A system and method for validating arguments in a request to activate an application is provided. An application may include declarations with information for validating arguments provided with a request to activate the application. A compiler may then compile the source code of the application to generate an assembly with information for validating the arguments and may also generate an entry in a manifest with information identifying the assembly with the information for validating the arguments. The compiler may also generate an activation executable with executable code used for validating the arguments before the application may be executed. When a request may be received with arguments for activation of the application, activation code may validate the arguments and then execute the application code which may access the validated arguments.