diff --git a/packages/core/package.json b/packages/core/package.json
index 13b13cd2c..f3abccc72 100644
--- a/packages/core/package.json
+++ b/packages/core/package.json
@@ -41,8 +41,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@code-pushup/models": "0.57.0",
     "@code-pushup/utils": "0.57.0",
-    "ansis": "^3.3.0",
-    "zod-validation-error": "^3.4.0"
+    "ansis": "^3.3.0"
   },
   "peerDependencies": {
     "@code-pushup/portal-client": "^0.9.0"
diff --git a/packages/core/src/lib/implementation/read-rc-file.integration.test.ts b/packages/core/src/lib/implementation/read-rc-file.integration.test.ts
index 78cf90400..72702ae55 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/lib/implementation/read-rc-file.integration.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/lib/implementation/read-rc-file.integration.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import { describe, expect } from 'vitest';
-import { ConfigValidationError, readRcByPath } from './read-rc-file.js';
+import { SchemaValidationError } from '@code-pushup/utils';
+import { readRcByPath } from './read-rc-file.js';
 
 describe('readRcByPath', () => {
   const configDirPath = path.join(
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ describe('readRcByPath', () => {
   it('should throw if the configuration is empty', async () => {
     await expect(
       readRcByPath(path.join(configDirPath, 'code-pushup.empty.config.js')),
-    ).rejects.toThrow(expect.any(ConfigValidationError));
+    ).rejects.toThrow(expect.any(SchemaValidationError));
   });
 
   it('should throw if the configuration is invalid', async () => {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/lib/implementation/read-rc-file.ts b/packages/core/src/lib/implementation/read-rc-file.ts
index 3b1572c4c..5560efdc3 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/lib/implementation/read-rc-file.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/lib/implementation/read-rc-file.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,11 @@
-import { bold } from 'ansis';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { fromError, isZodErrorLike } from 'zod-validation-error';
 import {
   CONFIG_FILE_NAME,
   type CoreConfig,
   SUPPORTED_CONFIG_FILE_FORMATS,
   coreConfigSchema,
 } from '@code-pushup/models';
-import {
-  fileExists,
-  importModule,
-  zodErrorMessageBuilder,
-} from '@code-pushup/utils';
+import { fileExists, importModule, parseSchema } from '@code-pushup/utils';
 
 export class ConfigPathError extends Error {
   constructor(configPath: string) {
@@ -19,13 +13,6 @@ export class ConfigPathError extends Error {
   }
 }
 
-export class ConfigValidationError extends Error {
-  constructor(configPath: string, message: string) {
-    const relativePath = path.relative(process.cwd(), configPath);
-    super(`Failed parsing core config in ${bold(relativePath)}.\n\n${message}`);
-  }
-}
-
 export async function readRcByPath(
   filepath: string,
   tsconfig?: string,
@@ -38,18 +25,16 @@ export async function readRcByPath(
     throw new ConfigPathError(filepath);
   }
 
-  const cfg = await importModule({ filepath, tsconfig, format: 'esm' });
+  const cfg: CoreConfig = await importModule({
+    filepath,
+    tsconfig,
+    format: 'esm',
+  });
 
-  try {
-    return coreConfigSchema.parse(cfg);
-  } catch (error) {
-    const validationError = fromError(error, {
-      messageBuilder: zodErrorMessageBuilder,
-    });
-    throw isZodErrorLike(error)
-      ? new ConfigValidationError(filepath, validationError.message)
-      : error;
-  }
+  return parseSchema(coreConfigSchema, cfg, {
+    schemaType: 'core config',
+    sourcePath: filepath,
+  });
 }
 
 export async function autoloadRc(tsconfig?: string): Promise<CoreConfig> {
diff --git a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/eslint-plugin.integration.test.ts b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/eslint-plugin.integration.test.ts
index 9c53fcd7b..2367334e6 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/eslint-plugin.integration.test.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/eslint-plugin.integration.test.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import path from 'node:path';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import type { MockInstance } from 'vitest';
 import type { Audit, PluginConfig, RunnerConfig } from '@code-pushup/models';
-import { toUnixPath } from '@code-pushup/utils';
+import { SchemaValidationError, toUnixPath } from '@code-pushup/utils';
 import { eslintPlugin } from './eslint-plugin.js';
 
 describe('eslintPlugin', () => {
@@ -71,15 +71,12 @@ describe('eslintPlugin', () => {
     );
   });
 
-  it('should initialize with plugin options for custom rules', async () => {
+  it('should initialize with plugin options for custom groups', async () => {
     cwdSpy.mockReturnValue(path.join(fixturesDir, 'nx-monorepo'));
     const plugin = await eslintPlugin(
       {
         eslintrc: './packages/nx-plugin/eslint.config.js',
-        patterns: [
-          'packages/nx-plugin/**/*.ts',
-          'packages/nx-plugin/**/*.json',
-        ],
+        patterns: ['packages/nx-plugin/**/*.ts'],
       },
       {
         groups: [
@@ -114,11 +111,25 @@ describe('eslintPlugin', () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it('should throw when custom group rules are empty', async () => {
+    await expect(() =>
+      eslintPlugin(
+        {
+          eslintrc: './packages/nx-plugin/eslint.config.js',
+          patterns: ['packages/nx-plugin/**/*.ts'],
+        },
+        {
+          groups: [{ slug: 'type-safety', title: 'Type safety', rules: [] }],
+        },
+      ),
+    ).rejects.toThrow(expect.any(SchemaValidationError));
+  });
+
   it('should throw when invalid parameters provided', async () => {
     await expect(
       // @ts-expect-error simulating invalid non-TS config
       eslintPlugin({ eslintrc: '.eslintrc.json' }),
-    ).rejects.toThrow('patterns');
+    ).rejects.toThrow(expect.any(SchemaValidationError));
   });
 
