diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index 4ebbf0d4e..7226d8733 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ updates:
       interval: weekly
     cooldown:
       default-days: 14
+    allow:
+      - dependency-type: direct
     ignore:
-      - dependency-name: "*"
-        dependency-type: indirect
       # Temporal dependencies are managed manually to ensure coordinated upgrades across all temporal packages
       - dependency-name: "go.temporal.io/*"
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate-dependabot.yml b/.github/workflows/validate-dependabot.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bf7a28a5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate-dependabot.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+name: Validate Dependabot Config
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - '.github/dependabot.yml'
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+    paths:
+      - '.github/dependabot.yml'
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  validate:
+    name: Validate Dependabot Config
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v6
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.12'
+
+      - name: Validate dependabot.yml
+        run: |
+          pip install check-jsonschema==0.37.2
+          check-jsonschema --builtin-schema vendor.dependabot .github/dependabot.yml