diff --git a/.github/workflows/soc-packs-pr-gate.yml b/.github/workflows/soc-packs-pr-gate.yml
index 939090f..b78859b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/soc-packs-pr-gate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/soc-packs-pr-gate.yml
@@ -3,15 +3,16 @@ name: SOC Packs — PR Gate
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 # Runs on every PR targeting main. All jobs must pass before merge.
 #
-# Job 1 · scan          — no customer data in the diff
-# Job 2 · detect        — find packs with version bumps
-# Job 3 · validate      — demisto-sdk normalize + validate
-# Job 4 · preflight     — xsoar_config.json format + doc URL checks
-# Job 5 · prerelease    — build zip + upload as PR prerelease tag
-#                         e.g. SocFrameworkProofPointTap-v1.1.1-pr647
-#                         Also uploads a modified xsoar_config.json
-#                         as a release asset with the prerelease zip URL.
-# Job 6 · deploy-dev    — deploy to test tenant using prerelease assets
+# Job 1 · scan           — no customer data in the diff
+# Job 2 · detect         — find packs with version bumps
+# Job 3 · json-integrity — pack_catalog.json schema + xsoar_config.json validity
+# Job 4 · validate       — demisto-sdk normalize + validate
+# Job 5 · preflight      — xsoar_config.json format + doc URL checks
+# Job 6 · prerelease     — build zip + upload as PR prerelease tag
+#                          e.g. SocFrameworkProofPointTap-v1.1.1-pr647
+#                          Also uploads a modified xsoar_config.json
+#                          as a release asset with the prerelease zip URL.
+# Job 7 · deploy-dev     — deploy to test tenant using prerelease assets
 #
 # After merge, soc-packs-release.yml creates the real immutable tag
 # and the prerelease is superseded.
@@ -140,10 +141,40 @@ jobs:
               fh.write(f"has_changes={'true' if changed else 'false'}\n")
           PY
 
-  # ── JOB 3: VALIDATE ─────────────────────────────────────────────
+  # ── JOB 3: JSON INTEGRITY ───────────────────────────────────────
+  # Runs on every PR regardless of version bumps.
+  # pack_catalog.json is a repo-level file — always checked.
+  # xsoar_config.json is scoped to changed packs when available,
+  # otherwise all packs are checked as a safety net.
+  json-integrity:
+    name: JSON integrity — catalog + xsoar_config
+    needs: detect
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.10"
+
+      - name: Validate pack_catalog.json
+        run: |
+          python tools/validate_pack_catalog.py
+
+      - name: Validate xsoar_config.json files
+        env:
+          CHANGED_PACKS: ${{ needs.detect.outputs.packs }}
+        run: |
+          if [ -n "$CHANGED_PACKS" ]; then
+            python tools/validate_xsoar_configs.py --packs "$CHANGED_PACKS"
+          else
+            python tools/validate_xsoar_configs.py
+          fi
+
+  # ── JOB 4: VALIDATE ─────────────────────────────────────────────
   validate:
     name: Validate — demisto-sdk
-    needs: detect
+    needs: [detect, json-integrity]
     if: needs.detect.outputs.has_changes == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
@@ -188,10 +219,10 @@ jobs:
           done
           exit $FAILED
 
-  # ── JOB 4: PREFLIGHT xsoar_config.json ──────────────────────────
+  # ── JOB 5: PREFLIGHT xsoar_config.json ──────────────────────────
   preflight:
     name: Preflight — xsoar_config.json
-    needs: [detect, validate]
+    needs: [detect, json-integrity, validate]
     if: needs.detect.outputs.has_changes == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
@@ -207,7 +238,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           python tools/preflight_xsoar_config.py --packs "$CHANGED_PACKS"
 
-  # ── JOB 5: BUILD PRERELEASE ZIP ─────────────────────────────────
+  # ── JOB 6: BUILD PRERELEASE ZIP ─────────────────────────────────
   prerelease:
     name: Build prerelease zip
     needs: [detect, preflight]
@@ -332,7 +363,7 @@ jobs:
               fh.write(f"config_url={config_url}\n")
           PY
 
-  # ── JOB 6: DEPLOY TO TEST TENANT ────────────────────────────────
+  # ── JOB 7: DEPLOY TO TEST TENANT ────────────────────────────────
   deploy-dev:
     name: Deploy — dev tenant (pre-merge)
     needs: [detect, prerelease]
diff --git a/tools/pack_prep.py b/tools/pack_prep.py
index 37a9d7e..b2ee644 100644
--- a/tools/pack_prep.py
+++ b/tools/pack_prep.py
@@ -14,34 +14,53 @@ def main():
         print("Usage: python3 tools/pack_prep.py Packs/<PackName>")
         sys.exit(1)
 
-    pack = sys.argv[1]
+    pack_path = Path(sys.argv[1])
 
-    if not Path(pack).exists():
-        print(f"Error: Pack path not found: {pack}")
+    if not pack_path.exists():
+        print(f"Error: Pack path not found: {pack_path}")
         sys.exit(1)
 
-    print(f"\n=== Normalizing rule IDs: {pack} ===\n")
+    pack_name = pack_path.name
+    failed = False
+
+    # ── Step 1: Normalize rule IDs and adopted flags ─────────────────────────
+    print(f"\n=== Normalizing rule IDs: {pack_path} ===\n")
     subprocess.run(
-        [sys.executable, "tools/normalize_ruleid_adopted.py", "--root", pack, "--fix"]
+        [sys.executable, "tools/normalize_ruleid_adopted.py", "--root", str(pack_path), "--fix"]
     )
 
+    # ── Step 2: Validate xsoar_config.json (if present) ──────────────────────
+    config_path = pack_path / "xsoar_config.json"
+    if config_path.exists():
+        print(f"\n=== Checking xsoar_config.json: {config_path} ===\n")
+        rc = subprocess.run(
+            [sys.executable, "tools/validate_xsoar_configs.py", "--packs", pack_name]
+        ).returncode
+        if rc != 0:
+            print(f"xsoar_config.json is invalid — fix before uploading.")
+            failed = True
+    else:
+        print(f"\n--- No xsoar_config.json in {pack_path} — skipping config check ---")
+
+    # ── Step 3: demisto-sdk validate ─────────────────────────────────────────
     output_dir = Path("output")
     output_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
     error_log = output_dir / "sdk_errors.txt"
 
-    print(f"\n=== Validating: {pack} (output → {error_log}) ===\n")
+    print(f"\n=== Validating: {pack_path} (output → {error_log}) ===\n")
     with open(error_log, "a") as log:
         rc = subprocess.run(
-            ["demisto-sdk", "validate", "-i", pack],
+            ["demisto-sdk", "validate", "-i", str(pack_path)],
             stdout=log, stderr=log
         ).returncode
 
     if rc == 0:
-        print("Validation passed.")
+        print("SDK validation passed.")
     else:
-        print(f"Validation errors written to {error_log}")
+        print(f"SDK validation errors written to {error_log}")
+        failed = True
 
