diff --git a/sdks/java/io/kafka/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/kafka/KafkaReadSchemaTransformConfiguration.java b/sdks/java/io/kafka/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/kafka/KafkaReadSchemaTransformConfiguration.java
index d95c49894a2c..13f5249a6c3b 100644
--- a/sdks/java/io/kafka/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/kafka/KafkaReadSchemaTransformConfiguration.java
+++ b/sdks/java/io/kafka/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/kafka/KafkaReadSchemaTransformConfiguration.java
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
  */
 package org.apache.beam.sdk.io.kafka;
 
+import static org.apache.beam.vendor.guava.v32_1_2_jre.com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkArgument;
+import static org.apache.beam.vendor.guava.v32_1_2_jre.com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkNotNull;
+
 import com.google.auto.value.AutoValue;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
@@ -46,11 +49,13 @@ public abstract class KafkaReadSchemaTransformConfiguration {
 
   public void validate() {
     final String startOffset = this.getAutoOffsetResetConfig();
-    assert startOffset == null || VALID_START_OFFSET_VALUES.contains(startOffset)
-        : "Valid Kafka Start offset values are " + VALID_START_OFFSET_VALUES;
+    checkArgument(
+        startOffset == null || VALID_START_OFFSET_VALUES.contains(startOffset),
+        "Valid Kafka Start offset values are " + VALID_START_OFFSET_VALUES);
     final String dataFormat = this.getFormat();
-    assert dataFormat == null || VALID_DATA_FORMATS.contains(dataFormat)
-        : "Valid data formats are " + VALID_DATA_FORMATS;
+    checkArgument(
+        dataFormat == null || VALID_DATA_FORMATS.contains(dataFormat),
+        "Valid data formats are " + VALID_DATA_FORMATS);
 
     final String inputSchema = this.getSchema();
     final String messageName = this.getMessageName();
@@ -59,20 +64,23 @@ public void validate() {
     final String confluentSchemaRegSubject = this.getConfluentSchemaRegistrySubject();
 
     if (confluentSchemaRegUrl != null) {
-      assert confluentSchemaRegSubject != null
-          : "To read from Kafka, a schema must be provided directly or though Confluent "
-              + "Schema Registry. Make sure you are providing one of these parameters.";
+      checkNotNull(
+          confluentSchemaRegSubject,
+          "To read from Kafka, a schema must be provided directly or though Confluent "
+              + "Schema Registry. Make sure you are providing one of these parameters.");
     } else if (dataFormat != null && dataFormat.equals("RAW")) {
-      assert inputSchema == null : "To read from Kafka in RAW format, you can't provide a schema.";
+      checkArgument(
+          inputSchema == null, "To read from Kafka in RAW format, you can't provide a schema.");
     } else if (dataFormat != null && dataFormat.equals("JSON")) {
-      assert inputSchema != null : "To read from Kafka in JSON format, you must provide a schema.";
+      checkNotNull(inputSchema, "To read from Kafka in JSON format, you must provide a schema.");
     } else if (dataFormat != null && dataFormat.equals("PROTO")) {
-      assert messageName != null
-          : "To read from Kafka in PROTO format, messageName must be provided.";
-      assert fileDescriptorPath != null || inputSchema != null
-          : "To read from Kafka in PROTO format, fileDescriptorPath or schema must be provided.";
+      checkNotNull(
+          messageName, "To read from Kafka in PROTO format, messageName must be provided.");
+      checkArgument(
+          fileDescriptorPath != null || inputSchema != null,
+          "To read from Kafka in PROTO format, fileDescriptorPath or schema must be provided.");
     } else {
-      assert inputSchema != null : "To read from Kafka in AVRO format, you must provide a schema.";
+      checkNotNull(inputSchema, "To read from Kafka in AVRO format, you must provide a schema.");
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/sdks/java/io/kafka/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/kafka/KafkaReadSchemaTransformProvider.java b/sdks/java/io/kafka/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/kafka/KafkaReadSchemaTransformProvider.java
index 10a347929ee0..2776c388f7cc 100644
--- a/sdks/java/io/kafka/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/kafka/KafkaReadSchemaTransformProvider.java
+++ b/sdks/java/io/kafka/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/kafka/KafkaReadSchemaTransformProvider.java
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ protected Class<KafkaReadSchemaTransformConfiguration> configurationClass() {
   })
   @Override
   protected SchemaTransform from(KafkaReadSchemaTransformConfiguration configuration) {
+    configuration.validate();
+
     final String inputSchema = configuration.getSchema();
     final int groupId = configuration.hashCode() % Integer.MAX_VALUE;
     final String autoOffsetReset =
diff --git a/sdks/java/io/kafka/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/kafka/KafkaReadSchemaTransformProviderTest.java b/sdks/java/io/kafka/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/kafka/KafkaReadSchemaTransformProviderTest.java
index 4f133746b535..f6e231c758a5 100644
--- a/sdks/java/io/kafka/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/kafka/KafkaReadSchemaTransformProviderTest.java
+++ b/sdks/java/io/kafka/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/kafka/KafkaReadSchemaTransformProviderTest.java
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ public class KafkaReadSchemaTransformProviderTest {
   @Test
   public void testValidConfigurations() {
     assertThrows(
-        AssertionError.class,
+        IllegalArgumentException.class,
         () -> {
           KafkaReadSchemaTransformConfiguration.builder()
               .setFormat("UNUSUAL_FORMAT")
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ public void testBuildTransformWithoutProtoSchemaFormat() {
         (KafkaReadSchemaTransformProvider) providers.get(0);
 
     assertThrows(
-        NullPointerException.class,
+        IllegalArgumentException.class,
         () ->
             kafkaProvider.from(
                 KafkaReadSchemaTransformConfiguration.builder()