diff --git a/src/Core/WinSWCore/ServiceDescriptor.cs b/src/Core/WinSWCore/ServiceDescriptor.cs
index b9eee89..fc06a9b 100755
--- a/src/Core/WinSWCore/ServiceDescriptor.cs
+++ b/src/Core/WinSWCore/ServiceDescriptor.cs
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ namespace winsw
 
             try
             {
-                ValidateAndLoadXmlSchema(GetXMLReader());
+                string xmlstring = File.ReadAllText(BasePath + ".xml");
+                dom = ServiceDescriptor.FromXML(xmlstring).dom;
             }
             catch (XmlException e)
             {
@@ -101,41 +102,6 @@ namespace winsw
             this.dom = dom;
         }
 
-        public void ValidateAndLoadXmlSchema(XmlReader reader)
-        {
-            XmlReaderSettings settings =  new XmlReaderSettings();
-
-            settings.ValidationType = ValidationType.Schema;
-            settings.ValidationEventHandler += new ValidationEventHandler(XmlValidationEventHandler);
-
-            Assembly a = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
-
-            using (Stream schemaStream = a.GetManifestResourceStream("winsw.XMLSchema.xsd"))
-            {
-                using (XmlReader schemaReader = XmlReader.Create(schemaStream))
-                {
-                    settings.Schemas.Add(null, schemaReader);
-                }
-            }
-
-            var new_reader = XmlReader.Create(reader, settings);
-
-            dom.Load(new_reader);
-        }
-
-        private XmlReader GetXMLReader()
-        {
-            return XmlReader.Create(BasePath + ".xml");
-        }
-
-        private void XmlValidationEventHandler(object sender, ValidationEventArgs e)
-        {
-            if (e.Severity == XmlSeverityType.Error)
-            {
-                throw new XmlException("[Error] XML validation - " + e.Message);
-            }
-        }
-
         // ReSharper disable once InconsistentNaming
         public static ServiceDescriptor FromXML(string xml)
         {
diff --git a/src/Core/WinSWCore/XMLSchema.xsd b/src/Core/WinSWCore/XMLSchema.xsd
index 0e079b0..c540f81 100644
--- a/src/Core/WinSWCore/XMLSchema.xsd
+++ b/src/Core/WinSWCore/XMLSchema.xsd
@@ -87,21 +87,21 @@
         
         
         <!-- extensions -->
-        <xs:element name="extensions">
+        <xs:element name="extensions" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
           <xs:complexType>
             <xs:choice maxOccurs="unbounded">
               
               <!-- extension -->
-              <xs:element name="extension">
+              <xs:element name="extension" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
                 <xs:complexType>
                   <xs:choice maxOccurs="unbounded">
-                    <xs:element type="xs:string" name="pidfile"/>
-                    <xs:element type="xs:short" name="stopTimeout"/>
-                    <xs:element type="xs:string" name="stopParentFirst"/>
-                    <xs:element type="xs:string" name="checkWinSWEnvironmentVariable"/>
+                    <xs:element type="xs:string" name="pidfile" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
+                    <xs:element type="xs:short" name="stopTimeout" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
+                    <xs:element type="xs:string" name="stopParentFirst" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
+                    <xs:element type="xs:string" name="checkWinSWEnvironmentVariable" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
 
                     <!-- mapping -->
-                    <xs:element name="mapping">
+                    <xs:element name="mapping" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
                       <xs:complexType>
                         <xs:choice maxOccurs="unbounded">
                           <xs:element name="map" maxOccurs="unbounded" minOccurs="0">
diff --git a/src/Test/winswTests/ServiceDescriptorTests.cs b/src/Test/winswTests/ServiceDescriptorTests.cs
index a9274d3..d5b6ff2 100644
--- a/src/Test/winswTests/ServiceDescriptorTests.cs
+++ b/src/Test/winswTests/ServiceDescriptorTests.cs
@@ -446,22 +446,17 @@ $@"<service>
         }
 
         [Test]
-        public void ValidateAndLoadXmlSchemaTest()
+        public void FromXMLTest()
         {
             const string seedXml = @"<id>
-                                        <id>myapp</id>
-                                        <name>appname</name>
-                                        <description>app description</description>
-                                        <executable>jenkins</executable>
-                                   </id>";
+  <id>myapp</id>
+  <name>MyApp Service (powered by WinSW)</name>
+  <description>This service is a service created from a minimal configuration</description>
+  <executable>%BASE%\myExecutable.exe</executable>
+</id>
+";
 
-            XmlDocument dom = new XmlDocument();
-            dom.LoadXml(seedXml);
-
-            var serviceDescriptor = new ServiceDescriptor(dom);
-
-            var reader = XmlReader.Create(new StringReader(seedXml));
-            Assert.That(() => serviceDescriptor.ValidateAndLoadXmlSchema(reader), Throws.Exception.TypeOf<XmlException>());
+            Assert.That(() => ServiceDescriptor.FromXML(seedXml), Throws.Exception.TypeOf<XmlException>());
         }
     }
 }