diff --git a/src/pkg/packager/lint/lint.go b/src/pkg/packager/lint/lint.go
index 5f30558c5a..add6a7eb01 100644
--- a/src/pkg/packager/lint/lint.go
+++ b/src/pkg/packager/lint/lint.go
@@ -47,11 +47,12 @@ func Validate(createOpts types.ZarfCreateOptions) (*Validator, error) {
 	lintComponents(&validator, &createOpts)
 	lintPkg(&validator)
 
-	if validator.jsonSchema, err = getSchemaFile(); err != nil {
+	jsonSchema, err := getSchemaFile()
+	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if err = validateSchema(&validator); err != nil {
+	if err = validateSchema(&validator, jsonSchema); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -270,8 +271,8 @@ func makeFieldPathYqCompat(field string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(".%s", wrappedField)
 }
 
-func validateSchema(validator *Validator) error {
-	schemaLoader := gojsonschema.NewBytesLoader(validator.jsonSchema)
+func validateSchema(validator *Validator, jsonSchema []byte) error {
+	schemaLoader := gojsonschema.NewBytesLoader(jsonSchema)
 	documentLoader := gojsonschema.NewGoLoader(validator.untypedZarfPackage)
 
 	result, err := gojsonschema.Validate(schemaLoader, documentLoader)
diff --git a/src/pkg/packager/lint/lint_test.go b/src/pkg/packager/lint/lint_test.go
index 049f6dd4d8..3065370706 100644
--- a/src/pkg/packager/lint/lint_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/packager/lint/lint_test.go
@@ -33,6 +33,13 @@ components:
     path: 123123
 `
 
+const noCompPkg = `
+kind: ZarfInitConfig
+metadata:
+  name: init
+  description: Testing bad yaml
+`
+
 const goodZarfPackage = `
 x-name: &name good-zarf-package
 
@@ -70,22 +77,31 @@ func TestValidateSchema(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Run("validate schema success", func(t *testing.T) {
 		unmarshalledYaml := readAndUnmarshalYaml[interface{}](t, goodZarfPackage)
-		validator := Validator{untypedZarfPackage: unmarshalledYaml, jsonSchema: getZarfSchema(t)}
-		err := validateSchema(&validator)
+		validator := Validator{untypedZarfPackage: unmarshalledYaml}
+		err := validateSchema(&validator, getZarfSchema(t))
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		require.Empty(t, validator.findings)
 	})
 
 	t.Run("validate schema fail", func(t *testing.T) {
 		unmarshalledYaml := readAndUnmarshalYaml[interface{}](t, badZarfPackage)
-		validator := Validator{untypedZarfPackage: unmarshalledYaml, jsonSchema: getZarfSchema(t)}
-		err := validateSchema(&validator)
+		validator := Validator{untypedZarfPackage: unmarshalledYaml}
+		err := validateSchema(&validator, getZarfSchema(t))
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		config.NoColor = true
 		require.Equal(t, "Additional property not-path is not allowed", validator.findings[0].String())
 		require.Equal(t, "Invalid type. Expected: string, given: integer", validator.findings[1].String())
 	})
 
+	t.Run("validate schema fail", func(t *testing.T) {
+		unmarshalledYaml := readAndUnmarshalYaml[interface{}](t, noCompPkg)
+		validator := Validator{untypedZarfPackage: unmarshalledYaml}
+		err := validateSchema(&validator, getZarfSchema(t))
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		config.NoColor = true
+		require.Equal(t, "components is required", validator.findings[0].String())
+	})
+
 	t.Run("Template in component import success", func(t *testing.T) {
 		unmarshalledYaml := readAndUnmarshalYaml[types.ZarfPackage](t, goodZarfPackage)
 		validator := Validator{typedZarfPackage: unmarshalledYaml}
diff --git a/src/pkg/packager/lint/validator.go b/src/pkg/packager/lint/validator.go
index 2f79ed5a3b..550ca4c897 100644
--- a/src/pkg/packager/lint/validator.go
+++ b/src/pkg/packager/lint/validator.go
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ func (vm validatorMessage) String() string {
 // Validator holds the warnings/errors and messaging that we get from validation
 type Validator struct {
 	findings           []validatorMessage
-	jsonSchema         []byte
 	typedZarfPackage   types.ZarfPackage
 	untypedZarfPackage interface{}
 	baseDir            string