diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 0a840f1..efcbd3d 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -51,8 +51,13 @@ func LoadConfig(path string) (*Config, error) {
 }
 
 func prepareConfig(cfg *Config) (*Config, error) {
-	// temporary map for preventing duplicate records between users
-	records := make(map[string]bool)
+	if len(cfg.Users) <= 0 || len(cfg.RRConfigs) <= 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("No users or resource record configs present.")
+	}
+
+	// temporary map for detecting duplicated or orphaned entries between
+	// records and users
+	globRecords := map[string]bool{}
 
 	// populate user map
 	cfg.users = map[string]*User{}
@@ -68,12 +73,12 @@ func prepareConfig(cfg *Config) (*Config, error) {
 		}
 		for _, record := range user.Records {
 			// check for duplicate records
-			if records[record] {
+			if globRecords[record] {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("Record associated with multiple users detected: %s", record)
 			}
 			// memorize record both in the user as well as in the temporary map
 			user.records[record] = true
-			records[record] = true
+			globRecords[record] = true
 		}
 		cfg.users[user.Username] = &user
 	}
@@ -81,14 +86,29 @@ func prepareConfig(cfg *Config) (*Config, error) {
 	// populate record map
 	cfg.rrconfigs = map[string]*RRConfig{}
 	for _, record := range cfg.RRConfigs {
-		if !records[record.Recordname] {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Record without associated user detected: %s", record.Recordname)
-		}
+		// check for duplicate record before verifying association to users
 		if _, ok := cfg.rrconfigs[record.Recordname]; ok {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Duplicate record detected: %s", record.Recordname)
 		}
+
+		if !globRecords[record.Recordname] {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Record without associated user detected: %s", record.Recordname)
+		}
+		// need to remove record from globRecords for detecting orphaned records
+		delete(globRecords, record.Recordname)
+
 		cfg.rrconfigs[record.Recordname] = &record
 	}
 
+	// check whether all records have been processed
+	if len(globRecords) > 0 {
+		missing := make([]string, len(globRecords))
+		i := 0
+		for k := range globRecords {
+			missing[i] = k
+			i++
+		}
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Records associated to user missing: %v", missing)
+	}
 	return cfg, nil
 }