diff --git a/singer_sdk/exceptions.py b/singer_sdk/exceptions.py
index 773a07253a..25385d4d17 100644
--- a/singer_sdk/exceptions.py
+++ b/singer_sdk/exceptions.py
@@ -13,18 +13,15 @@ def __init__(
         message: str,
         *,
         errors: list[str] | None = None,
-        warnings: list[str] | None = None,
     ) -> None:
         """Initialize a ConfigValidationError.
 
         Args:
             message: A message describing the error.
             errors: A list of errors which caused the validation error.
-            warnings: A list of warnings which caused the validation error.
         """
         super().__init__(message)
         self.errors = errors or []
-        self.warnings = warnings or []
 
 
 class FatalAPIError(Exception):
diff --git a/singer_sdk/plugin_base.py b/singer_sdk/plugin_base.py
index df93dcf7ae..1c84ca1fb0 100644
--- a/singer_sdk/plugin_base.py
+++ b/singer_sdk/plugin_base.py
@@ -7,21 +7,10 @@
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from pathlib import PurePath
 from types import MappingProxyType
-from typing import (
-    Any,
-    Callable,
-    Dict,
-    List,
-    Mapping,
-    Optional,
-    Tuple,
-    Type,
-    Union,
-    cast,
-)
+from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, Mapping, Optional, Type, Union, cast
 
 import click
-from jsonschema import Draft4Validator, SchemaError, ValidationError
+from jsonschema import Draft4Validator
 
 from singer_sdk.configuration._dict_config import parse_environment_config
 from singer_sdk.exceptions import ConfigValidationError
@@ -215,35 +204,29 @@ def _is_secret_config(config_key: str) -> bool:
         """
         return is_common_secret_key(config_key)
 
-    def _validate_config(
-        self, raise_errors: bool = True, warnings_as_errors: bool = False
-    ) -> Tuple[List[str], List[str]]:
+    def _validate_config(self, raise_errors: bool = True) -> List[str]:
         """Validate configuration input against the plugin configuration JSON schema.
 
         Args:
             raise_errors: Flag to throw an exception if any validation errors are found.
-            warnings_as_errors: Flag to throw an exception if any warnings were emitted.
 
         Returns:
-            A tuple of configuration validation warnings and errors.
+            A list of validation errors.
 
         Raises:
             ConfigValidationError: If raise_errors is True and validation fails.
         """
-        warnings: List[str] = []
-        errors: List[str] = []
-        log_fn = self.logger.info
         config_jsonschema = self.config_jsonschema
+        errors: List[str]
+
         if config_jsonschema:
             self.append_builtin_config(config_jsonschema)
-            try:
-                self.logger.debug(
-                    f"Validating config using jsonschema: {config_jsonschema}"
-                )
-                validator = JSONSchemaValidator(config_jsonschema)
-                validator.validate(self._config)
-            except (ValidationError, SchemaError) as ex:
-                errors.append(str(ex.message))
+            self.logger.debug(
+                f"Validating config using jsonschema: {config_jsonschema}"
+            )
+            validator = JSONSchemaValidator(config_jsonschema)
+            errors = [error.message for error in validator.iter_errors(self._config)]
+
         if errors:
             summary = (
                 f"Config validation failed: {f'; '.join(errors)}\n"
@@ -252,18 +235,9 @@ def _validate_config(
             if raise_errors:
                 raise ConfigValidationError(summary, errors=errors)
 
-            log_fn = self.logger.warning
-        else:
-            summary = f"Config validation passed with {len(warnings)} warnings."
-            for warning in warnings:
-                summary += f"\n{warning}"
-        if warnings_as_errors and raise_errors and warnings:
-            raise ConfigValidationError(
-                f"One or more warnings ocurred during validation: {warnings}",
-                warnings=warnings,
-            )
-        log_fn(summary)
-        return warnings, errors
+            self.logger.warning(summary)
+
+        return errors
 
     @classmethod
     def print_version(
diff --git a/singer_sdk/tap_base.py b/singer_sdk/tap_base.py
index fd31a23611..4006f01c31 100644
--- a/singer_sdk/tap_base.py
+++ b/singer_sdk/tap_base.py
@@ -498,9 +498,7 @@ def cli(
             except ConfigValidationError as exc:
                 for error in exc.errors:
                     click.secho(error, fg="red")
-                for warning in exc.warnings:
-                    click.secho(warning, fg="warning")
-                raise click.Abort("Configuration is not valid.")
+                raise click.Abort()
 
             if discover:
                 tap.run_discovery()
diff --git a/singer_sdk/target_base.py b/singer_sdk/target_base.py
index dad17f09cd..756a30d404 100644
--- a/singer_sdk/target_base.py
+++ b/singer_sdk/target_base.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from joblib import Parallel, delayed, parallel_backend
 
 from singer_sdk.cli import common_options
-from singer_sdk.exceptions import RecordsWitoutSchemaException
+from singer_sdk.exceptions import ConfigValidationError, RecordsWitoutSchemaException
 from singer_sdk.helpers._classproperty import classproperty
 from singer_sdk.helpers._compat import final
 from singer_sdk.helpers.capabilities import CapabilitiesEnum, PluginCapabilities
@@ -505,6 +505,7 @@ def cli(
 
             Raises:
                 FileNotFoundError: If the config file does not exist.
+                Abort: If the configuration is not valid.
             """
             if version:
                 cls.print_version()
@@ -537,11 +538,16 @@ def cli(
 
                 config_files.append(Path(config_path))
 
-            target = cls(  # type: ignore  # Ignore 'type not callable'
-                config=config_files or None,
-                parse_env_config=parse_env_config,
-                validate_config=validate_config,
-            )
+            try:
+                target = cls(  # type: ignore  # Ignore 'type not callable'
+                    config=config_files or None,
+                    parse_env_config=parse_env_config,
+                    validate_config=validate_config,
+                )
+            except ConfigValidationError as exc:
+                for error in exc.errors:
+                    click.secho(error, fg="red")
+                raise click.Abort()
 
             target.listen(file_input)
 
diff --git a/tests/core/test_streams.py b/tests/core/test_streams.py
index 66e2850db2..aca6d4ad6b 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_streams.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_streams.py
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import json
 import logging
 from typing import Any, Iterable, cast
 
 import pendulum
 import pytest
 import requests
+from click.testing import CliRunner
 
 from singer_sdk.exceptions import ConfigValidationError
 from singer_sdk.helpers._classproperty import classproperty
@@ -406,7 +408,7 @@ def calculate_test_cost(
     [
         (
             {},
-            ["'username' is a required property"],
+            ["'username' is a required property", "'password' is a required property"],
         ),
         (
             {"username": "utest"},
@@ -428,3 +430,18 @@ def test_config_errors(config_dict: dict, errors: list[str]):
         SimpleTestTap(config_dict, validate_config=True)
 
     assert exc.value.errors == errors
+
+
+def test_cli(tmp_path):
+    """Test the CLI."""
+    runner = CliRunner()
+    result = runner.invoke(SimpleTestTap.cli, ["--help"])
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    assert "Show this message and exit." in result.output
+
+    config_path = tmp_path / "config.json"
+    config_path.write_text(json.dumps({}))
+    result = runner.invoke(SimpleTestTap.cli, ["--config", str(config_path)])
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert "'username' is a required property" in result.output
+    assert "'password' is a required property" in result.output