diff --git a/pkg/openapi/validation.go b/pkg/openapi/validation.go
index 71b8fa4b43..204bb50cfc 100644
--- a/pkg/openapi/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/openapi/validation.go
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 package openapi
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
+	"github.com/nirmata/kyverno/pkg/engine/utils"
+
 	"github.com/nirmata/kyverno/data"
 
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
@@ -44,10 +48,29 @@ func init() {
 	}
 }
 
-func ValidatePolicyMutation(policy v1.ClusterPolicy) error {
+func ValidatePolicyFields(policy v1.ClusterPolicy) error {
 	openApiGlobalState.mutex.RLock()
 	defer openApiGlobalState.mutex.RUnlock()
 
+	policyRaw, err := json.Marshal(policy)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	policyUnst, err := utils.ConvertToUnstructured(policyRaw)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	err = ValidateResource(*policyUnst.DeepCopy(), "ClusterPolicy")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return validatePolicyMutation(policy)
+}
+
+func validatePolicyMutation(policy v1.ClusterPolicy) error {
 	var kindToRules = make(map[string][]v1.Rule)
 	for _, rule := range policy.Spec.Rules {
 		if rule.HasMutate() {
@@ -156,8 +179,17 @@ func getSchemaDocument() (*openapi_v2.Document, error) {
 
 // For crd, we do not store definition in document
 func getSchemaFromDefinitions(kind string) (proto.Schema, error) {
+	if kind == "" {
+		return nil, errors.New("invalid kind")
+	}
+
 	path := proto.NewPath(kind)
-	return (&proto.Definitions{}).ParseSchema(openApiGlobalState.definitions[kind], &path)
+	definition := openApiGlobalState.definitions[kind]
+	if definition == nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("could not find definition")
+	}
+
+	return (&proto.Definitions{}).ParseSchema(definition, &path)
 }
 
 func generateEmptyResource(kindSchema *openapi_v2.Schema) interface{} {
diff --git a/pkg/openapi/validation_test.go b/pkg/openapi/validation_test.go
index 813c2ed15b..4c245b7100 100644
--- a/pkg/openapi/validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/openapi/validation_test.go
@@ -52,7 +52,37 @@ func Test_ValidateMutationPolicy(t *testing.T) {
 		_ = json.Unmarshal(tc.policy, &policy)
 
 		var errMessage string
-		err := ValidatePolicyMutation(policy)
+		err := validatePolicyMutation(policy)
+		if err != nil {
+			errMessage = err.Error()
+		}
+
+		if errMessage != tc.errMessage {
+			t.Errorf("\nTestcase [%v] failed:\nExpected Error:  %v\nGot Error:  %v", i+1, tc.errMessage, errMessage)
+		}
+	}
+
+}
+
+func Test_ValidatePolicyFields(t *testing.T) {
+
+	tcs := []struct {
+		description string
+		policy      []byte
+		errMessage  string
+	}{
+		{
+			description: "Dealing with invalid fields in the policy",
+			policy:      []byte(`{"apiVersion":"kyverno.io/v1","kind":"ClusterPolicy","metadata":{"name":"disallow-root-user"},"validationFailureAction":"enforce","spec":{"background":false,"rules":[{"name":"validate-runAsNonRoot","match":{"resources":{"kinds":["Pod"]}},"exclude":{"resources":{"kinds":["Pod"]}},"validate":{"message":"Running as root user is not allowed. Set runAsNonRoot to true","anyPattern":[{"spec":{"securityContext":{"runAsNonRoot":true}}},{"spec":{"containers":[{"securityContext":{"runAsNonRoot":true}}]}}]}}]}}`),
+		},
+	}
+
+	for i, tc := range tcs {
+		policy := v1.ClusterPolicy{}
+		_ = json.Unmarshal(tc.policy, &policy)
+
+		var errMessage string
+		err := ValidatePolicyFields(policy)
 		if err != nil {
 			errMessage = err.Error()
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/policy/validate.go b/pkg/policy/validate.go
index 4789687afa..c855546622 100644
--- a/pkg/policy/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/policy/validate.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func Validate(p kyverno.ClusterPolicy) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if err := openapi.ValidatePolicyMutation(p); err != nil {
+	if err := openapi.ValidatePolicyFields(p); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}