diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index e5b6f298aa58de332a47e6da653b9c83e56bd9ae..e932ebedfe85929a9e8bfb898ec6e8a8f2236d1b 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
       owner: root
       group: 0
       mode: 0o0644
+      validate: '{{ dhcp_conf_validate[ansible_os_family]|default(omit) }}'
   notify:
       - Restart ISC DHCP server
 
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index 4d0b321cc01f83e68afb1edbf80328f7a312ac9e..677e0d56000f870fb71df60c3b852031ecc4c845 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -16,3 +16,6 @@ dhcp_user:
 dhcp_conf_file:
     OpenBSD: /etc/dhcpd.conf
     Debian: /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf
+
+dhcp_conf_validate:
+    Debian: dhcpd -t