diff --git a/extraPlugin/extra-plugin.js b/extraPlugin/extra-plugin.js
index bb7e0e227..349fc4091 100644
--- a/extraPlugin/extra-plugin.js
+++ b/extraPlugin/extra-plugin.js
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
+const {configValidator, routeSplit} = require('../scully/bin');
 
-const {configValidator} = require('../scully/bin');
-
-console.log(__dirname)
-
-exports.extraRoutesPlugin = (route, options) => {
+const extraRoutesPlugin = (route, options) => {
   const {createPath} = routeSplit(route);
   if (options.numberOfPages) {
     return Array.from({length: options.numberOfPages}, (_v, k) => k).map(n => ({
@@ -19,6 +16,31 @@ exports.extraRoutesPlugin = (route, options) => {
   }
   return [];
 };
-/** the validator is mandatory */
-exports.extraRoutesPlugin[configValidator] = async options => [];
 
+extraRoutesPlugin[configValidator] = async options => {
+  const errors = [];
+
+  if (options.numberOfPages && typeof options.numberOfPages !== 'number') {
+    errors.push(
+      `extraroutesPlugin plugin numberOfPages should be a number, not a ${typeof options.numberOfPages}`
+    );
+  }
+  if (options.numberOfPages && options.data) {
+    errors.push(`extraroutesPlugin plugin can't have property 'numberOfPages' and 'data' at the same time`);
+  }
+  if (options.data) {
+    if (!Array.isArray(options.data)) {
+      errors.push(`extraroutesPlugin property 'data' needs to be an array`);
+    } else {
+      if (!options.data.every(item => typeof item.title === 'string' && typeof item.data === 'string')) {
+        errors.push(
+          `extraroutesPlugin property 'data' needs to have  'title' and 'data' strings on every tuple`
+        );
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return errors;
+};
+
+exports.extraRoutesPlugin = extraRoutesPlugin;
+/** the validator is mandatory */
diff --git a/scully.config.js b/scully.config.js
index b6eb03a1d..dd13232ee 100644
--- a/scully.config.js
+++ b/scully.config.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ exports.config = {
   routes: {
     '/demo/:id': {
       type: 'extra',
-      numberOfPages: 10,
+      numberOfPages: 5,
     },
     '/home/:topLevel': {
       type: 'extra',
diff --git a/scully/pluginManagement/pluginRepository.ts b/scully/pluginManagement/pluginRepository.ts
index 56fdab248..d6e0c1479 100644
--- a/scully/pluginManagement/pluginRepository.ts
+++ b/scully/pluginManagement/pluginRepository.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ export interface Plugin {
 }
 
 export type ErrorString = string;
-export type ConfigValidator = (HandledRoute) => ErrorString[]
+export type ConfigValidator = (HandledRoute) => ErrorString[];
 
 export interface FilePlugin {
   alternateExtensions?: string[];
@@ -31,16 +31,24 @@ export const plugins: Plugins = {
 
 export type PluginTypes = keyof Plugins;
 
-export const registerPlugin = (type: PluginTypes, name: string, plugin: any) => {
-  if (plugins[type][name]) {
+export const registerPlugin = (
+  type: PluginTypes,
+  name: string,
+  plugin: any,
+  {replaceExistingPlugin = false} = {}
+) => {
+  if (replaceExistingPlugin === false && plugins[type][name]) {
     throw new Error(`Plugin ${name} already exists`);
   }
   if (type === 'router' && plugin[configValidator] === undefined) {
-    logError(
-      `Route plugin "${yellow(
-        name
-      )}" should have an config validator attached to the 'validate' symbol `
-    );
+    logError(`
+---------------
+   Route plugin "${yellow(name)}" should have an config validator attached to '${
+      plugin.name
+    }[configValidator]'
+---------------
+`);
+    plugin[configValidator] = async () => [];
   }
   plugins[type][name] = plugin;
 };