diff --git a/docs/changelog.md b/docs/changelog.md
index eb1c82c..e727107 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.md
+++ b/docs/changelog.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 ## 1.35.0 (26th November 2023)
 
+- Adds workspace scope validation - see https://docs.structurizr.com/workspaces for details.
 - structurizr/dsl: Updated to 1.34.0 - [changelog](https://github.com/structurizr/dsl/releases/tag/v1.34.0).
 - structurizr/export: Updated to 1.18.0 - [changelog](https://github.com/structurizr/export/releases/tag/v1.18.0).
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/structurizr/cli/AbstractCommand.java b/src/main/java/com/structurizr/cli/AbstractCommand.java
index f3e27b7..f71db6d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/structurizr/cli/AbstractCommand.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/structurizr/cli/AbstractCommand.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import com.structurizr.Workspace;
 import com.structurizr.dsl.StructurizrDslParser;
 import com.structurizr.util.WorkspaceUtils;
+import com.structurizr.validation.WorkspaceScopeValidatorFactory;
 import com.structurizr.view.Styles;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
@@ -90,6 +91,9 @@ protected Workspace loadWorkspace(String workspacePathAsString) throws Exception
             }
         }
 
+        // validate workspace scope
+        WorkspaceScopeValidatorFactory.getValidator(workspace).validate(workspace);
+
         return workspace;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/test/dsl/workspace-scope.dsl b/src/test/dsl/workspace-scope.dsl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e30e59e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/dsl/workspace-scope.dsl
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+workspace {
+    model {
+        softwareSystem "A" {
+            container "API"
+        }
+        softwareSystem "B" {
+            container "API"
+        }
+    }
+
+    configuration {
+        scope softwareSystem
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/structurizr/cli/AbstractCommandTests.java b/src/test/java/com/structurizr/cli/AbstractCommandTests.java
index e0ff54f..2a13e3d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/structurizr/cli/AbstractCommandTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/structurizr/cli/AbstractCommandTests.java
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.fail;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*;
 
 public class AbstractCommandTests {
 
@@ -17,5 +16,14 @@ public void loadWorkspace_ThrowsAnException_WhenTheWorkspacePathIsADirectory() {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void loadWorkspace_ThrowsAnException_WhenWorkspaceScopeValidationFails() {
+        try {
+            new ValidateCommand().loadWorkspace("src/test/dsl/workspace-scope.dsl");
+            fail();
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            assertEquals("Workspace is software system scoped, but multiple software systems have containers and/or documentation defined.", e.getMessage());
+        }
+    }
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file