diff --git a/frigate/app.py b/frigate/app.py
index bab570093..c9812e05f 100644
--- a/frigate/app.py
+++ b/frigate/app.py
@@ -86,29 +86,6 @@ class FrigateApp:
                 "frame_queue": mp.Queue(maxsize=2),
             }
 
-    def check_config(self):
-        for name, camera in self.config.cameras.items():
-            assigned_roles = list(
-                set([r for i in camera.ffmpeg.inputs for r in i.roles])
-            )
-            if not camera.record.enabled and "record" in assigned_roles:
-                logger.warning(
-                    f"Camera {name} has record assigned to an input, but record is not enabled."
-                )
-            elif camera.record.enabled and not "record" in assigned_roles:
-                logger.warning(
-                    f"Camera {name} has record enabled, but record is not assigned to an input."
-                )
-
-            if not camera.rtmp.enabled and "rtmp" in assigned_roles:
-                logger.warning(
-                    f"Camera {name} has rtmp assigned to an input, but rtmp is not enabled."
-                )
-            elif camera.rtmp.enabled and not "rtmp" in assigned_roles:
-                logger.warning(
-                    f"Camera {name} has rtmp enabled, but rtmp is not assigned to an input."
-                )
-
     def set_log_levels(self):
         logging.getLogger().setLevel(self.config.logger.default.value.upper())
         for log, level in self.config.logger.logs.items():
@@ -338,7 +315,6 @@ class FrigateApp:
                 sys.exit(1)
             self.set_environment_vars()
             self.ensure_dirs()
-            self.check_config()
             self.set_log_levels()
             self.init_queues()
             self.init_database()
diff --git a/frigate/config.py b/frigate/config.py
index 47f8b8853..922cc24bc 100644
--- a/frigate/config.py
+++ b/frigate/config.py
@@ -504,6 +504,10 @@ class CameraConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
                 for idx, (name, z) in enumerate(config["zones"].items())
             }
 
+        # add roles to the input if there is only one
+        if len(config["ffmpeg"]["inputs"]) == 1:
+            config["ffmpeg"]["inputs"][0]["roles"] = ["record", "rtmp", "detect"]
+
         super().__init__(**config)
 
     @property
@@ -798,6 +802,23 @@ class FrigateConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
                 raise ValueError("Zones cannot share names with cameras")
         return v
 
+    @validator("cameras")
+    def ensure_cameras_are_not_missing_roles(cls, v: Dict[str, CameraConfig]):
+        for name, camera in v.items():
+            assigned_roles = list(
+                set([r for i in camera.ffmpeg.inputs for r in i.roles])
+            )
+            if camera.record.enabled and not "record" in assigned_roles:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"Camera {name} has record enabled, but record is not assigned to an input."
+                )
+
+            if camera.rtmp.enabled and not "rtmp" in assigned_roles:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"Camera {name} has rtmp enabled, but rtmp is not assigned to an input."
+                )
+        return v
+
     @classmethod
     def parse_file(cls, config_file):
         with open(config_file) as f: