diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/AzureApiReaderProcessor.test.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/AzureApiReaderProcessor.test.ts
index 182343133e..62259f87a2 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/AzureApiReaderProcessor.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/AzureApiReaderProcessor.test.ts
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ describe('AzureApiReaderProcessor', () => {
         expect: {
           headers: {},
         },
+        err:
+          "Invalid type in config for key 'catalog.processors.azureApi.privateToken' in '', got empty-string, wanted string",
       },
       {
         token: undefined,
@@ -99,8 +101,14 @@ describe('AzureApiReaderProcessor', () => {
     ];
 
     for (const test of tests) {
-      const processor = new AzureApiReaderProcessor(createConfig(test.token));
-      expect(processor.getRequestOptions()).toEqual(test.expect);
+      if (test.err) {
+        expect(
+          () => new AzureApiReaderProcessor(createConfig(test.token)),
+        ).toThrowError(test.err);
+      } else {
+        const processor = new AzureApiReaderProcessor(createConfig(test.token));
+        expect(processor.getRequestOptions()).toEqual(test.expect);
+      }
     }
   });
 });
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/AzureApiReaderProcessor.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/AzureApiReaderProcessor.ts
index 02b0981a27..7033521da6 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/AzureApiReaderProcessor.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/AzureApiReaderProcessor.ts
@@ -25,9 +25,8 @@ export class AzureApiReaderProcessor implements LocationProcessor {
 
   constructor(config: Config) {
     this.privateToken =
-      (config.getOptional(
-        'catalog.processors.azureApi.privateToken',
-      ) as string) ?? '';
+      config.getOptionalString('catalog.processors.azureApi.privateToken') ??
+      '';
   }
 
   getRequestOptions(): RequestInit {
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/BitbucketApiReaderProcessor.test.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/BitbucketApiReaderProcessor.test.ts
index 7d2a2c57de..953f0703be 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/BitbucketApiReaderProcessor.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/BitbucketApiReaderProcessor.test.ts
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ describe('BitbucketApiReaderProcessor', () => {
         expect: {
           headers: {},
         },
+        err:
+          "Invalid type in config for key 'catalog.processors.bitbucketApi.username' in '', got empty-string, wanted string",
       },
       {
         username: 'only-user-provided',
@@ -96,6 +98,8 @@ describe('BitbucketApiReaderProcessor', () => {
         expect: {
           headers: {},
         },
+        err:
+          "Invalid type in config for key 'catalog.processors.bitbucketApi.appPassword' in '', got empty-string, wanted string",
       },
       {
         username: '',
@@ -103,6 +107,8 @@ describe('BitbucketApiReaderProcessor', () => {
         expect: {
           headers: {},
         },
+        err:
+          "Invalid type in config for key 'catalog.processors.bitbucketApi.username' in '', got empty-string, wanted string",
       },
       {
         username: 'some-user',
@@ -137,10 +143,19 @@ describe('BitbucketApiReaderProcessor', () => {
     ];
 
     for (const test of tests) {
-      const processor = new BitbucketApiReaderProcessor(
-        createConfig(test.username, test.password),
-      );
-      expect(processor.getRequestOptions()).toEqual(test.expect);
+      if (test.err) {
+        expect(
+          () =>
+            new BitbucketApiReaderProcessor(
+              createConfig(test.username, test.password),
+            ),
+        ).toThrowError(test.err);
+      } else {
+        const processor = new BitbucketApiReaderProcessor(
+          createConfig(test.username, test.password),
+        );
+        expect(processor.getRequestOptions()).toEqual(test.expect);
+      }
     }
   });
 });
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/BitbucketApiReaderProcessor.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/BitbucketApiReaderProcessor.ts
index 3e19d3cf78..97ecf0cd1f 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/BitbucketApiReaderProcessor.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/BitbucketApiReaderProcessor.ts
@@ -26,13 +26,11 @@ export class BitbucketApiReaderProcessor implements LocationProcessor {
 
