diff --git a/openpype/settings/defaults/project_settings/houdini.json b/openpype/settings/defaults/project_settings/houdini.json
index 911bf82d9b..b7d2104ba1 100644
--- a/openpype/settings/defaults/project_settings/houdini.json
+++ b/openpype/settings/defaults/project_settings/houdini.json
@@ -47,6 +47,18 @@
         }
     },
     "publish": {
+        "ValidateWorkfilePaths": {
+            "enabled": true,
+            "optional": true,
+            "node_types": [
+                "file",
+                "alembic"
+            ],
+            "prohibited_vars": [
+                "$HIP",
+                "$JOB"
+            ]
+        },
         "ValidateContainers": {
             "enabled": true,
             "optional": true,
diff --git a/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schema_project_houdini.json b/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schema_project_houdini.json
index cad99dde22..d8728c0f4b 100644
--- a/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schema_project_houdini.json
+++ b/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schema_project_houdini.json
@@ -10,22 +10,8 @@
             "name": "schema_houdini_create"
         },
         {
-            "type": "dict",
-            "collapsible": true,
-            "key": "publish",
-            "label": "Publish plugins",
-            "children": [
-                {
-                    "type": "schema_template",
-                    "name": "template_publish_plugin",
-                    "template_data": [
-                        {
-                            "key": "ValidateContainers",
-                            "label": "ValidateContainers"
-                        }
-                    ]
-                }
-            ]
+            "type": "schema",
+            "name": "schema_houdini_publish"
         }
     ]
 }
diff --git a/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schemas/schema_houdini_publish.json b/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schemas/schema_houdini_publish.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aa6eaf5164
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schemas/schema_houdini_publish.json
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+{
+  "type": "dict",
+  "collapsible": true,
+  "key": "publish",
+  "label": "Publish plugins",
+  "children": [
+    {
+      "type": "dict",
+      "collapsible": true,
+      "checkbox_key": "enabled",
+      "key": "ValidateWorkfilePaths",
+      "label": "Validate Workfile Paths",
+      "is_group": true,
+      "children": [
+        {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "key": "enabled",
+            "label": "Enabled"
+        },
+        {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "key": "optional",
+            "label": "Optional"
+        },
+        {
+            "key": "node_types",
+            "label": "Node types",
+            "type": "list",
+            "object_type": "text"
+        },
+        {
+            "key": "prohibited_vars",
+            "label": "Prohibited variables",
+            "type": "list",
+            "object_type": "text"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "schema_template",
+      "name": "template_publish_plugin",
+      "template_data": [
+          {
+              "key": "ValidateContainers",
+              "label": "ValidateContainers"
+          }
+      ]
+    }
+  ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file