   it("should throw if eslintrc file doesn't exist", async () => {
diff --git a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/eslint-plugin.ts b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/eslint-plugin.ts
index f55514fdd..799e44886 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/eslint-plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/eslint-plugin.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { createRequire } from 'node:module';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import type { PluginConfig } from '@code-pushup/models';
+import { parseSchema } from '@code-pushup/utils';
 import {
   type ESLintPluginConfig,
   type ESLintPluginOptions,
@@ -36,19 +37,23 @@ export async function eslintPlugin(
   config: ESLintPluginConfig,
   options?: ESLintPluginOptions,
 ): Promise<PluginConfig> {
-  const targets = eslintPluginConfigSchema.parse(config);
+  const configPath = fileURLToPath(path.dirname(import.meta.url));
+
+  const targets = parseSchema(eslintPluginConfigSchema, config, {
+    schemaType: 'ESLint plugin config',
+    sourcePath: configPath,
+  });
 
   const customGroups = options
-    ? eslintPluginOptionsSchema.parse(options).groups
+    ? parseSchema(eslintPluginOptionsSchema, options, {
+        schemaType: 'ESLint plugin options',
+        sourcePath: configPath,
+      }).groups
     : undefined;
 
   const { audits, groups } = await listAuditsAndGroups(targets, customGroups);
 
-  const runnerScriptPath = path.join(
-    fileURLToPath(path.dirname(import.meta.url)),
-    '..',
-    'bin.js',
-  );
+  const runnerScriptPath = path.join(configPath, '..', 'bin.js');
 
   const packageJson = createRequire(import.meta.url)(
     '../../package.json',
diff --git a/packages/utils/package.json b/packages/utils/package.json
index c39dc1903..a7cedaa57 100644
--- a/packages/utils/package.json
+++ b/packages/utils/package.json
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
     "multi-progress-bars": "^5.0.3",
     "semver": "^7.6.0",
     "simple-git": "^3.20.0",
+    "zod": "^3.23.8",
     "zod-validation-error": "^3.4.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/utils/src/index.ts b/packages/utils/src/index.ts
index 58dd0dbe6..7c8fd8556 100644
--- a/packages/utils/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/utils/src/index.ts
@@ -123,4 +123,4 @@ export type {
   WithRequired,
 } from './lib/types.js';
 export { verboseUtils } from './lib/verbose-utils.js';
-export { zodErrorMessageBuilder } from './lib/zod-validation.js';
+export { parseSchema, SchemaValidationError } from './lib/zod-validation.js';
diff --git a/packages/utils/src/lib/zod-validation.ts b/packages/utils/src/lib/zod-validation.ts
index ae7813634..3db0a592a 100644
--- a/packages/utils/src/lib/zod-validation.ts
+++ b/packages/utils/src/lib/zod-validation.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,28 @@
 import { bold, red } from 'ansis';
-import type { MessageBuilder } from 'zod-validation-error';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import type { z } from 'zod';
+import {
+  type MessageBuilder,
+  fromError,
+  isZodErrorLike,
+} from 'zod-validation-error';
+
+type SchemaValidationContext = {
+  schemaType: string;
+  sourcePath: string;
+};
+
+export class SchemaValidationError extends Error {
+  constructor(configType: string, configPath: string, error: Error) {
+    const validationError = fromError(error, {
+      messageBuilder: zodErrorMessageBuilder,
+    });
+    const relativePath = path.relative(process.cwd(), configPath);
+    super(
+      `Failed parsing ${configType} in ${bold(relativePath)}.\n\n${validationError.message}`,
+    );
+  }
+}
 
 export function formatErrorPath(errorPath: (string | number)[]): string {
   return errorPath
@@ -12,7 +35,7 @@ export function formatErrorPath(errorPath: (string | number)[]): string {
     .join('');
 }
 
-export const zodErrorMessageBuilder: MessageBuilder = issues =>
+const zodErrorMessageBuilder: MessageBuilder = issues =>
   issues
     .map(issue => {
       const formattedMessage = red(`${bold(issue.code)}: ${issue.message}`);
@@ -23,3 +46,18 @@ export const zodErrorMessageBuilder: MessageBuilder = issues =>
       return `${formattedMessage}\n`;
     })
     .join('\n');
+
+export function parseSchema<T extends z.ZodTypeAny>(
+  schema: T,
+  data: z.input<T>,
+  { schemaType, sourcePath }: SchemaValidationContext,
+): z.output<T> {
+  try {
+    return schema.parse(data);
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (isZodErrorLike(error)) {
+      throw new SchemaValidationError(schemaType, sourcePath, error);
+    }
+    throw error;
+  }
+}