diff --git a/core/common/ccprovider/metadata/validators.go b/core/common/ccprovider/metadata/validators.go
index 06dea70385b..92cc684fe51 100644
--- a/core/common/ccprovider/metadata/validators.go
+++ b/core/common/ccprovider/metadata/validators.go
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ package metadata
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -36,18 +36,28 @@ func (e *UnhandledDirectoryError) Error() string {
 	return e.err
 }
 
-// InvalidFileError is returned for invalid metadata files
-type InvalidFileError struct {
+// BadExtensionError is returned for metadata files with extension other than .json
+type BadExtensionError struct {
 	err string
 }
 
-func (e *InvalidFileError) Error() string {
+func (e *BadExtensionError) Error() string {
+	return e.err
+}
+
+// InvalidIndexContentError is returned for metadata files with invalid content
+type InvalidIndexContentError struct {
+	err string
+}
+
+func (e *InvalidIndexContentError) Error() string {
 	return e.err
 }
 
 // ValidateMetadataFile checks that metadata files are valid
 // according to the validation rules of the metadata directory (metadataType)
 func ValidateMetadataFile(srcPath, metadataType string) error {
+
 	// Get the validator handler for the metadata directory
 	fileValidator, ok := fileValidators[metadataType]
 
@@ -56,10 +66,10 @@ func ValidateMetadataFile(srcPath, metadataType string) error {
 		return &UnhandledDirectoryError{fmt.Sprintf("Metadata not supported in directory: %s", metadataType)}
 	}
 
-	// If the file is not valid for the given metadata directory, return InvalidFileError
+	// If the file is not valid for the given metadata directory, return an error
 	err := fileValidator(srcPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return &InvalidFileError{fmt.Sprintf("Metadata file [%s] failed validation: %s", srcPath, err)}
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// file is valid, return nil error
@@ -68,6 +78,14 @@ func ValidateMetadataFile(srcPath, metadataType string) error {
 
 // couchdbIndexFileValidator implements fileValidator
 func couchdbIndexFileValidator(srcPath string) error {
+
+	ext := filepath.Ext(srcPath)
+
+	// if the file does not have a .json extension, then return as error
+	if ext != ".json" {
+		return &BadExtensionError{fmt.Sprintf("Index metadata file [%s] does not have a .json extension", srcPath)}
+	}
+
 	fileBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(srcPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -76,11 +94,16 @@ func couchdbIndexFileValidator(srcPath string) error {
 	// if the content does not validate as JSON, return err to invalidate the file
 	boolIsJSON, indexDefinition := isJSON(fileBytes)
 	if !boolIsJSON {
-		return errors.New("File is not valid JSON")
+		return &InvalidIndexContentError{fmt.Sprintf("Index metadata file [%s] is not a valid JSON", srcPath)}
 	}
 
 	// validate the index definition
-	return validateIndexJSON(indexDefinition)
+	err = validateIndexJSON(indexDefinition)
+	if err != nil {
+		return &InvalidIndexContentError{fmt.Sprintf("Index metadata file [%s] is not a valid index definition: %s", srcPath, err)}
+	}
+
+	return nil
 
 }
 
diff --git a/core/common/ccprovider/metadata/validators_test.go b/core/common/ccprovider/metadata/validators_test.go
index f38fe8f92fa..fcf4b08f287 100644
--- a/core/common/ccprovider/metadata/validators_test.go
+++ b/core/common/ccprovider/metadata/validators_test.go
@@ -45,11 +45,11 @@ func TestBadIndexJSON(t *testing.T) {
 
 	err = ValidateMetadataFile(filename, "META-INF/statedb/couchdb/indexes")
 
-	assert.Error(t, err, "Should have received an InvalidFileError")
+	assert.Error(t, err, "Should have received an InvalidIndexContentError")
 
-	// Type assertion on InvalidFileError
-	_, ok := err.(*InvalidFileError)
-	assert.True(t, ok, "Should have received an InvalidFileError")
+	// Type assertion on InvalidIndexContentError
+	_, ok := err.(*InvalidIndexContentError)
+	assert.True(t, ok, "Should have received an InvalidIndexContentError")
 
 	t.Log("SAMPLE ERROR STRING:", err.Error())
 }
@@ -108,6 +108,27 @@ func TestCantReadFile(t *testing.T) {
 
 	err := ValidateMetadataFile(filename, "META-INF/statedb/couchdb/indexes")
 	assert.Error(t, err, "Should have received error reading file")
+
+}
+
+func TestBadMetadataExtension(t *testing.T) {
+	testDir := filepath.Join(packageTestDir, "BadMetadataExtension")
+	cleanupDir(testDir)
+	defer cleanupDir(testDir)
+
+	filename := filepath.Join(testDir, "META-INF/statedb/couchdb/indexes", "myIndex.go")
+	filebytes := []byte(`{"index":{"fields":["data.docType","data.owner"]},"name":"indexOwner","type":"json"}`)
+
+	err := writeToFile(filename, filebytes)
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "Error writing to file")
+
+	err = ValidateMetadataFile(filename, "META-INF/statedb/couchdb/indexes")
+	assert.Error(t, err, "Should have received an BadExtensionError")
+
+	// Type assertion on BadExtensionError
+	_, ok := err.(*BadExtensionError)
+	assert.True(t, ok, "Should have received an BadExtensionError")
+
 }
 
 func TestIndexValidation(t *testing.T) {