diff --git a/src/main/resources/swagger/agora.json b/src/main/resources/swagger/agora.json
index 586e2fcc..ae0cbd7b 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/swagger/agora.json
+++ b/src/main/resources/swagger/agora.json
@@ -1507,7 +1507,7 @@
         "payload": {
           "type": "string",
           "description": "Payload of method -- must be in WDL format",
-          "default": "{ \"methodStoreMethod\": { \"methodNamespace\": \"YOUR_NAMESPACE\", \"methodName\": \"BWA\", \"methodVersion\": 1}}\n"
+          "default": "{ \"methodRepoMethod\": { \"methodNamespace\": \"YOUR_NAMESPACE\", \"methodName\": \"BWA\", \"methodVersion\": 1}}\n"
         },
         "entityType": {
           "type": "string",
@@ -1556,7 +1556,7 @@
         "payload": {
           "type": "string",
           "description": "Payload of method -- must be in WDL format. MUST BE REQUESTED EXPLICITLY.",
-          "default": "{ \"methodStoreMethod\": { \"methodNamespace\": \"YOUR_NAMESPACE\", \"methodName\": \"BWA\", \"methodVersion\": 1}}\n"
+          "default": "{ \"methodRepoMethod\": { \"methodNamespace\": \"YOUR_NAMESPACE\", \"methodName\": \"BWA\", \"methodVersion\": 1}}\n"
         },
         "entityType": {
           "type": "string",
diff --git a/src/main/resources/swagger/agora.yaml b/src/main/resources/swagger/agora.yaml
index a7f678a6..972d3c46 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/swagger/agora.yaml
+++ b/src/main/resources/swagger/agora.yaml
@@ -1055,7 +1055,7 @@ definitions:
         type: string
         description: Payload of method -- must be in WDL format
         default: >
-          { "methodStoreMethod": { "methodNamespace": "YOUR_NAMESPACE",
+          { "methodRepoMethod": { "methodNamespace": "YOUR_NAMESPACE",
           "methodName": "BWA", "methodVersion": 1}}
       entityType:
         type: string
@@ -1097,7 +1097,7 @@ definitions:
         type: string
         description: Payload of method -- must be in WDL format. MUST BE REQUESTED EXPLICITLY.
         default: >
-          { "methodStoreMethod": { "methodNamespace": "YOUR_NAMESPACE",
+          { "methodRepoMethod": { "methodNamespace": "YOUR_NAMESPACE",
           "methodName": "BWA", "methodVersion": 1}}
       entityType:
         type: string
diff --git a/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/business/AgoraBusiness.scala b/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/business/AgoraBusiness.scala
index ed525195..cfa3401c 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/business/AgoraBusiness.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/business/AgoraBusiness.scala
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package org.broadinstitute.dsde.agora.server.business
 
 import cromwell.parser.BackendType
 import cromwell.parser.WdlParser.SyntaxError
-import org.broadinstitute.dsde.agora.server.exceptions.{AgoraEntityNotFoundException, NamespaceAuthorizationException}
+import org.broadinstitute.dsde.agora.server.exceptions.{ValidationException, AgoraException, AgoraEntityNotFoundException, NamespaceAuthorizationException}
 import org.broadinstitute.dsde.agora.server.webservice.util.{DockerImageReference, DockerHubClient}
 