   constructor(config: Config) {
     this.username =
-      (config.getOptional(
-        'catalog.processors.bitbucketApi.username',
-      ) as string) ?? '';
+      config.getOptionalString('catalog.processors.bitbucketApi.username') ??
+      '';
     this.password =
-      (config.getOptional(
-        'catalog.processors.bitbucketApi.appPassword',
-      ) as string) ?? '';
+      config.getOptionalString('catalog.processors.bitbucketApi.appPassword') ??
+      '';
   }
 
   getRequestOptions(): RequestInit {
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GithubApiReaderProcessor.test.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GithubApiReaderProcessor.test.ts
index 31537954f5..51c3cf4cd0 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GithubApiReaderProcessor.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GithubApiReaderProcessor.test.ts
@@ -95,6 +95,16 @@ describe('GithubApiReaderProcessor', () => {
       },
       {
         token: '',
+        err:
+          "Invalid type in config for key 'catalog.processors.githubApi.privateToken' in '', got empty-string, wanted string",
+        expect: {
+          headers: {
+            Accept: 'application/vnd.github.v3.raw',
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      {
+        token: undefined,
         expect: {
           headers: {
             Accept: 'application/vnd.github.v3.raw',
@@ -104,8 +114,16 @@ describe('GithubApiReaderProcessor', () => {
     ];
 
     for (const test of tests) {
-      const processor = new GithubApiReaderProcessor(createConfig(test.token));
-      expect(processor.getRequestOptions()).toEqual(test.expect);
+      if (test.err) {
+        expect(
+          () => new GithubApiReaderProcessor(createConfig(test.token)),
+        ).toThrowError(test.err);
+      } else {
+        const processor = new GithubApiReaderProcessor(
+          createConfig(test.token),
+        );
+        expect(processor.getRequestOptions()).toEqual(test.expect);
+      }
     }
   });
 });
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GithubApiReaderProcessor.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GithubApiReaderProcessor.ts
index 89e6c97ab1..f8d1d6caf8 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GithubApiReaderProcessor.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GithubApiReaderProcessor.ts
@@ -25,9 +25,8 @@ export class GithubApiReaderProcessor implements LocationProcessor {
 
   constructor(config: Config) {
     this.privateToken =
-      (config.getOptional(
-        'catalog.processors.githubApi.privateToken',
-      ) as string) ?? '';
+      config.getOptionalString('catalog.processors.githubApi.privateToken') ??
+      '';
   }
 
   getRequestOptions(): RequestInit {
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GitlabApiReaderProcessor.test.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GitlabApiReaderProcessor.test.ts
index a239afee04..48ed270049 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GitlabApiReaderProcessor.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GitlabApiReaderProcessor.test.ts
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ describe('GitlabApiReaderProcessor', () => {
       },
       {
         token: '',
+        err:
+          "Invalid type in config for key 'catalog.processors.gitlabApi.privateToken' in '', got empty-string, wanted string",
         expect: {
           headers: {
             'PRIVATE-TOKEN': '',
@@ -117,8 +119,16 @@ describe('GitlabApiReaderProcessor', () => {
     ];
 
     for (const test of tests) {
-      const processor = new GitlabApiReaderProcessor(createConfig(test.token));
-      expect(processor.getRequestOptions()).toEqual(test.expect);
+      if (test.err) {
+        expect(
+          () => new GitlabApiReaderProcessor(createConfig(test.token)),
+        ).toThrowError(test.err);
+      } else {
+        const processor = new GitlabApiReaderProcessor(
+          createConfig(test.token),
+        );
+        expect(processor.getRequestOptions()).toEqual(test.expect);
+      }
     }
   });
 });
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GitlabApiReaderProcessor.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GitlabApiReaderProcessor.ts
index 8915d73bb9..067edba3d9 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GitlabApiReaderProcessor.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/processors/GitlabApiReaderProcessor.ts
@@ -25,9 +25,8 @@ export class GitlabApiReaderProcessor implements LocationProcessor {
 
   constructor(config: Config) {
     this.privateToken =
-      (config.getOptional(
-        'catalog.processors.gitlabApi.privateToken',
-      ) as string) ?? '';
+      config.getOptionalString('catalog.processors.gitlabApi.privateToken') ??
+      '';
   }
 
   getRequestOptions(): RequestInit {