diff --git a/.configref b/.configref
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8de8d6b34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.configref
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+18036
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/config.yml b/.github/workflows/config.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..099766cac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/config.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+name: Config
+on: [push]
+
+env:
+  REGISTRY: ghcr.io
+  IMAGE_NAME: ${{ github.repository }}
+
+jobs:
+  sync:
+    name: Check for config changes
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        id: checkout-code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 2
+      - name: Get changed files
+        id: changed-files
+        uses: tj-actions/changed-files@v19
+        with:
+          files: |
+            server/src/configs/default.json
+      - name: Run step if any of the listed files above change
+        if: steps.changed-files.outputs.any_changed == 'true'
+        run: |
+          yarn config-check
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6a2f7fad8..9f318cb2c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
     "missing-locales": "node server/scripts/createLocales.js --missing",
     "create-area": "node server/scripts/poracleToGeoJSON.js",
     "config-migrate": "node server/scripts/configMigration.js",
+    "config-check": "node server/scripts/configCheck.js",
     "console": "node --experimental-repl-await ./server/scripts/console.js",
     "migrate:make": "knex --knexfile server/knexfile.cjs migrate:make",
     "migrate:latest": "knex --knexfile server/knexfile.cjs migrate:latest",
diff --git a/server/scripts/configCheck.js b/server/scripts/configCheck.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..780a8366a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/scripts/configCheck.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+const fs = require('fs')
+const path = require('path')
+
+fs.writeFileSync(
+  path.resolve(__dirname, '../../.configref'),
+  fs
+    .readFileSync(
+      path.resolve(__dirname, '../src/configs/default.json'),
+      'utf8',
+    )
+    .length.toString(),
+)
diff --git a/server/src/services/config.js b/server/src/services/config.js
index 4791466d9..5478bfe46 100644
--- a/server/src/services/config.js
+++ b/server/src/services/config.js
@@ -10,6 +10,28 @@ dotenv.config()
 
 const config = require('config')
 
+try {
+  const refLength = +fs.readFileSync(
+    resolve(__dirname, '../../../.configref'),
+    'utf8',
+  )
+  const defaultLength = fs.readFileSync(
+    resolve(__dirname, '../configs/default.json'),
+    'utf8',
+  ).length
+
+  if (refLength !== defaultLength) {
+    console.error(
+      '[CONFIG] It looks like you have modified the `default.json` file, you should not do this! Make all of your config changes in your `local.json` file.',
+    )
+  }
+} catch (e) {
+  console.error(
+    '[CONFIG] Error trying to read either the default.json or .ref file',
+    e,
+  )
+}
+
 if (!fs.existsSync(resolve(`${__dirname}/../configs/local.json`))) {
   // add database env variables from .env or docker-compose
   const {