diff --git a/blurb/blurb.py b/blurb/blurb.py
index 51f1087..7557c23 100755
--- a/blurb/blurb.py
+++ b/blurb/blurb.py
@@ -472,27 +472,34 @@ def finish_entry():
                     throw("Blurb 'body' can't start with " + repr(naughty_prefix) + "!")
 
             no_changes = metadata.get('no changes')
-            section = metadata.get('section')
-
-            if not no_changes:
-                if not section:
-                    throw("No 'section' specified.  You must provide one!")
-                elif section not in sections:
-                    throw("Invalid 'section'!  You must use one of the predefined sections.")
-
-            issue_number = None
-
-            if metadata.get("gh-issue") is not None:
-                try:
-                    issue_number = int(metadata.get('gh-issue'))
-                except (TypeError, ValueError):
-                    throw("Invalid GitHub issue number! (" + repr(issue_number) + ")")
-            elif metadata.get("bpo") is not None:
-                try:
-                    issue_number = int(metadata.get('bpo'))
-                except (TypeError, ValueError):
-                    throw("Invalid bpo issue number! (" + repr(issue_number) + ")")
 
+            issue_keys = {
+                'gh-issue': 'GitHub',
+                'bpo': 'bpo',
+                }
+            for key, value in metadata.items():
+                # Iterate over metadata items in order.
+                # We parsed the blurb file line by line,
+                # so we'll insert metadata keys in the
+                # order we see them.  So if we issue the
+                # errors in the order we see the keys,
+                # we'll complain about the *first* error
+                # we see in the blurb file, which is a
+                # better user experience.
+                if key in issue_keys:
+                    try:
+                        int(value)
+                    except (TypeError, ValueError):
+                        throw(f"Invalid {issue_keys[key]} issue number! ({value!r})")
+
+                if key == "section":
+                    if no_changes:
+                        continue
+                    if value not in sections:
+                        throw(f"Invalid section {value!r}!  You must use one of the predefined sections.")
+
+            if not 'section' in metadata:
+                throw("No 'section' specified.  You must provide one!")
 
             self.append((metadata, text))
             metadata = {}
@@ -854,6 +861,13 @@ def test(*args):
     # unittest.main doesn't work because this isn't a module
     # so we'll do it ourselves
 
+    while not (os.path.isdir(".git") and os.path.isdir("blurb")):
+        old_dir = os.getcwd()
+        os.chdir("..")
+        if old_dir == os.getcwd():
+            # we reached the root and never found it!
+            sys.exit("Error: Couldn't find the root of your blurb repo!")
+
     print("-" * 79)
 
     for clsname, cls in sorted(globals().items()):
diff --git a/blurb/tests/fail/invalid-gh-number.rst b/blurb/tests/fail/invalid-gh-number.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6d60917
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blurb/tests/fail/invalid-gh-number.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+.. gh-issue: abcde
+.. section: Library
+
+Things, stuff.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/blurb/tests/fail/invalid-section.rst b/blurb/tests/fail/invalid-section.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1c0af55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blurb/tests/fail/invalid-section.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+.. gh-issue: 8675309
+.. section: Funky Kong
+
+This is an invalid blurb.  Shockingly, "Funky Kong" is not a valid section name.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/blurb/tests/fail/no-gh-number.rst b/blurb/tests/fail/no-gh-number.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..480fcbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blurb/tests/fail/no-gh-number.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+.. gh-issue:
+.. section: Library
+
+Things, stuff.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/blurb/tests/fail/no-section.rst b/blurb/tests/fail/no-section.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f6e06aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blurb/tests/fail/no-section.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+.. gh-issue: 8675309
+
+This is an invalid blurb.  It doesn't have a "section".
\ No newline at end of file