diff --git a/.changeset/smooth-clouds-tease.md b/.changeset/smooth-clouds-tease.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ba3962526
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/smooth-clouds-tease.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+'@jpmorganchase/mosaic-schemas': patch
+---
+
+- switch the default behaviour of schema validation to exit on error
+- improve logging of schema validation errors to prevent silent failures
diff --git a/packages/schemas/package.json b/packages/schemas/package.json
index 846c273bf..559bf543c 100644
--- a/packages/schemas/package.json
+++ b/packages/schemas/package.json
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
     "lint": "eslint --ignore-pattern \"**/__tests__/**\""
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "zod": "^3.22.3"
+    "zod": "^3.22.3",
+    "zod-validation-error": "^3.4.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/schemas/src/validate.ts b/packages/schemas/src/validate.ts
index 2ec880fe2..3a5b5fb9b 100644
--- a/packages/schemas/src/validate.ts
+++ b/packages/schemas/src/validate.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,21 @@
-import { z, ZodError, ZodTypeAny } from 'zod';
+import { z, ZodTypeAny } from 'zod';
+import { fromZodError } from 'zod-validation-error';
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line import/prefer-default-export
 export function validateMosaicSchema<T extends ZodTypeAny>(
   schema: T,
   options: Record<string, unknown>,
-  exitOnError = false
+  exitOnError = true
 ): z.infer<typeof schema> {
   try {
     return schema.parse(options);
-  } catch (err: unknown) {
-    console.group('[Mosaic] schema validation error');
-    console.table((err as ZodError).issues);
-    console.groupEnd();
+  } catch (err: any) {
+    if (err instanceof z.ZodError) {
+      const formattedError = fromZodError(err);
+      console.error(`[Mosaic] schema validation error - ${formattedError.message}`);
+    } else {
+      console.error('[Mosaic] schema validation error - an unexpected error occurred:', err);
+    }
     if (exitOnError) {
       process.exit(1);
     }
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 6e38e6079..f7acb1b11 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -13639,6 +13639,11 @@ zenscroll@^4.0.2:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/zenscroll/-/zenscroll-4.0.2.tgz#e8d5774d1c0738a47bcfa8729f3712e2deddeb25"
   integrity sha512-jEA1znR7b4C/NnaycInCU6h/d15ZzCd1jmsruqOKnZP6WXQSMH3W2GL+OXbkruslU4h+Tzuos0HdswzRUk/Vgg==
 
+zod-validation-error@^3.4.0:
+  version "3.4.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/zod-validation-error/-/zod-validation-error-3.4.0.tgz#3a8a1f55c65579822d7faa190b51336c61bee2a6"
+  integrity sha512-ZOPR9SVY6Pb2qqO5XHt+MkkTRxGXb4EVtnjc9JpXUOtUB1T9Ru7mZOT361AN3MsetVe7R0a1KZshJDZdgp9miQ==
+
 zod@^3.22.3:
   version "3.22.3"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/zod/-/zod-3.22.3.tgz#2fbc96118b174290d94e8896371c95629e87a060"