diff --git a/src/axolotl/utils/schemas/peft.py b/src/axolotl/utils/schemas/peft.py
index 4cf8dafe7..3cedec8b2 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/utils/schemas/peft.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/utils/schemas/peft.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ class LoraConfig(BaseModel):
             and (data.get("quantization"))
         ):
             raise ValueError(
-                "Quantization is not supported without setting an adapter for training."
+                "Quantization is not supported without setting an adapter."
                 "If you want to full finetune, please turn off Quantization."
             )
         return data
@@ -87,21 +87,26 @@ class LoraConfig(BaseModel):
     def validate_qlora(self):
         if self.adapter == "qlora":
             if self.merge_lora:
-                # can't merge qlora if loaded in 8bit or 4bit
-                if self.quantization:
-                    raise ValueError("Can't merge qlora if loaded in quantized model")
+                if self.quantization.bits == 8:
+                    raise ValueError("Can't merge qlora if loaded in 8bit")
 
                 if self.quantization.backend == "gptq":
                     raise ValueError("Can't merge qlora if using gptq")
 
+                if self.quantization.bits == 4:
+                    raise ValueError("Can't merge qlora if loaded in 4bit")
+
             else:
                 if self.quantization:
-                    if self.quantization.bits > 4:
-                        raise ValueError("Can't load qlora in >4 bit")
+                    if self.quantization.bits == 8:
+                        raise ValueError("Can't load qlora in 8bit")
 
                     if self.quantization.backend == "gptq":
                         raise ValueError("Can't load qlora if using gptq")
 
+                    if not self.quantization.bits == 4:
+                        raise ValueError("Require quantization.bits <= 4 for qlora")
+
         return self
 
     @field_validator("loraplus_lr_embedding")
diff --git a/tests/patched/test_validation.py b/tests/patched/test_validation.py
index 3262a6981..dc451b870 100644
--- a/tests/patched/test_validation.py
+++ b/tests/patched/test_validation.py
@@ -74,7 +74,11 @@ class TestValidation(BaseValidation):
                 "deepspeed": "deepspeed_configs/zero3_bf16.json",
                 "gradient_checkpointing": True,
                 "gradient_checkpointing_kwargs": {"use_reentrant": False},
-                "load_in_4bit": True,
+                "quantization": {
+                    "backend": "bnb",
+                    "bits": 4,
+                },
+                # "load_in_4bit": True
                 "adapter": "qlora",
             }
             | minimal_cfg
@@ -93,7 +97,10 @@ class TestValidation(BaseValidation):
                 "deepspeed": "",
                 "gradient_checkpointing": True,
                 "gradient_checkpointing_kwargs": {"use_reentrant": False},
-                "load_in_4bit": True,
+                "quantization": {
+                    "backend": "bnb",
+                    "bits": 4,
+                },
                 "adapter": "qlora",
             }
             | minimal_cfg
@@ -107,7 +114,10 @@ class TestValidation(BaseValidation):
                 "deepspeed": None,
                 "gradient_checkpointing": True,
                 "gradient_checkpointing_kwargs": {"use_reentrant": False},
-                "load_in_4bit": True,
+                "quantization": {
+                    "backend": "bnb",
+                    "bits": 4,
+                },
                 "adapter": "qlora",
             }
             | minimal_cfg
@@ -306,7 +316,10 @@ class TestValidation(BaseValidation):
         cfg = (
             DictDefault(  # pylint: disable=unsupported-binary-operation
                 {
-                    "load_in_8bit": True,
+                    "quantization": {
+                        "backend": "bnb",
+                        "bits": 8,
+                    },
                 }
             )
             | base_cfg
@@ -318,7 +331,9 @@ class TestValidation(BaseValidation):
         cfg = (
             DictDefault(  # pylint: disable=unsupported-binary-operation
                 {
-                    "gptq": True,
+                    "quantization": {
+                        "backend": "gptq",
+                    },
                 }
             )
             | base_cfg
@@ -330,19 +345,24 @@ class TestValidation(BaseValidation):
         cfg = (
             DictDefault(  # pylint: disable=unsupported-binary-operation
                 {
-                    "load_in_4bit": False,
+                    "quantization": {
+                        "bits": None,
+                    },
                 }
             )
             | base_cfg
         )
 
-        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=r".*4bit.*"):
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=r".*bits <= 4*"):
             validate_config(cfg)
 
         cfg = (
             DictDefault(  # pylint: disable=unsupported-binary-operation
                 {
-                    "load_in_4bit": True,
+                    "quantization": {
+                        "backend": "bnb",
+                        "bits": 4,
+                    },
                 }
             )
             | base_cfg
@@ -364,7 +384,10 @@ class TestValidation(BaseValidation):
         cfg = (
             DictDefault(  # pylint: disable=unsupported-binary-operation
                 {
-                    "load_in_8bit": True,
+                    "quantization": {
+                        "backend": "bnb",
+                        "bits": 8,
+                    },
                 }
             )
             | base_cfg
@@ -376,7 +399,10 @@ class TestValidation(BaseValidation):
         cfg = (
             DictDefault(  # pylint: disable=unsupported-binary-operation
                 {
-                    "gptq": True,
+                    "quantization": {
+                        "backend": "gptq",
+                        "bits": 4,
+                    },
                 }
             )
             | base_cfg
@@ -388,7 +414,9 @@ class TestValidation(BaseValidation):
         cfg = (
             DictDefault(  # pylint: disable=unsupported-binary-operation
                 {
-                    "load_in_4bit": True,
+                    "quantization": {
+                        "bits": 4,
+                    },
                 }
             )
             | base_cfg
@@ -976,7 +1004,9 @@ class TestValidation(BaseValidation):
         cfg = (
             DictDefault(
                 {
-                    "load_in_4bit": True,
+                    "quantization": {
+                        "bits": None,
+                    },
                 }
             )
             | minimal_cfg
@@ -984,29 +1014,16 @@ class TestValidation(BaseValidation):
 
         with pytest.raises(
             ValueError,
-            match=r".*load_in_8bit and load_in_4bit are not supported without setting an adapter.*",
+            match=r"Quantization is not supported without setting an adapter.*",
         ):
             validate_config(cfg)
 
         cfg = (
             DictDefault(
                 {
-                    "load_in_8bit": True,
-                }
-            )
-            | minimal_cfg
-        )
-
-        with pytest.raises(
-            ValueError,
-            match=r".*load_in_8bit and load_in_4bit are not supported without setting an adapter.*",
-        ):
-            validate_config(cfg)
-
-        cfg = (
-            DictDefault(
-                {
-                    "load_in_4bit": True,
+                    "quantization": {
+                        "bits": 4,
+                    },
                     "adapter": "qlora",
                 }
             )
@@ -1018,7 +1035,9 @@ class TestValidation(BaseValidation):
         cfg = (
             DictDefault(
                 {
-                    "load_in_8bit": True,
+                    "quantization": {
+                        "bits": 8,
+                    },
                     "adapter": "lora",
                 }
             )