diff --git a/src/config/normalize/lib/main.js b/src/config/normalize/lib/main.js
index 95fb1e72..3b5f9ec6 100644
--- a/src/config/normalize/lib/main.js
+++ b/src/config/normalize/lib/main.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import { logWarnings } from './warn.js'
 //  - Makes it clear to users what the order is
 // TODO: abstract this function to its own library
 export const normalizeInputs = async function (inputs, rules, opts) {
-  const { soft, all } = normalizeOpts(rules, opts)
+  const { soft, all } = normalizeOpts(opts)
   const rulesA = normalizeRules(rules, all)
 
   try {
diff --git a/src/config/normalize/lib/normalize.js b/src/config/normalize/lib/normalize.js
index 5639c7c7..a4216bcb 100644
--- a/src/config/normalize/lib/normalize.js
+++ b/src/config/normalize/lib/normalize.js
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-import filterObj from 'filter-obj'
+import { inspect } from 'util'
+
+import isPlainObj from 'is-plain-obj'
 import { normalizeQuery } from 'wild-wild-parser'
 
 import { wrapError } from '../../../error/wrap.js'
@@ -7,30 +9,32 @@ import { wrapError } from '../../../error/wrap.js'
 // All methods and properties that use queries can use either the string or the
 // path syntax.
 export const normalizeRules = function (rules, all) {
-  const rulesA = mergeRulesAll(rules, all)
-  return rulesA.map(normalizeRule)
+  validateRules(rules)
+  return rules.map((rule) => normalizeRule(rule, all))
 }
 
-const mergeRulesAll = function (rules, all) {
-  if (all === undefined) {
-    return rules
+const validateRules = function (rules) {
+  if (!Array.isArray(rules)) {
+    throw new TypeError(`Rules must be an array: ${inspect(rules)}`)
   }
-
-  const allA = filterObj(all, isDefined)
-  return rules.map((rule) => ({ ...allA, ...rule }))
 }
 
-const isDefined = function (key, value) {
-  return value !== undefined
-}
+const normalizeRule = function (rule, all) {
+  if (!isPlainObj(rule)) {
+    throw new TypeError(`Rule must be a plain object: ${inspect(rule)}`)
+  }
 
-const normalizeRule = function (rule) {
-  return { ...rule, name: normalizeName(rule.name) }
+  const ruleA = all === undefined ? rule : { ...all, ...rule }
+  return { ...ruleA, name: normalizeName(ruleA) }
 }
 
-const normalizeName = function (name) {
+const normalizeName = function (rule) {
+  if (rule.name === undefined) {
+    throw new Error(`Rule must have a "name" property: ${inspect(rule)}`)
+  }
+
   try {
-    return normalizeQuery(name)
+    return normalizeQuery(rule.name)
   } catch (error) {
     throw wrapError(error, 'Invalid "name":')
   }
diff --git a/src/config/normalize/lib/options.js b/src/config/normalize/lib/options.js
index 54859383..91c18dc8 100644
--- a/src/config/normalize/lib/options.js
+++ b/src/config/normalize/lib/options.js
@@ -1,20 +1,38 @@
+import { inspect } from 'util'
+
+import filterObj from 'filter-obj'
 import isPlainObj from 'is-plain-obj'
 
-export const normalizeOpts = function (rules, { soft = false, all } = {}) {
-  validateRules(rules)
-  return { soft, all }
+// Normalize `options`
+export const normalizeOpts = function (options = {}) {
+  if (!isPlainObj(options)) {
+    throw new TypeError(`Options must be a plain object: ${inspect(options)}`)
+  }
+
+  const { soft = false, all } = options
+  validateSoft(soft)
+  const allA = normalizeAll(all)
+  return { soft, all: allA }
 }
 
-const validateRules = function (rules) {
-  if (!Array.isArray(rules)) {
-    throw new TypeError(`Rules must be an array: ${rules}`)
+const validateSoft = function (soft) {
+  if (typeof soft !== 'boolean') {
+    throw new TypeError(`Option "soft" must be a boolean: ${inspect(soft)}`)
   }
-
-  rules.forEach(validateRule)
 }
 
-const validateRule = function (rule) {
-  if (!isPlainObj(rule)) {
-    throw new TypeError(`Rules must be plain objects: ${rule}`)
+const normalizeAll = function (all) {
+  if (all === undefined) {
+    return
   }
+
+  if (!isPlainObj(all)) {
+    throw new TypeError(`Option "all" must be a plain object: ${inspect(all)}`)
+  }
+
+  return filterObj(all, isDefined)
+}
+
+const isDefined = function (key, value) {
+  return value !== undefined
 }