diff --git a/docs/index.md b/docs/index.md
index 5860ac68..674f2d20 100644
--- a/docs/index.md
+++ b/docs/index.md
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ You can contribute a converter. The [Converters Guide](../converters/README.md)
 No. Import converters translate existing vendor-specific models into the Ossie format automatically. Your existing models remain intact — Ossie provides an additional interchange layer on top of them.
 
 **How do I validate an Ossie model?**
-Use the [validation script](../validation/validate.py) included in the repository. It checks your model against the [JSON Schema](../core-spec/ossie-schema.json), validates SQL expressions across dialects, and ensures referential integrity between datasets and relationships.
+Use the [validation script](../validation/validate.py) included in the repository. It checks your model against the [JSON Schema](../core-spec/ossie-schema.json), validates SQL expressions across dialects, and ensures referential integrity between datasets and relationships. Schema errors are reported first; semantic checks run after those errors are fixed so malformed document shapes cannot interrupt validation.
 
 ### Technical
 
diff --git a/validation/tests/test_validate.py b/validation/tests/test_validate.py
index 8583c53c..70b5f2ef 100644
--- a/validation/tests/test_validate.py
+++ b/validation/tests/test_validate.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 # under the License.
 
 import json
+import sys
 from importlib.util import module_from_spec, spec_from_file_location
 from pathlib import Path
 
@@ -42,6 +43,71 @@ def core_schema() -> dict:
     return json.loads(schema_path.read_text())
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("content", "error_path"),
+    [
+        ("", "(root)"),
+        ("[]\n", "(root)"),
+        ("scalar\n", "(root)"),
+        ("semantic_model: invalid\n", "(root)"),
+    ],
+)
+def test_schema_invalid_documents_report_errors_without_traceback(
+    content: str,
+    error_path: str,
+    tmp_path: Path,
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+    capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str],
+) -> None:
+    model_path = tmp_path / "model.yaml"
+    model_path.write_text(content, encoding="utf-8")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(sys, "argv", ["validate.py", str(model_path)])
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as raised:
+        _VALIDATE.main()
+
+    output = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert raised.value.code == 1
+    assert f"[Schema] {error_path}:" in output
+    assert "Semantic checks skipped until schema errors are fixed." in output
+
+
+def test_schema_errors_defer_semantic_errors(
+    tmp_path: Path,
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+    capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str],
+) -> None:
+    model_path = tmp_path / "model.yaml"
+    model_path.write_text(
+        "version: 0.2.0.dev0\n"
+        "name: sales\n"
+        "unknown: true\n"
+        "datasets:\n"
+        "  - name: orders\n"
+        "    source: db.orders\n"
+        "  - name: orders\n"
+        "    source: db.orders_archive\n"
+        "relationships:\n"
+        "  - name: orders_to_customers\n"
+        "    from: orders\n"
+        "    to: customers\n"
+        "    from_columns: [customer_id]\n"
+        "    to_columns: [id]\n",
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(sys, "argv", ["validate.py", str(model_path)])
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as raised:
+        _VALIDATE.main()
+
+    output = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert raised.value.code == 1
+    assert "[Schema] (root):" in output
+    assert "Semantic checks skipped until schema errors are fixed." in output
+    assert "[Unique]" not in output
+    assert "[Reference]" not in output
+
+
 def _document(datasets: list[dict], relationships: list[dict]) -> dict:
     return {
         "version": "0.2.0.dev0",
diff --git a/validation/validate.py b/validation/validate.py
index 99b390c6..0911a554 100644
--- a/validation/validate.py
+++ b/validation/validate.py
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ def _check_unique_keys(self, node: yaml.Node, visited: set) -> None:
                 self._check_unique_keys(child, visited)
 
 
-def validate_schema(data: dict, schema: dict) -> list[str]:
+def validate_schema(data: object, schema: dict) -> list[str]:
     """Validate against JSON Schema."""
     validator = Draft202012Validator(schema)
     errors = []
@@ -386,8 +386,8 @@ def main():
             sys.exit(1)
 
     # Run validations
-    errors = []
-    errors.extend(validate_schema(data, schema))
+    errors = validate_schema(data, schema)
+    semantic_checks_skipped = bool(errors)
 
     # Semantic checks rely on valid structure; let schema validation report
     # malformed inputs (including legacy arrays) without traversing them.
@@ -410,6 +410,8 @@ def main():
             print(f"\nValidation FAILED with {len(actual_errors)} error(s):\n")
             for error in actual_errors:
                 print(f"  {error}")
+            if semantic_checks_skipped:
+                print("\nSemantic checks skipped until schema errors are fixed.")
             sys.exit(1)
         else:
             print(f"Validation PASSED: {yaml_path.name}")