diff --git a/src/specify_cli/bundler/models/catalog.py b/src/specify_cli/bundler/models/catalog.py
index a1744f9948..293d31c69b 100644
--- a/src/specify_cli/bundler/models/catalog.py
+++ b/src/specify_cli/bundler/models/catalog.py
@@ -251,8 +251,22 @@ def _merge_config(by_id: dict[str, CatalogSource], config_path: Path, scope: Sco
         return
     data = load_yaml(config_path)
     catalogs = data.get("catalogs") if isinstance(data, dict) else None
-    if not catalogs:
+    if catalogs is None:
         return
+    if not isinstance(catalogs, list):
+        # Treat only an absent/``None`` ``catalogs`` as "nothing to merge"; any
+        # other non-list value (``catalogs: 5``, ``false``, ``0``, ``''``,
+        # ``{}``) is a malformed config and must raise, not be silently skipped
+        # by a falsy check. Otherwise a truthy scalar would raise a raw
+        # ``TypeError: 'int' object is not iterable`` from the loop below, while
+        # falsy non-lists would be swallowed. Report the same actionable
+        # BundlerError the sibling reader of this file raises
+        # (commands_impl/catalog_config.py) so both readers of
+        # bundle-catalogs.yml agree. An empty list stays valid (loop is a no-op).
+        raise BundlerError(
+            f"Malformed catalog config at {config_path}: 'catalogs' must be a "
+            f"list, got {type(catalogs).__name__}."
+        )
     for raw in catalogs:
         src = CatalogSource.from_dict(raw, scope)
         by_id[src.id] = src
diff --git a/tests/contract/test_catalog_schema.py b/tests/contract/test_catalog_schema.py
index a04218f82b..bfa289d497 100644
--- a/tests/contract/test_catalog_schema.py
+++ b/tests/contract/test_catalog_schema.py
@@ -43,6 +43,42 @@ def test_builtin_default_stack_when_no_config(tmp_path: Path):
     assert all(s.scope is Scope.BUILTIN for s in sources)
 
 
+def test_non_list_catalogs_raises_actionable_error(tmp_path: Path):
+    """A scalar ``catalogs:`` value raises a clean BundlerError, not a raw
+    'int object is not iterable' TypeError — matching what the sibling reader
+    (bundle catalog list) already reports for the same file."""
+    make_project(tmp_path)
+    (tmp_path / ".specify" / "bundle-catalogs.yml").write_text(
+        "catalogs: 5\n", encoding="utf-8"
+    )
+    with pytest.raises(BundlerError, match="must be a list"):
+        load_source_stack(tmp_path)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("value", ["false", "0", "''", "{}"])
+def test_falsy_non_list_catalogs_still_raises(tmp_path: Path, value: str):
+    """A *falsy* non-list ``catalogs:`` value (false/0/''/{}) must also raise —
+    only an absent/``None`` value means "nothing to merge". A plain falsy check
+    would silently swallow these, diverging from the sibling reader."""
+    make_project(tmp_path)
+    (tmp_path / ".specify" / "bundle-catalogs.yml").write_text(
+        f"catalogs: {value}\n", encoding="utf-8"
+    )
+    with pytest.raises(BundlerError, match="must be a list"):
+        load_source_stack(tmp_path)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("body", ["catalogs:\n", "catalogs: []\n"])
+def test_absent_or_empty_catalogs_is_noop(tmp_path: Path, body: str):
+    """An absent (``None``) or empty-list ``catalogs:`` is valid: it contributes
+    no project sources and falls back to the built-in default stack."""
+    make_project(tmp_path)
+    (tmp_path / ".specify" / "bundle-catalogs.yml").write_text(body, encoding="utf-8")
+    # Does not raise; still yields the built-in defaults.
+    sources = load_source_stack(tmp_path)
+    assert len(sources) > 0
+
+
 def test_project_config_overrides_same_id(tmp_path: Path):
     make_project(tmp_path)
     config = {