diff --git a/lib/bolt/inventory.rb b/lib/bolt/inventory.rb
index 6c0cdad342..d52905955e 100644
--- a/lib/bolt/inventory.rb
+++ b/lib/bolt/inventory.rb
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ def self.schema
       schema = {
         type:        Hash,
         properties:  OPTIONS.map { |opt| [opt, _ref: opt] }.to_h,
-        definitions: DEFINITIONS
+        definitions: DEFINITIONS,
+        _plugin:     true
       }
 
       schema[:definitions]['config'][:properties] = Bolt::Config.transport_definitions
diff --git a/lib/bolt/inventory/group.rb b/lib/bolt/inventory/group.rb
index df814f2392..35df0479fe 100644
--- a/lib/bolt/inventory/group.rb
+++ b/lib/bolt/inventory/group.rb
@@ -18,12 +18,20 @@ class Group
       GROUP_KEYS = DATA_KEYS + %w[name groups targets]
       CONFIG_KEYS = Bolt::Config::INVENTORY_OPTIONS.keys
 
-      def initialize(input, plugins)
+      def initialize(input, plugins, all_group: false)
         @logger = Bolt::Logger.logger(self)
         @plugins = plugins
 
         input = @plugins.resolve_top_level_references(input) if @plugins.reference?(input)
 
+        if all_group
+          if input.key?('name') && input['name'] != 'all'
+            @logger.warn("Top-level group '#{input['name']}' cannot specify a name, using 'all' instead.")
+          end
+
+          input = input.merge('name' => 'all')
+        end
+
         raise ValidationError.new("Group does not have a name", nil) unless input.key?('name')
 
         @name = @plugins.resolve_references(input['name'])
diff --git a/lib/bolt/inventory/inventory.rb b/lib/bolt/inventory/inventory.rb
index 5a1cdfa53d..9d7d7b8f3a 100644
--- a/lib/bolt/inventory/inventory.rb
+++ b/lib/bolt/inventory/inventory.rb
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ def initialize(data, transport, transports, plugins)
         @transport    = transport
         @config       = transports
         @plugins      = plugins
-        @groups       = Group.new(@data.merge('name' => 'all'), plugins)
+        @groups       = Group.new(@data, plugins, all_group: true)
         @group_lookup = {}
         @targets      = {}
 
diff --git a/rakelib/schemas.rake b/rakelib/schemas.rake
index facde42491..ff8598497b 100644
--- a/rakelib/schemas.rake
+++ b/rakelib/schemas.rake
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ end
 
 def add_plugin_reference(definition)
   definition, data = definition.partition do |k, _|
-    k == :description
+    %i[definitions description].include?(k)
   end.map(&:to_h)
 
   definition[:oneOf] = [
diff --git a/schemas/bolt-inventory.schema.json b/schemas/bolt-inventory.schema.json
index ccb67351a1..66e859e3df 100644
--- a/schemas/bolt-inventory.schema.json
+++ b/schemas/bolt-inventory.schema.json
@@ -1353,25 +1353,74 @@
       ]
     }
   },
-  "type": "object",
-  "properties": {
-    "config": {
-      "$ref": "#/definitions/config"
-    },
-    "facts": {
-      "$ref": "#/definitions/facts"
-    },
-    "features": {
-      "$ref": "#/definitions/features"
-    },
-    "groups": {
-      "$ref": "#/definitions/groups"
-    },
-    "targets": {
-      "$ref": "#/definitions/targets"
+  "oneOf": [
+    {
+      "type": "object",
+      "properties": {
+        "config": {
+          "oneOf": [
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/config"
+            },
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/_plugin"
+            }
+          ]
+        },
+        "facts": {
+          "oneOf": [
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/facts"
+            },
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/_plugin"
+            }
+          ]
+        },
+        "features": {
+          "oneOf": [
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/features"
+            },
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/_plugin"
+            }
+          ]
+        },
+        "groups": {
+          "oneOf": [
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/groups"
+            },
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/_plugin"
+            }
+          ]
+        },
+        "targets": {
+          "oneOf": [
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/targets"
+            },
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/_plugin"
+            }
+          ]
+        },
+        "vars": {
+          "oneOf": [
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/vars"
+            },
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/definitions/_plugin"
+            }
+          ]
+        }
+      }
     },
-    "vars": {
-      "$ref": "#/definitions/vars"
+    {
+      "$ref": "#/definitions/_plugin"
     }
-  }
+  ]
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spec/bolt/inventory/inventory_spec.rb b/spec/bolt/inventory/inventory_spec.rb
index fad29a5e92..cf355ae989 100644
--- a/spec/bolt/inventory/inventory_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/bolt/inventory/inventory_spec.rb
@@ -366,7 +366,6 @@ def get_target(inventory, name, alia = nil)
       context 'with targets at the top level' do
         let(:data) {
           {
-            'name' => 'group1',
             'targets' => [
               'target1',
               { 'uri' => 'target2' },
@@ -791,7 +790,6 @@ def common_data(transport)
       context 'with targets at the top level' do
         let(:data) {
           {
-            'name' => 'group1',
             'targets' => [
               'target1',
               { 'uri' => 'target2' },
diff --git a/spec/bolt/transport/local_spec.rb b/spec/bolt/transport/local_spec.rb
index 7276246b80..dfa96289d1 100644
--- a/spec/bolt/transport/local_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/bolt/transport/local_spec.rb
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ def get_target(inventory, name, alia = nil)
 
