diff --git a/lib-es5/config.js b/lib-es5/config.js
index 3b222d55..f624b1c9 100644
--- a/lib-es5/config.js
+++ b/lib-es5/config.js
@@ -118,6 +118,13 @@ module.exports = function (new_config, new_value) {
     var CLOUDINARY_ENV_URL = process.env.CLOUDINARY_URL;
     var CLOUDINARY_ENV_ACCOUNT_URL = process.env.CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL;
 
+    if (CLOUDINARY_ENV_URL && !CLOUDINARY_ENV_URL.toLowerCase().startsWith('cloudinary://')) {
+      throw new Error("Invalid CLOUDINARY_URL protocol. URL should begin with 'cloudinary://'");
+    }
+    if (CLOUDINARY_ENV_ACCOUNT_URL && !CLOUDINARY_ENV_ACCOUNT_URL.toLowerCase().startsWith('account://')) {
+      throw new Error("Invalid CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL protocol. URL should begin with 'account://'");
+    }
+
     [CLOUDINARY_ENV_URL, CLOUDINARY_ENV_ACCOUNT_URL].forEach(function (ENV_URL) {
       if (ENV_URL) {
         var parsedConfig = parseCloudinaryConfigFromEnvURL(ENV_URL);
diff --git a/lib/config.js b/lib/config.js
index dfffcbc3..e5621d49 100644
--- a/lib/config.js
+++ b/lib/config.js
@@ -95,6 +95,13 @@ module.exports = function (new_config, new_value) {
 
     let CLOUDINARY_ENV_URL = process.env.CLOUDINARY_URL;
     let CLOUDINARY_ENV_ACCOUNT_URL = process.env.CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL;
+    
+    if (CLOUDINARY_ENV_URL && !CLOUDINARY_ENV_URL.toLowerCase().startsWith('cloudinary://')) {
+      throw new Error("Invalid CLOUDINARY_URL protocol. URL should begin with 'cloudinary://'");
+    }
+    if (CLOUDINARY_ENV_ACCOUNT_URL && !CLOUDINARY_ENV_ACCOUNT_URL.toLowerCase().startsWith('account://')) {
+      throw new Error("Invalid CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL protocol. URL should begin with 'account://'");
+    }
 
     [CLOUDINARY_ENV_URL, CLOUDINARY_ENV_ACCOUNT_URL].forEach((ENV_URL) => {
       if (ENV_URL) {
diff --git a/test/cloudinary_spec.js b/test/cloudinary_spec.js
index d94b7d69..e97694da 100644
--- a/test/cloudinary_spec.js
+++ b/test/cloudinary_spec.js
@@ -790,16 +790,77 @@ describe("cloudinary", function () {
     });
   });
   describe("config", function () {
-    var urlBackup = process.env.CLOUDINARY_URL;
-    after(function () {
-      process.env.CLOUDINARY_URL = urlBackup;
-      cloudinary.config(true);
-    });
-    it("should allow nested values in CLOUDINARY_URL", function () {
-      process.env.CLOUDINARY_URL = "cloudinary://key:secret@test123?foo[bar]=value";
-      cloudinary.config(true);
-      const foo = cloudinary.config().foo;
-      expect(foo && foo.bar).to.eql('value');
+    let cloudinaryUrlBackup;
+    let accountUrlBackup;
+    before(function () {
+      cloudinaryUrlBackup = process.env.CLOUDINARY_URL;
+      accountUrlBackup = process.env.CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL;
+    });
+    describe("CLOUDINARY_URL", function () {
+      after(function () {
+        process.env.CLOUDINARY_URL = cloudinaryUrlBackup;
+        cloudinary.config(true);
+      });
+      it("should allow nested values in CLOUDINARY_URL", function () {
+        process.env.CLOUDINARY_URL = "cloudinary://key:secret@test123?foo[bar]=value";
+        cloudinary.config(true);
+        const foo = cloudinary.config().foo;
+        expect(foo && foo.bar).to.eql('value');
+      });
+      it("should load a properly formatted CLOUDINARY_URL", function () {
+        process.env.CLOUDINARY_URL = "cloudinary://123456789012345:ALKJdjklLJAjhkKJ45hBK92baj3@test";
+        cloudinary.config(true);
+      });
+      it("should not be sensitive to case in CLOUDINARY_URL's protocol", function () {
+        process.env.CLOUDINARY_URL = "CLouDiNaRY://123456789012345:ALKJdjklLJAjhkKJ45hBK92baj3@test";
+        cloudinary.config(true);
+      });
+      it("should throw error when CLOUDINARY_URL doesn't start with 'cloudinary://'", function () {
+        process.env.CLOUDINARY_URL = "https://123456789012345:ALKJdjklLJAjhkKJ45hBK92baj3@test?cloudinary=foo";
+        try {
+          cloudinary.config(true);
+          expect().fail();
+        } catch (err) {
+          expect(err.message).to.eql("Invalid CLOUDINARY_URL protocol. URL should begin with 'cloudinary://'");
+        }
+      });
+      it("should not throw an error when CLOUDINARY_URL environment variable is missing", function () {
+        delete process.env.CLOUDINARY_URL;
+        cloudinary.config(true);
+      });
+    });
+    describe("CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL", function () {
+      after(function () {
+        process.env.CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL = accountUrlBackup;
+        cloudinary.config(true);
+      });
+      it("should allow nested values in CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL", function () {
+        process.env.CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL = "account://key:secret@test123?foo[bar]=value";
+        cloudinary.config(true);
+        const foo = cloudinary.config().foo;
+        expect(foo && foo.bar).to.eql('value');
+      });
+      it("should load a properly formatted CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL", function () {
+        process.env.CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL = "account://635412789012345:ALKJdjklLJAjhkKJ45hBK92tam2@test1";
+        cloudinary.config(true);
+      });
+      it("should not be sensitive to case in CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL's protocol", function () {
+        process.env.CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL = "aCCouNT://635283989012345:ALKGssklLJAjhkKJ45hBK92tas5@test1";
+        cloudinary.config(true);
+      });
+      it("should throw error when CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL doesn't start with 'account://'", function () {
+        process.env.CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL = "https://635283989012345:ALKGssklLJAjhkKJ45hBK92tas5@test1?account=foo";
+        try {
+          cloudinary.config(true);
+          expect().fail();
+        } catch (err) {
+          expect(err.message).to.eql("Invalid CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL protocol. URL should begin with 'account://'");
+        }
+      });
+      it("should not throw an error when CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL environment variable is missing", function () {
+        delete process.env.CLOUDINARY_ACCOUNT_URL;
+        cloudinary.config(true);
+      });
     });
   });
 });