diff --git a/lib/pdk/validate/yaml/yaml_syntax_validator.rb b/lib/pdk/validate/yaml/yaml_syntax_validator.rb
index 4b0123404..148c617c8 100644
--- a/lib/pdk/validate/yaml/yaml_syntax_validator.rb
+++ b/lib/pdk/validate/yaml/yaml_syntax_validator.rb
@@ -49,15 +49,25 @@ def validate_target(report, target)
           end
 
           begin
-            ::YAML.safe_load(PDK::Util::Filesystem.read_file(target), permitted_classes: YAML_ALLOWLISTED_CLASSES, permitted_symbols: [], aliases: true)
-
-            report.add_event(
-              file: target,
-              source: name,
-              state: :passed,
-              severity: 'ok'
-            )
-            0
+            data = ::YAML.safe_load(PDK::Util::Filesystem.read_file(target), permitted_classes: YAML_ALLOWLISTED_CLASSES, permitted_symbols: [], aliases: true)
+            if data.is_a?(Hash)
+              report.add_event(
+                file: target,
+                source: name,
+                state: :passed,
+                severity: 'ok'
+              )
+              0
+            else
+              report.add_event(
+                file: target,
+                source: name,
+                state: :failure,
+                severity: 'error',
+                message: format('File does not contain a valid YAML hash.')
+              )
+              1
+            end
           rescue Psych::SyntaxError => e
             report.add_event(
               file: target,
diff --git a/spec/unit/pdk/validate/yaml/yaml_syntax_validator_spec.rb b/spec/unit/pdk/validate/yaml/yaml_syntax_validator_spec.rb
index 0997194f0..4e110d7e0 100644
--- a/spec/unit/pdk/validate/yaml/yaml_syntax_validator_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/pdk/validate/yaml/yaml_syntax_validator_spec.rb
@@ -109,5 +109,20 @@
         expect(return_value).to eq(1)
       end
     end
+
+    context 'when a target is provided that contains no YAML' do
+      let(:target) { { name: '.sync.yaml', content: '' } }
+
+      it 'adds a failure event to the report' do
+        expect(report).to receive(:add_event).with({
+                                                     file: target[:name],
+                                                     source: 'yaml-syntax',
+                                                     state: :failure,
+                                                     severity: 'error',
+                                                     message: a_string_matching(/\AFile does not contain a valid YAML hash/)
+                                                   })
+        expect(return_value).to eq(1)
+      end
+    end
   end
 end