 import cromwell.binding._
@@ -105,13 +105,18 @@ class AgoraBusiness {
         // Passed basic validation.  Now check if (any) docker images that are referenced exist
         namespace.tasks.foreach { validateDockerImage }
       case AgoraEntityType.Configuration =>
-        val json = agoraEntity.payload.get.parseJson
-        val fields = json.asJsObject.getFields("methodStoreMethod")
-        require(fields.size == 1)
-        val subFields = fields(0).asJsObject.getFields("methodNamespace", "methodName", "methodVersion")
-        require(subFields(0).isInstanceOf[JsString])
-        require(subFields(1).isInstanceOf[JsString])
-        require(subFields(2).isInstanceOf[JsNumber])
+        try {
+          val json = agoraEntity.payload.get.parseJson
+          val fields = json.asJsObject.getFields("methodRepoMethod")
+          require(fields.size == 1, "Configuration payload must define at least one field named 'methodRepoMethod'.")
+          val subFields = fields(0).asJsObject.getFields("methodNamespace", "methodName", "methodVersion")
+          require(subFields(0).isInstanceOf[JsString], "Configuration methodRepoMethod must include a 'methodNamespace' key with a string value")
+          require(subFields(1).isInstanceOf[JsString], "Configuration methodRepoMethod must include a 'methodName' key with a string value")
+          require(subFields(2).isInstanceOf[JsNumber], "Configuration methodRepoMethod must include a 'methodVersion' key with a JSNumber value")
+        } catch {
+          case e: IllegalArgumentException =>
+            throw new ValidationException(e)
+        }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/exceptions/ValidationException.scala b/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/exceptions/ValidationException.scala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..59fba10b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/exceptions/ValidationException.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+package org.broadinstitute.dsde.agora.server.exceptions
+
+import com.typesafe.scalalogging.slf4j.LazyLogging
+
+/**
+ * Sugar over a generic underlying exception such that it can be handled properly higher in the system.
+ * @param ex - The underlying exception
+ */
+class ValidationException(ex: Throwable = null) extends Exception with LazyLogging {
+  override def getCause: Throwable = ex
+  override def getMessage: String = ex.getMessage
+}
diff --git a/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/model/AgoraApiJsonSupport.scala b/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/model/AgoraApiJsonSupport.scala
index ceee35ff..f25a632b 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/model/AgoraApiJsonSupport.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/model/AgoraApiJsonSupport.scala
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ object AgoraApiJsonSupport extends DefaultJsonProtocol {
 
   def methodRef(payload: String): AgoraEntity = {
     val json = payload.parseJson
-    val refJson = json.asJsObject.fields("methodStoreMethod").asJsObject
+    val refJson = json.asJsObject.fields("methodRepoMethod").asJsObject
     val namespace = refJson.fields("methodNamespace").convertTo[String]
     val name = refJson.fields("methodName").convertTo[String]
     val snapshotId = refJson.fields("methodVersion").convertTo[Int]
diff --git a/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/webservice/PerRequest.scala b/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/webservice/PerRequest.scala
index 616bec7a..f0e26c09 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/webservice/PerRequest.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/webservice/PerRequest.scala
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ trait PerRequest extends Actor {
       case e: SyntaxError =>
         r.complete(BadRequest, AgoraException(e.getMessage, e.getCause, BadRequest))
         Stop
+      case e: ValidationException =>
+        r.complete(BadRequest,AgoraException(e.getMessage, e.getCause, BadRequest))
+        Stop
       case e: Throwable =>
         r.complete(InternalServerError, AgoraException(e.getMessage, e.getCause, InternalServerError))
         Stop
diff --git a/src/test/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/AgoraTestData.scala b/src/test/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/AgoraTestData.scala
index 50340e41..b0487a7e 100644
--- a/src/test/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/AgoraTestData.scala
+++ b/src/test/scala/org/broadinstitute/dsde/agora/server/AgoraTestData.scala
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ object AgoraTestData {
                                               | """.stripMargin)
 
   val taskConfigPayload = Option( s"""{
-                                    |  "methodStoreMethod": {
+                                    |  "methodRepoMethod": {
                                     |    "methodNamespace": "${namespace1.get}",
                                     |    "methodName": "${name1.get}",
                                     |    "methodVersion": 1
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ object AgoraTestData {
                                     |}""".stripMargin)
 
   val taskConfigPayload2 = Option( s"""{
-                                    |  "methodStoreMethod": {
+                                    |  "methodRepoMethod": {
                                     |    "methodNamespace": "${namespace2.get}",
                                     |    "methodName": "${name1.get}",
                                     |    "methodVersion": 1
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ object AgoraTestData {
 
 
   val taskConfigPayload3 = Option( s"""{
-                                      |  "methodStoreMethod": {
+                                      |  "methodRepoMethod": {
                                       |    "methodNamespace": "${namespace3.get}",
                                       |    "methodName": "${name3.get}",
                                       |    "methodVersion": 1