diff --git a/config/configload/endpoint.go b/config/configload/endpoint.go
index 91c121f48..a4dd22833 100644
--- a/config/configload/endpoint.go
+++ b/config/configload/endpoint.go
@@ -54,6 +54,12 @@ func refineEndpoints(definedBackends Backends, endpoints config.Endpoints, check
 
 		endpointContent := bodyToContent(endpoint.Remain)
 
+		if check && endpoint.AllowedMethods != nil && len(endpoint.AllowedMethods) > 0 {
+			if err = validMethods(endpoint.AllowedMethods, &endpointContent.Attributes["allowed_methods"].Range); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+
 		proxies := endpointContent.Blocks.OfType(proxy)
 		requests := endpointContent.Blocks.OfType(request)
 
diff --git a/config/configload/load.go b/config/configload/load.go
index 518a987f7..1df353b17 100644
--- a/config/configload/load.go
+++ b/config/configload/load.go
@@ -304,6 +304,12 @@ func LoadConfig(body hcl.Body, src []byte, filename string) (*config.Couper, err
 				apiConfig.Name = apiBlock.Labels[0]
 			}
 
+			if apiConfig.AllowedMethods != nil && len(apiConfig.AllowedMethods) > 0 {
+				if err = validMethods(apiConfig.AllowedMethods, &bodyToContent(apiConfig.Remain).Attributes["allowed_methods"].Range); err != nil {
+					return nil, err
+				}
+			}
+
 			err := refineEndpoints(definedBackends, apiConfig.Endpoints, true)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
diff --git a/config/configload/validate.go b/config/configload/validate.go
index 42aaec2bf..74b11428f 100644
--- a/config/configload/validate.go
+++ b/config/configload/validate.go
@@ -2,10 +2,15 @@ package configload
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/hcl/v2"
 )
 
+// https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7231#section-4
+// https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7230#section-3.2.6
+var methodRegExp = regexp.MustCompile("^[!#$%&'*+\\-.\\^_`|~0-9a-zA-Z]+$")
+
 func validLabelName(name string, hr *hcl.Range) error {
 	if !regexProxyRequestLabel.MatchString(name) {
 		return hcl.Diagnostics{&hcl.Diagnostic{
@@ -53,3 +58,17 @@ func verifyBodyAttributes(content *hcl.BodyContent) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func validMethods(methods []string, hr *hcl.Range) error {
+	for _, method := range methods {
+		if !methodRegExp.MatchString(method) {
+			return hcl.Diagnostics{&hcl.Diagnostic{
+				Severity: hcl.DiagError,
+				Summary:  "method contains invalid character(s)",
+				Subject:  hr,
+			}}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/handler/middleware/allowed_methods.go b/handler/middleware/allowed_methods.go
index 2a26be566..6f6dfc61e 100644
--- a/handler/middleware/allowed_methods.go
+++ b/handler/middleware/allowed_methods.go
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 package middleware
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
-	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 )
 
@@ -17,10 +15,6 @@ var defaultAllowedMethods = []string{
 	http.MethodOptions,
 }
 
-// https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7231#section-4
-// https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7230#section-3.2.6
-var methodRegExp = regexp.MustCompile("^[!#$%&'*+\\-.\\^_`|~0-9a-zA-Z]+$")
-
 var _ http.Handler = &AllowedMethodsHandler{}
 
 type AllowedMethodsHandler struct {
@@ -41,15 +35,11 @@ func NewAllowedMethodsHandler(allowedMethods []string, allowedHandler, notAllowe
 		allowedMethods = defaultAllowedMethods
 	}
 	for _, method := range allowedMethods {
-		method = strings.TrimSpace(method)
 		if method == "*" {
 			for _, m := range defaultAllowedMethods {
 				amh.allowedMethods[m] = struct{}{}
 			}
 		} else {
-			if !methodRegExp.Match([]byte(method)) {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("allowed_methods: invalid character in method %q", method)
-			}
 			method = strings.ToUpper(method)
 			amh.allowedMethods[method] = struct{}{}
 		}
diff --git a/main_test.go b/main_test.go
index 95ce5353b..1d91a1e4a 100644
--- a/main_test.go
+++ b/main_test.go
@@ -42,8 +42,9 @@ func Test_realmain(t *testing.T) {
 		{"non-existent log level via env /w file", []string{"couper", "run", "-f", base + "/log_altered.hcl"}, []string{"COUPER_LOG_LEVEL=test"}, `level=error msg="configuration error: missing 'server' block" build=dev`, 1},
 		{"-f w/o file", []string{"couper", "run", "-f"}, nil, `level=error msg="flag needs an argument: -f" build=dev`, 1},
 		{"undefined AC", []string{"couper", "run", "-f", base + "/04_couper.hcl"}, nil, `level=error msg="accessControl is not defined: undefined" build=dev`, 1},
-		{"empty string in allowed_methods", []string{"couper", "run", "-f", base + "/13_couper.hcl"}, nil, `level=error msg="allowed_methods: invalid character in method \"\"" build=dev`, 1},
-		{"invalid method in allowed_methods", []string{"couper", "run", "-f", base + "/14_couper.hcl"}, nil, `level=error msg="allowed_methods: invalid character in method \"in valid\"" build=dev`, 1},
+		{"empty string in allowed_methods in endpoint", []string{"couper", "run", "-f", base + "/13_couper.hcl"}, nil, `level=error msg="13_couper.hcl:3,5-27: method contains invalid character(s); " build=dev`, 1},
+		{"invalid method in allowed_methods in endpoint", []string{"couper", "run", "-f", base + "/14_couper.hcl"}, nil, `level=error msg="14_couper.hcl:3,5-35: method contains invalid character(s); " build=dev`, 1},
+		{"invalid method in allowed_methods in api", []string{"couper", "run", "-f", base + "/15_couper.hcl"}, nil, `level=error msg="15_couper.hcl:3,5-35: method contains invalid character(s); " build=dev`, 1},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(subT *testing.T) {
diff --git a/server/testdata/settings/15_couper.hcl b/server/testdata/settings/15_couper.hcl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b05fe79f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/testdata/settings/15_couper.hcl
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+server {
+  api {
+    allowed_methods = ["in valid"]
+  }
+}