diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/validate.yml b/ansible/playbooks/validate.yml
index 59f72ba..90e9cac 100644
--- a/ansible/playbooks/validate.yml
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/validate.yml
@@ -3,13 +3,46 @@
   hosts: rsyslog_servers
   gather_facts: false
 
+  vars:
+    validate_dir: /tmp/rsyslog-validate
+    validate_conf: /tmp/rsyslog-validate/rsyslog.conf
+
   tasks:
-    - name: Validate rsyslog main configuration
-      command: rsyslogd -N1 -f "{{ rsyslog_main_config }}"
-      register: validate_main
-      failed_when: validate_main.rc != 0
+    - name: Create temp validation directory
+      file:
+        path: "{{ validate_dir }}/rsyslog.d"
+        state: directory
+        mode: "0700"
+
+    - name: Copy main config to temp location
+      copy:
+        src: "{{ repo_root }}/files/rsyslog.conf"
+        dest: "{{ validate_conf }}"
+        remote_src: true
+
+    - name: Copy rsyslog.d configs to temp location
+      copy:
+        src: "{{ repo_root }}/files/rsyslog.d/"
+        dest: "{{ validate_dir }}/rsyslog.d/"
+        remote_src: true
+
+    - name: Update IncludeConfig path to point to temp dir
+      replace:
+        path: "{{ validate_conf }}"
+        regexp: '^\$IncludeConfig\s+.*$'
+        replace: '$IncludeConfig {{ validate_dir }}/rsyslog.d/*.conf'
+
+    - name: Validate repo rsyslog configuration
+      command: rsyslogd -N1 -f "{{ validate_conf }}"
+      register: validate_result
+      failed_when: validate_result.rc != 0
       changed_when: false
 
     - name: Display validation result
       debug:
         msg: "✓ rsyslog configuration is valid"
+
+    - name: Clean up temp validation directory
+      file:
+        path: "{{ validate_dir }}"
+        state: absent