diff --git a/src/plugins/data/utils.jsx b/src/plugins/data/utils.jsx
index e5a769f5..415e15b6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/data/utils.jsx
+++ b/src/plugins/data/utils.jsx
@@ -14,29 +14,35 @@ const validateRequirements = (requiredTypes, widgetConfig) => Object.keys(requir
 
 /**
  * Called by organizePlugins to validate plugin configurations
- * @returns {Boolean} - boolean if all types are correct and present, else throws an error
+ * @returns {Boolean} - true if all types are correct and present, otherwise logs an error and returns false
  */
 export const validatePlugin = (pluginConfig) => {
-  let requiredTypes = {};
   const { op } = pluginConfig;
   let config = pluginConfig;
 
-  if (!op) { logError('There is a config with an invalid PLUGIN_OPERATION. Check to make sure it is configured correctly.'); }
+  if (!Object.values(PLUGIN_OPERATIONS).includes(op)) {
+    logError('There is a config with an invalid PLUGIN_OPERATION. Check to make sure it is configured correctly.');
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  let requiredTypes = requiredPluginTypes[op];
 
   if (op === PLUGIN_OPERATIONS.Insert) {
     config = config.widget;
-    if (!config) { logError('insert operation config is missing widget object'); }
+    if (!config) {
+      logError('insert operation config is missing widget object');
+      return false;
+    }
 
     requiredTypes = {
-      ...requiredPluginTypes[op].base,
-      ...requiredPluginTypes[op][config.type?.toLowerCase()],
+      ...requiredTypes.base,
+      ...requiredTypes[config.type?.toLowerCase()],
     };
-  } else {
-    requiredTypes = requiredPluginTypes[op];
   }
 
   if (!validateRequirements(requiredTypes, config)) {
     logError(`the ${op} operation config is invalid for widget id: ${config.widgetId || config.id || 'MISSING ID'}`);
+    return false;
   }
 
   return true;
@@ -52,7 +58,7 @@ export const validatePlugin = (pluginConfig) => {
 export const organizePlugins = (defaultContents, plugins) => {
   const newContents = [...defaultContents];
   plugins.forEach(change => {
-    validatePlugin(change);
+    if (!validatePlugin(change)) { return; }
     if (change.op === PLUGIN_OPERATIONS.Insert) {
       newContents.push(change.widget);
     } else if (change.op === PLUGIN_OPERATIONS.Hide) {
diff --git a/src/plugins/data/utils.test.jsx b/src/plugins/data/utils.test.jsx
index 602cebd5..dbd40e70 100644
--- a/src/plugins/data/utils.test.jsx
+++ b/src/plugins/data/utils.test.jsx
@@ -175,6 +175,79 @@ describe('organizePlugins', () => {
       expect(plugins[1].id).toBe('default_contents');
       expect(plugins[2].id).toBe('login');
     });
+
+    it('should not insert a plugin that is missing a required property', () => {
+      const plugins = organizePlugins(mockDefaultContent, [
+        {
+          op: PLUGIN_OPERATIONS.Insert,
+          widget: {
+            id: 'no_priority_plugin',
+            type: DIRECT_PLUGIN,
+            RenderWidget: mockRenderWidget,
+          },
+        },
+      ]);
+      expect(plugins.length).toEqual(1);
+      expect(plugins.find((w) => w.id === 'no_priority_plugin')).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the insert operation config is invalid for widget id: no_priority_plugin');
+    });
+
+    it('should ignore operations targeting a plugin that failed validation', () => {
+      const plugins = organizePlugins(mockDefaultContent, [
+        {
+          op: PLUGIN_OPERATIONS.Insert,
+          widget: {
+            id: 'no_priority_plugin',
+            type: DIRECT_PLUGIN,
+            RenderWidget: mockRenderWidget,
+          },
+        },
+        {
+          op: PLUGIN_OPERATIONS.Modify,
+          widgetId: 'no_priority_plugin',
+          fn: mockModifyWidget,
+        },
+        {
+          op: PLUGIN_OPERATIONS.Wrap,
+          widgetId: 'no_priority_plugin',
+          wrapper: makeMockElementWrapper(),
+        },
+      ]);
+      expect(plugins.length).toEqual(1);
+      expect(plugins[0].id).toBe('default_contents');
+    });
+
+    it('should preserve the priority ordering of valid plugins when an insert is invalid', () => {
+      const plugins = organizePlugins(mockDefaultContent, [
+        {
+          op: PLUGIN_OPERATIONS.Insert,
+          widget: {
+            id: 'second_plugin',
+            priority: 30,
+            type: DIRECT_PLUGIN,
+            RenderWidget: mockRenderWidget,
+          },
+        },
+        {
+          op: PLUGIN_OPERATIONS.Insert,
+          widget: {
+            id: 'no_priority_plugin',
+            type: DIRECT_PLUGIN,
+            RenderWidget: mockRenderWidget,
+          },
+        },
+        {
+          op: PLUGIN_OPERATIONS.Insert,
+          widget: {
+            id: 'first_plugin',
+            priority: 10,
+            type: DIRECT_PLUGIN,
+            RenderWidget: mockRenderWidget,
+          },
+        },
+      ]);
+      expect(plugins.map((w) => w.id)).toEqual(['first_plugin', 'second_plugin', 'default_contents']);
+    });
   });
 });
 
