates that each deployment conforms to the Polaris config,
diff --git a/pkg/validator/pod.go b/pkg/validator/pod.go
index 52ed9e9f..222c6ed2 100644
--- a/pkg/validator/pod.go
+++ b/pkg/validator/pod.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func ValidatePod(conf config.Configuration, pod *corev1.PodSpec, controllerName
 	}
 
 	pv.validateSecurity(&conf, controllerName)
-	pv.validateNetworking(&conf, controllerName)
+	applyPodSchemaChecks(&conf, pod, controllerName, &pv)
 
 	pRes := PodResult{
 		Messages:         pv.messages(),
@@ -83,17 +83,3 @@ func (pv *PodValidation) validateSecurity(conf *config.Configuration, controller
 		}
 	}
 }
-
-func (pv *PodValidation) validateNetworking(conf *config.Configuration, controllerName string) {
-	category := messages.CategoryNetworking
-
-	name := "HostNetworkSet"
-	if conf.IsActionable(conf.Networking, name, controllerName) {
-		id := config.GetIDFromField(conf.Networking, name)
-		if pv.Pod.HostNetwork {
-			pv.addFailure(messages.HostNetworkFailure, conf.Networking.HostNetworkSet, category, id)
-		} else {
-			pv.addSuccess(messages.HostNetworkSuccess, category, id)
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/pkg/validator/schema.go b/pkg/validator/schema.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0cceaf2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/validator/schema.go
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+package validator
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+
+	packr "github.com/gobuffalo/packr/v2"
+	"github.com/qri-io/jsonschema"
+	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/yaml"
+
+	"github.com/fairwindsops/polaris/pkg/config"
+	controller "github.com/fairwindsops/polaris/pkg/validator/controllers"
+)
+
+type IncludeExcludeList struct {
+	Include []string `yaml:"include"`
+	Exclude []string `yaml:"exclude"`
+}
+
+type Target string
+
+const (
+	TargetContainer Target = "Container"
+	TargetPod       Target = "Pod"
+)
+
+type SchemaCheck struct {
+	Name           string                `yaml:"name"`
+	ID             string                `yaml:"id"`
+	Category       string                `yaml:"category"`
+	SuccessMessage string                `yaml:"success_message"`
+	FailureMessage string                `yaml:"failure_message"`
+	Controllers    IncludeExcludeList    `yaml:"controllers"`
+	Target         Target                `yaml:"target"`
+	Schema         jsonschema.RootSchema `yaml:"schema"`
+}
+
+var (
+	schemaBox = (*packr.Box)(nil)
+	checks    = map[Target][]SchemaCheck{
+		TargetContainer: []SchemaCheck{},
+		TargetPod:       []SchemaCheck{},
+	}
+)
+
+func init() {
+	schemaBox = packr.New("Schemas", "../../checks")
+	files := schemaBox.List()
+	for _, file := range files {
+		contents, err := schemaBox.Find(file)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+		check, err := parseCheck(contents)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+		checks[check.Target] = append(checks[check.Target], check)
+	}
+}
+
+func parseCheck(rawBytes []byte) (SchemaCheck, error) {
+	reader := bytes.NewReader(rawBytes)
+	check := 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 (check SchemaCheck) check(controller controller.Interface) (bool, error) {
+	pod := controller.GetPodSpec()
+	if check.Target == TargetPod {
+		return check.checkPod(pod)
+	} else if check.Target == TargetContainer {
+		for _, container := range pod.Containers {
+			bytes, err := json.Marshal(container)
+			if err != nil {
+				return false, err
+			}
+			errors, err := check.Schema.ValidateBytes(bytes)
+			if err != nil || len(errors) > 0 {
+				return false, err
+			}
+		}
+		// TODO: initcontainers
+	}
+	return true, nil
+}
+
+func (check SchemaCheck) checkPod(pod *corev1.PodSpec) (bool, error) {
+	bytes, err := json.Marshal(pod)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	errors, err := check.Schema.ValidateBytes(bytes)
+	return len(errors) == 0, err
+}
+
+func applyPodSchemaChecks(conf *config.Configuration, pod *corev1.PodSpec, controllerName string, pv *PodValidation) error {
+	for _, check := range checks[TargetPod] {
+		if !conf.IsActionable(check.Category, check.Name, controllerName) {
+			continue
+		}
+		severity := conf.GetSeverity(check.Category, check.Name)
+		passes, err := check.checkPod(pod)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if passes {
+			pv.addSuccess(check.SuccessMessage, check.Category, check.ID)
+		} else {
+			pv.addFailure(check.FailureMessage, severity, check.Category, check.ID)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}