if (p->n_pktq_in == 0)
                return -EINVAL;
 
-       for (i = 0; i < p->n_pktq_in; i++) {
-               if (p->pktq_in[i].type != APP_PKTQ_IN_SOURCE)
-                       return -EINVAL;
-       }
-
        i = 0;
        while (*next != '\0') {
                uint32_t id;
        if (p->n_pktq_out == 0)
                return -EINVAL;
 
-       for (i = 0; i < p->n_pktq_out; i++) {
-               if (p->pktq_out[i].type != APP_PKTQ_OUT_SINK)
-                       return -EINVAL;
-       }
-
        i = 0;
        while (*next != '\0') {
                uint32_t id;
                }
 
                if (strcmp(ent->name, "pcap_file_rd") == 0) {
-                       int status = parse_pipeline_pcap_source(app,
+                       int status;
+
+#ifndef RTE_PORT_PCAP
+                       PARSE_ERROR_INVALID(0, section_name, ent->name);
+#endif
+
+                       status = parse_pipeline_pcap_source(app,
                                param, ent->value, NULL);
 
                        PARSE_ERROR((status == 0), section_name,
                }
 
                if (strcmp(ent->name, "pcap_bytes_rd_per_pkt") == 0) {
-                       int status = parse_pipeline_pcap_source(app,
+                       int status;
+
+#ifndef RTE_PORT_PCAP
+                       PARSE_ERROR_INVALID(0, section_name, ent->name);
+#endif
+
+                       status = parse_pipeline_pcap_source(app,
                                param, NULL, ent->value);
 
                        PARSE_ERROR((status == 0), section_name,
                }
 
                if (strcmp(ent->name, "pcap_file_wr") == 0) {
-                       int status = parse_pipeline_pcap_sink(app, param,
+                       int status;
+
+#ifndef RTE_PORT_PCAP
+                       PARSE_ERROR_INVALID(0, section_name, ent->name);
+#endif
+
+                       status = parse_pipeline_pcap_sink(app, param,
                                ent->value, NULL);
 
                        PARSE_ERROR((status == 0), section_name,
                }
 
                if (strcmp(ent->name, "pcap_n_pkt_wr") == 0) {
-                       int status = parse_pipeline_pcap_sink(app, param,
+                       int status;
+
+#ifndef RTE_PORT_PCAP
+                       PARSE_ERROR_INVALID(0, section_name, ent->name);
+#endif
+
+                       status = parse_pipeline_pcap_sink(app, param,
                                NULL, ent->value);
 
                        PARSE_ERROR((status == 0), section_name,
        struct rte_cfgfile_entry *entries;
        int n_entries, i;
        ssize_t param_idx;
+       uint32_t pcap_file_present = 0;
+       uint32_t pcap_size_present = 0;
 
        n_entries = rte_cfgfile_section_num_entries(cfg, section_name);
        PARSE_ERROR_SECTION_NO_ENTRIES((n_entries > 0), section_name);
                }
 
                if (strcmp(ent->name, "pcap_file_rd")) {
+                       PARSE_ERROR_DUPLICATE((pcap_file_present == 0),
+                               section_name, ent->name);
+
                        param->file_name = strdup(ent->value);
 
                        PARSE_ERROR_MALLOC(param->file_name != NULL);
+                       pcap_file_present = 1;
+
                        continue;
                }
 
                if (strcmp(ent->name, "pcap_bytes_rd_per_pkt") == 0) {
-                       int status = parser_read_uint32(
+                       int status;
+
+                       PARSE_ERROR_DUPLICATE((pcap_size_present == 0),
+                               section_name, ent->name);
+
+                       status = parser_read_uint32(
                                ¶m->n_bytes_per_pkt, ent->value);
 
                        PARSE_ERROR((status == 0), section_name,
                                ent->name);
+                       pcap_size_present = 1;
+
+                       continue;
                }
 
                /* unrecognized */
        struct rte_cfgfile_entry *entries;
        int n_entries, i;
        ssize_t param_idx;
+       uint32_t pcap_file_present = 0;
+       uint32_t pcap_n_pkt_present = 0;
 
        n_entries = rte_cfgfile_section_num_entries(cfg, section_name);
        PARSE_ERROR_SECTION_NO_ENTRIES((n_entries > 0), section_name);
                struct rte_cfgfile_entry *ent = &entries[i];
 
                if (strcmp(ent->name, "pcap_file_wr")) {
+                       PARSE_ERROR_DUPLICATE((pcap_file_present == 0),
+                               section_name, ent->name);
+
                        param->file_name = strdup(ent->value);
 
                        PARSE_ERROR_MALLOC((param->file_name != NULL));
+
                        continue;
                }
 
                if (strcmp(ent->name, "pcap_n_pkt_wr")) {
-                       int status = parser_read_uint32(
+                       int status;
+
+                       PARSE_ERROR_DUPLICATE((pcap_n_pkt_present == 0),
+                               section_name, ent->name);
+
+                       status = parser_read_uint32(
                                ¶m->n_pkts_to_dump, ent->value);
 
                        PARSE_ERROR((status == 0), section_name,
                                ent->name);
+
                        continue;
                }
 
        APP_PARAM_COUNT(app->msgq_params, app->n_msgq);
        APP_PARAM_COUNT(app->pipeline_params, app->n_pipelines);
 
+#ifdef RTE_PORT_PCAP
+       for (i = 0; i < (int)app->n_pktq_source; i++) {
+               struct app_pktq_source_params *p = &app->source_params[i];
+
+               APP_CHECK((p->file_name), "Parse error: missing "
+                       "mandatory field \"pcap_file_rd\" for \"%s\"",
+                       p->name);
+       }
+#else
+       for (i = 0; i < (int)app->n_pktq_source; i++) {
+               struct app_pktq_source_params *p = &app->source_params[i];
+
+               APP_CHECK((!p->file_name), "Parse error: invalid field "
+                       "\"pcap_file_rd\" for \"%s\"", p->name);
+       }
+#endif
+
        if (app->port_mask == 0)
                assign_link_pmd_id_from_pci_bdf(app);