-    sys.exit(rc)
+    sys.exit(1 if failed else 0)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/tools/validate_pack_catalog.py b/tools/validate_pack_catalog.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..06828e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/validate_pack_catalog.py
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+validate_pack_catalog.py — CI gate for pack_catalog.json
+
+Rules enforced:
+  1. File is valid JSON.
+  2. Top-level structure is {"packs": [...]}.
+  3. Every pack entry contains all required fields.
+  4. No required field value is null or empty string.
+  5. Extra/unknown fields are silently allowed (additive-safe).
+
+Required fields (from canonical schema):
+  id, display_name, category, version, path, visible, xsoar_config
+
+Exit 0 on success, 1 on any failure.
+"""
+
+import json
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+CATALOG_PATH = Path("pack_catalog.json")
+
+REQUIRED_FIELDS = [
+    "id",
+    "display_name",
+    "category",
+    "version",
+    "path",
+    "visible",
+    "xsoar_config",
+]
+
+# Fields where an empty string is NOT acceptable (bool/str must be non-empty)
+NON_EMPTY_FIELDS = {"id", "display_name", "category", "version", "path", "xsoar_config"}
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    if not CATALOG_PATH.exists():
+        print(f"ERROR: {CATALOG_PATH} not found.")
+        return 1
+
+    # ── Rule 1: valid JSON ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    try:
+        data = json.loads(CATALOG_PATH.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    except json.JSONDecodeError as exc:
+        print(f"ERROR: {CATALOG_PATH} is not valid JSON — {exc}")
+        return 1
+
+    print(f"OK  JSON is valid ({CATALOG_PATH})")
+
+    # ── Rule 2: top-level shape ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+    if not isinstance(data, dict) or "packs" not in data:
+        print('ERROR: top-level structure must be {"packs": [...]}')
+        return 1
+
+    packs = data["packs"]
+    if not isinstance(packs, list):
+        print('ERROR: "packs" must be a JSON array.')
+        return 1
+
+    print(f"OK  packs array present ({len(packs)} entries)")
+
+    # ── Rules 3 & 4: per-entry field checks ─────────────────────────────────
+    errors: list[str] = []
+
+    for idx, entry in enumerate(packs):
+        if not isinstance(entry, dict):
+            errors.append(f"  pack[{idx}]: entry is not an object")
+            continue
+
+        pack_id = entry.get("id", f"<index {idx}>")
+        prefix = f"  pack '{pack_id}'"
+
+        for field in REQUIRED_FIELDS:
+            if field not in entry:
+                errors.append(f"{prefix}: missing required field '{field}'")
+                continue
+
+            value = entry[field]
+
+            if value is None:
+                errors.append(f"{prefix}: field '{field}' is null")
+                continue
+
+            if field in NON_EMPTY_FIELDS and isinstance(value, str) and value.strip() == "":
+                errors.append(f"{prefix}: field '{field}' is empty string")
+
+    if errors:
+        print(f"\nFAIL  {len(errors)} error(s) found in {CATALOG_PATH}:")
+        for e in errors:
+            print(e)
+        return 1
+
+    print(f"OK  all {len(packs)} pack entries pass required-field checks")
+    print("\nPASS  pack_catalog.json is valid.")
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main())
diff --git a/tools/validate_xsoar_configs.py b/tools/validate_xsoar_configs.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ba9588
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/validate_xsoar_configs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+validate_xsoar_configs.py — CI gate for xsoar_config.json in every pack
+
+Rules enforced:
+  1. Every pack directory that contains an xsoar_config.json must be valid JSON.
+  2. Optionally scope to a comma-separated list of pack names via --packs.
+     When --packs is omitted, ALL packs under PACKS_DIR are checked.
+
+Exit 0 on success, 1 if any file fails to parse.
+
+Usage:
+  # All packs
+  python tools/validate_xsoar_configs.py
+
+  # Specific packs (CI: pass changed packs from detect job)
+  python tools/validate_xsoar_configs.py --packs soc-optimization-unified,soc-framework-nist-ir
+"""
+
+import argparse
+import json
+import os
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+PACKS_DIR = Path(os.environ.get("PACKS_DIR", "Packs"))
+
+
+def validate_file(path: Path) -> str | None:
+    """Return an error string, or None if the file is valid JSON."""
+    try:
+        json.loads(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+        return None
+    except json.JSONDecodeError as exc:
+        return str(exc)
+    except OSError as exc:
+        return f"cannot read file — {exc}"
+
+
+def collect_pack_dirs(packs_filter: list[str] | None) -> list[Path]:
+    if not PACKS_DIR.is_dir():
+        print(f"ERROR: packs directory '{PACKS_DIR}' not found.")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    if packs_filter:
+        dirs = []
+        for name in packs_filter:
+            p = PACKS_DIR / name
+            if p.is_dir():
+                dirs.append(p)
+            else:
+                # Warn but do not fail — pack may have been deleted
+                print(f"WARN: pack directory '{p}' not found, skipping.")
+        return dirs
+
+    return [p for p in sorted(PACKS_DIR.iterdir()) if p.is_dir()]
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Validate xsoar_config.json files.")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--packs",
+        default="",
+        help="Comma-separated list of pack names to check (default: all).",
+    )
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    packs_filter = [p.strip() for p in args.packs.split(",") if p.strip()] or None
+    pack_dirs = collect_pack_dirs(packs_filter)
+
+    if not pack_dirs:
+        print("No pack directories found — nothing to validate.")
+        return 0
+
+    checked = 0
+    errors: list[tuple[Path, str]] = []
+
+    for pack_dir in pack_dirs:
+        config_path = pack_dir / "xsoar_config.json"
+        if not config_path.exists():
+            # Not every pack is required to have one; skip silently.
+            continue
+
+        err = validate_file(config_path)
+        checked += 1
+        if err:
+            errors.append((config_path, err))
+            print(f"FAIL  {config_path}: {err}")
+        else:
+            print(f"OK    {config_path}")
+
+    if checked == 0:
+        print("No xsoar_config.json files found — nothing to validate.")
+        return 0
+
+    print(f"\n{checked} file(s) checked.")
+
+    if errors:
+        print(f"\nFAIL  {len(errors)} invalid xsoar_config.json file(s):")
+        for path, msg in errors:
+            print(f"  {path}: {msg}")
+        return 1
+
+    print("PASS  all xsoar_config.json files are valid JSON.")
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main())