diff --git a/__tests__/config.test.ts b/__tests__/config.test.ts
index cb84cdd..b3b67bd 100644
--- a/__tests__/config.test.ts
+++ b/__tests__/config.test.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ function setInput(input: string, value: string) {
 function clearInputs() {
   const allowedOptions = [
     'FAIL-ON-SEVERITY',
+    'FAIL-ON-SCOPES',
     'ALLOW-LICENSES',
     'DENY-LICENSES',
     'BASE-REF',
@@ -82,3 +83,22 @@ test('it raises an error when no refs are provided and the event is not a pull r
     })
   ).toThrow()
 })
+
+test('it defaults to runtime scope', async () => {
+  const options = readConfig()
+  expect(options.fail_on_scopes).toEqual(['runtime'])
+})
+test('it parses custom scopes preference', async () => {
+  setInput('fail-on-scopes', 'runtime, development')
+  let options = readConfig()
+  expect(options.fail_on_scopes).toEqual(['runtime', 'development'])
+
+  clearInputs()
+  setInput('fail-on-scopes', 'development')
+  options = readConfig()
+  expect(options.fail_on_scopes).toEqual(['development'])
+})
+test('it raises an error when given invalid scope', async () => {
+  setInput('fail-on-scopes', 'runtime, zombies')
+  expect(() => readConfig()).toThrow()
+})
diff --git a/src/config.ts b/src/config.ts
index 800a672..439c126 100644
--- a/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/config.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,29 @@
 import * as core from '@actions/core'
 import * as z from 'zod'
-import {ConfigurationOptions, SEVERITIES} from './schemas'
+import {ConfigurationOptions, SEVERITIES, SCOPES} from './schemas'
 
 function getOptionalInput(name: string): string | undefined {
   const value = core.getInput(name)
   return value.length > 0 ? value : undefined
 }
 
+function parseList(list: string | undefined): string[] | undefined {
+  if (list === undefined) {
+    return list
+  } else {
+    return list.split(',').map(x => x.trim())
+  }
+}
+
 export function readConfig(): ConfigurationOptions {
   const fail_on_severity = z
     .enum(SEVERITIES)
     .default('low')
     .parse(getOptionalInput('fail-on-severity'))
+  const fail_on_scopes = z
+    .array(z.enum(SCOPES))
+    .default(['runtime'])
+    .parse(parseList(getOptionalInput('fail-on-scopes')))
   const allow_licenses = getOptionalInput('allow-licenses')
   const deny_licenses = getOptionalInput('deny-licenses')
 
@@ -24,8 +36,9 @@ export function readConfig(): ConfigurationOptions {
 
   return {
     fail_on_severity,
-    allow_licenses: allow_licenses?.split(',').map(x => x.trim()),
-    deny_licenses: deny_licenses?.split(',').map(x => x.trim()),
+    fail_on_scopes,
+    allow_licenses: parseList(allow_licenses),
+    deny_licenses: parseList(deny_licenses),
     base_ref,
     head_ref
   }
diff --git a/src/schemas.ts b/src/schemas.ts
index b91a6b7..05ffa0f 100644
--- a/src/schemas.ts
+++ b/src/schemas.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ export const PullRequestSchema = z.object({
 export const ConfigurationOptionsSchema = z
   .object({
     fail_on_severity: z.enum(SEVERITIES).default('low'),
+    fail_on_scopes: z.array(z.enum(SCOPES)).default(['runtime']),
     allow_licenses: z.array(z.string()).default([]),
     deny_licenses: z.array(z.string()).default([]),
     base_ref: z.string(),