diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index f354013..2096b89 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -77,6 +77,83 @@ local function upgrade_v1_to_v2(v1)
     }
 end
 
+-- =====================================================================
+-- Schema-validation helper (used by both v1 and v2 validators)
+-- =====================================================================
+
+-- Schema-validation helper: reads required field with type-check.
+local function require_field(t, key, expected_type, source)
+    local v = t[key]
+    if v == nil then
+        error(string.format("maps.load: schema violation in %s: missing required field '%s'",
+            source, key))
+    end
+    if type(v) ~= expected_type then
+        error(string.format("maps.load: schema violation in %s: field '%s' must be %s, got %s",
+            source, key, expected_type, type(v)))
+    end
+    return v
+end
+
+-- =====================================================================
+-- Schema-v2 Layer-Whitelist + Validation
+-- =====================================================================
+
+local VALID_LAYER_NAMES = {
+    foundation  = true,
+    subsurface  = true,
+    surface     = true,
+    topsurface  = true,
+    lower_wall  = true,
+    wall        = true,
+    upper_wall  = true,
+    canopy      = true,
+}
+
+local function validate_map_table_v2(t, source)
+    require_field(t, "schema_version", "number", source)
+    if t.schema_version ~= 2 then
+        error(string.format("maps.load: schema_version %d not supported (expected 2)",
+            t.schema_version))
+    end
+    require_field(t, "id", "string", source)
+    local size = require_field(t, "size", "table", source)
+    require_field(size, "w", "number", source .. ".size")
+    require_field(size, "h", "number", source .. ".size")
+    local expected = size.w * size.h
+
+    local atlases = require_field(t, "atlases", "table", source)
+    if #atlases == 0 then
+        error(string.format("maps.load: schema violation in %s: atlases[] must be non-empty", source))
+    end
+    if #atlases > 256 then
+        error(string.format("maps.load: schema violation in %s: atlases[] has %d entries, max 256", source, #atlases))
+    end
+
+    local layers = t.layers or {}
+    for layer_name, layer_data in pairs(layers) do
+        if not VALID_LAYER_NAMES[layer_name] then
+            engine.print(string.format("maps.load: %s: ignoring unknown layer '%s'", source, layer_name))
+        else
+            local tiles = require_field(layer_data, "tiles", "table",
+                source .. ".layers." .. layer_name)
+            if #tiles ~= expected then
+                error(string.format("maps.load: schema violation in %s.layers.%s: tiles length %d != %d",
+                    source, layer_name, #tiles, expected))
+            end
+        end
+    end
+
+    if t.roof ~= nil then
+        if type(t.roof) ~= "table" then
+            error(string.format("maps.load: %s: roof must be array", source))
+        end
+        if #t.roof ~= expected then
+            error(string.format("maps.load: %s: roof length %d != %d", source, #t.roof, expected))
+        end
+    end
+end
+
 -- =====================================================================
 -- Internal helpers
 -- =====================================================================
@@ -103,20 +180,6 @@ local function resolve_tilemap_id(ref)
     return engine.module.id() .. "." .. ref
 end
 
--- Schema-validation helper: reads required field with type-check.
-local function require_field(t, key, expected_type, source)
-    local v = t[key]
-    if v == nil then
-        error(string.format("maps.load: schema violation in %s: missing required field '%s'",
-            source, key))
-    end
-    if type(v) ~= expected_type then
-        error(string.format("maps.load: schema violation in %s: field '%s' must be %s, got %s",
-            source, key, expected_type, type(v)))
-    end
-    return v
-end
-
 local function validate_map_table(t, source)
     require_field(t, "id", "string", source)
     require_field(t, "tilemap", "string", source)
@@ -389,5 +452,6 @@ end
 M.encode_gid = encode_gid
 M.decode_gid = decode_gid
 M.upgrade_v1_to_v2 = upgrade_v1_to_v2
+M.validate_map_table_v2 = validate_map_table_v2
 
 return M