     context 'with group-level config' do
       let(:data) {
-        { 'name' => 'locomoco',
-          'targets' => [uri],
+        { 'targets' => [uri],
           'config' => {
             'transport' => 'ssh',
             'local' => {
@@ -100,8 +99,7 @@ def get_target(inventory, name, alia = nil)
 
     context 'with group-level config' do
       let(:data) {
-        { 'name' => 'locomoco',
-          'targets' => [uri],
+        { 'targets' => [uri],
           'config' => {
             'local' => {
               'bundled-ruby' => true,
diff --git a/spec/integration/inventory_spec.rb b/spec/integration/inventory_spec.rb
index 987eeb33ba..7cc677e4ca 100644
--- a/spec/integration/inventory_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/inventory_spec.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 require 'spec_helper'
 require 'bolt_spec/conn'
+require 'bolt_spec/env_var'
 require 'bolt_spec/files'
 require 'bolt_spec/integration'
 require 'bolt_spec/project'
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@
 
 describe 'running with an inventory file', reset_puppet_settings: true do
   include BoltSpec::Conn
+  include BoltSpec::EnvVar
   include BoltSpec::Files
   include BoltSpec::Integration
   include BoltSpec::Project
@@ -692,4 +694,74 @@ def fact_plan(name = 'facts_test')
       expect(result['targets'].empty?).to be(true)
     end
   end
+
+  context 'top-level plugin' do
+    let(:command)      { %W[inventory show --targets all --project #{@project.path}] }
+    let(:env_var)      { 'BOLT_INVENTORY_PARTIAL' }
+    let(:partial_path) { 'partial.yaml' }
+
+    let(:inventory) do
+      {
+        '_plugin'  => 'yaml',
+        'filepath' => partial_path
+      }
+    end
+
+    let(:partial) do
+      {
+        'targets' => %w[foo bar baz]
+      }
+    end
+
+    around(:each) do |example|
+      with_env_vars(env_var => partial_path) do
+        with_project(inventory: inventory) do |project|
+          @project = project
+          File.write(project.path + partial_path, partial.to_yaml)
+          example.run
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with valid resolved data' do
+      it 'does not error' do
+        result = run_cli_json(command)
+        expect(result['targets']).to include(*partial['targets'])
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with resolved data with a name' do
+      let(:partial) do
+        {
+          'name'    => 'badname',
+          'targets' => %w[foo bar baz]
+        }
+      end
+
+      it 'warns' do
+        run_cli_json(command)
+
+        expect(@log_output.readlines).to include(
+          /WARN.*Top-level group 'badname' cannot specify a name, using 'all' instead/
+        )
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with nested plugins' do
+      let(:inventory) do
+        {
+          '_plugin'  => 'yaml',
+          'filepath' => {
+            '_plugin' => 'env_var',
+            'var'     => env_var
+          }
+        }
+      end
+
+      it 'resolves and does not error' do
+        result = run_cli_json(command)
+        expect(result['targets']).to include(*partial['targets'])
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/bolt_spec/env_var.rb b/spec/lib/bolt_spec/env_var.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7b60525456
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/lib/bolt_spec/env_var.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+module BoltSpec
+  module EnvVar
+    def with_env_vars(new_vars)
+      new_vars.transform_keys!(&:to_s)
+
+      begin
+        old_vars = new_vars.keys.collect { |var| [var, ENV[var]] }.to_h
+        ENV.update(new_vars)
+        yield
+      ensure
+        ENV.update(old_vars) if old_vars
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end