diff --git a/rs/boundary_node/rate_limits/canister_client/src/lib.rs b/rs/boundary_node/rate_limits/canister_client/src/lib.rs
index 2502251b3ef..d91193ef5fb 100644
--- a/rs/boundary_node/rate_limits/canister_client/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rs/boundary_node/rate_limits/canister_client/src/lib.rs
@@ -8,21 +8,13 @@ use rate_limits_api::{
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use std::{fs, path::PathBuf, str};
 use tracing::{debug, info};
-use tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter;
 use uuid::Uuid;
 
 pub async fn submit_config(
     config_file: PathBuf,
     canister_id: Principal,
     agent: Agent,
-    debug: bool,
 ) -> Result<(), Error> {
-    // initialize tracing subscriber with corresponding log level
-    let log_level = if debug { "debug" } else { "info" };
-    tracing_subscriber::fmt()
-        .with_env_filter(EnvFilter::new(log_level))
-        .init();
-
     // read the rules
     let rules = read_yaml_file(&config_file)?;
 
@@ -83,6 +75,11 @@ pub async fn submit_config(
     Ok(())
 }
 
+pub fn check_config(config_file: PathBuf) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    let _ = read_yaml_file(&config_file)?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
 struct YamlRule {
     #[serde(flatten)]
@@ -95,8 +92,7 @@ fn read_yaml_file(file_path: &PathBuf) -> Result<Vec<InputRule>, Error> {
     let yaml_str = fs::read_to_string(file_path).context("Unable to read file")?;
 
     // Deserialize directly into `YamlRule` and transform `InputRule`
-    let yaml_rules: Vec<YamlRule> =
-        serde_yaml::from_str(&yaml_str).context("Failed to parse YAML")?;
+    let yaml_rules: Vec<YamlRule> = serde_yaml::from_str(&yaml_str)?;
     let input_rules = yaml_rules
         .into_iter()
         .map(|entry| InputRule {
diff --git a/rs/boundary_node/rate_limits/canister_client/src/main.rs b/rs/boundary_node/rate_limits/canister_client/src/main.rs
index 3e8d8df7d53..04be8b669ae 100644
--- a/rs/boundary_node/rate_limits/canister_client/src/main.rs
+++ b/rs/boundary_node/rate_limits/canister_client/src/main.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
+use anyhow::{bail, Context, Error};
 use candid::Principal;
 use clap::Parser;
 use ic_agent::{identity::Secp256k1Identity, Agent};
 use k256::elliptic_curve::SecretKey;
-use rate_limiting_canister_client::submit_config;
+use rate_limiting_canister_client::{check_config, submit_config};
 use std::{path::PathBuf, str};
+use tracing::info;
+use tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter;
 
 const SERVICE_NAME: &str = "rate-limiting-canister-client";
 
@@ -12,7 +15,7 @@ const SERVICE_NAME: &str = "rate-limiting-canister-client";
 struct Cli {
     /// ID of the rate-limiting canister
     #[arg(long)]
-    canister_id: Principal,
+    canister_id: Option<Principal>,
 
     /// Path to the file containing all the rules
     #[arg(long)]
@@ -20,33 +23,55 @@ struct Cli {
 
     /// Identity key
     #[arg(long)]
-    identity_key: String,
+    identity_key: Option<String>,
 
     /// IC domain URL
     #[arg(long, default_value = "https://icp-api.io")]
     ic_domain: String,
 
+    /// Only check the config file
+    #[arg(long)]
+    check: bool,
+
     /// Enable debug logging
     #[arg(long)]
     debug: bool,
 }
 
 #[tokio::main]
-async fn main() {
+async fn main() -> Result<(), Error> {
     // parse command-line arguments
     let cli = Cli::parse();
 
-    // create the agent
-    let identity = Secp256k1Identity::from_private_key(
-        SecretKey::from_sec1_pem(&cli.identity_key).expect("failed to parse the identity key"),
-    );
-    let agent = Agent::builder()
-        .with_url(cli.ic_domain)
-        .with_identity(identity)
-        .build()
-        .expect("failed to build the agent");
-
-    submit_config(cli.config_file, cli.canister_id, agent, cli.debug)
-        .await
-        .expect("failed to submit the config to the canister");
+    // initialize tracing subscriber with corresponding log level
+    let log_level = if cli.debug { "debug" } else { "info" };
+    tracing_subscriber::fmt()
+        .with_env_filter(EnvFilter::new(log_level))
+        .init();
+
+    if cli.check {
+        check_config(cli.config_file).context("Failed to parse the config")?;
+        info!("Config file is correctly formatted");
+    } else {
+        if cli.identity_key.is_none() || cli.canister_id.is_none() {
+            bail!("Canister ID and identity key are required to submit the configuration to the canister!");
+        }
+        let identity_key = cli.identity_key.unwrap();
+        let canister_id = cli.canister_id.unwrap();
+
+        // create the agent
+        let identity = Secp256k1Identity::from_private_key(
+            SecretKey::from_sec1_pem(&identity_key).context("failed to parse the identity key")?,
+        );
+        let agent = Agent::builder()
+            .with_url(cli.ic_domain)
+            .with_identity(identity)
+            .build()
+            .context("failed to build the agent")?;
+
+        submit_config(cli.config_file, canister_id, agent)
+            .await
+            .context("failed to submit the config to the canister")?;
+    }
+    Ok(())
 }