@@ -329,35 +402,20 @@ describe('validatePlugin', () => {
         },
       };
 
-      try {
-        validatePlugin(insertBrokenDirectConfig);
-      } catch (error) {
-        expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the insert configuration is invalid for widget id: MISSING ID');
-      }
-
-      try {
-        validatePlugin(insertBrokenDirectConfig2);
-      } catch (error) {
-        expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the insert configuration is invalid for widget id: new_plugin');
-      }
-
-      try {
-        validatePlugin(insertBrokenDirectConfig3);
-      } catch (error) {
-        expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('insert operation config is missing widget object');
-      }
-
-      try {
-        validatePlugin(insertBrokenIFrameConfig);
-      } catch (error) {
-        expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the insert configuration is invalid for widget id: new_iframe_plugin');
-      }
-
-      try {
-        validatePlugin(insertBrokenIFrameConfig2);
-      } catch (error) {
-        expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the insert configuration is invalid for widget id: new_iframe_plugin');
-      }
+      expect(validatePlugin(insertBrokenDirectConfig)).toBe(false);
+      expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the insert operation config is invalid for widget id: MISSING ID');
+
+      expect(validatePlugin(insertBrokenDirectConfig2)).toBe(false);
+      expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the insert operation config is invalid for widget id: new_plugin');
+
+      expect(validatePlugin(insertBrokenDirectConfig3)).toBe(false);
+      expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('insert operation config is missing widget object');
+
+      expect(validatePlugin(insertBrokenIFrameConfig)).toBe(false);
+      expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the insert operation config is invalid for widget id: new_iframe_plugin');
+
+      expect(validatePlugin(insertBrokenIFrameConfig2)).toBe(false);
+      expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the insert operation config is invalid for widget id: new_iframe_plugin');
     });
   });
   describe('hide plugin configuration', () => {
@@ -373,11 +431,8 @@ describe('validatePlugin', () => {
         op: PLUGIN_OPERATIONS.Hide,
       };
 
-      try {
-        validatePlugin(invalidHideConfig);
-      } catch (error) {
-        expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the hide operation config is invalid for widget id: MISSING ID');
-      }
+      expect(validatePlugin(invalidHideConfig)).toBe(false);
+      expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the hide operation config is invalid for widget id: MISSING ID');
     });
   });
   describe('modify plugin configuration', () => {
@@ -399,16 +454,10 @@ describe('validatePlugin', () => {
         fn: mockModifyWidget,
       };
 
-      try {
-        validatePlugin(invalidModifyConfig1);
-      } catch (error) {
-        expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the modify operation config is invalid for widget id: random_plugin');
-      }
-      try {
-        validatePlugin(invalidModifyConfig2);
-      } catch (error) {
-        expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the modify operation config is invalid for widget id: MISSING ID');
-      }
+      expect(validatePlugin(invalidModifyConfig1)).toBe(false);
+      expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the modify operation config is invalid for widget id: random_plugin');
+      expect(validatePlugin(invalidModifyConfig2)).toBe(false);
+      expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the modify operation config is invalid for widget id: MISSING ID');
     });
   });
   describe('wrap plugin configuration', () => {
@@ -430,30 +479,21 @@ describe('validatePlugin', () => {
         wrapper: makeMockElementWrapper(),
       };
 
-      try {
-        validatePlugin(invalidWrapConfig1);
-      } catch (error) {
-        expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the wrap operation config is invalid for widget id: random_plugin');
-      }
-      try {
-        validatePlugin(invalidWrapConfig2);
-      } catch (error) {
-        expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the wrap operation config is invalid for widget id: MISSING ID');
-      }
+      expect(validatePlugin(invalidWrapConfig1)).toBe(false);
+      expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the wrap operation config is invalid for widget id: random_plugin');
+      expect(validatePlugin(invalidWrapConfig2)).toBe(false);
+      expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('the wrap operation config is invalid for widget id: MISSING ID');
     });
   });
   describe('an invalid plugin configuration', () => {
-    it('should raise an error for an operation that does not exist', () => {
+    it.each([undefined, 'destroy'])('should return false and raise an error for operation "%s"', (op) => {
       const invalidPluginConfig = {
-        op: PLUGIN_OPERATIONS.Destroy,
+        op,
         widgetId: 'drafts',
       };
 
-      try {
-        validatePlugin(invalidPluginConfig);
-      } catch (error) {
-        expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('There is a config with an invalid PLUGIN_OPERATION. Check to make sure it is configured correctly.');
-      }
+      expect(validatePlugin(invalidPluginConfig)).toBe(false);
+      expect(logError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('There is a config with an invalid PLUGIN_OPERATION. Check to make sure it is configured correctly.');
     });
   });
 });