diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index dc3e91e..bcac808 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@
 	apphandler.cpp \
 	sys_info_param.cpp \
 	sensorhandler.cpp \
+	entity_map_json.cpp \
 	storagehandler.cpp \
 	chassishandler.cpp \
 	dcmihandler.cpp \
diff --git a/entity_map_json.cpp b/entity_map_json.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..db45b05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/entity_map_json.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#include "entity_map_json.hpp"
+
+#include <exception>
+#include <ipmid/types.hpp>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+#include <string>
+#include <utility>
+
+namespace ipmi
+{
+namespace sensor
+{
+
+EntityInfoMap buildJsonEntityMap(const nlohmann::json& data)
+{
+    EntityInfoMap builtMap;
+
+    if (data.type() != nlohmann::json::value_t::array)
+    {
+        return builtMap;
+    }
+
+    try
+    {
+        for (const auto& entry : data)
+        {
+            /* It's an array entry with the following fields: id,
+             * containerEntityId, containerEntityInstance, isList, isLinked,
+             * entities[4]
+             */
+            EntityInfo obj;
+            Id recordId = entry.at("id").get<Id>();
+            obj.containerEntityId =
+                entry.at("containerEntityId").get<uint8_t>();
+            obj.containerEntityInstance =
+                entry.at("containerEntityInstance").get<uint8_t>();
+            obj.isList = entry.at("isList").get<bool>();
+            obj.isLinked = entry.at("isLinked").get<bool>();
+
+            auto jsonEntities = entry.at("entities");
+
+            if (jsonEntities.type() != nlohmann::json::value_t::array)
+            {
+                throw std::runtime_error(
+                    "Invalid type for entities entry, must be array");
+            }
+            if (jsonEntities.size() != obj.containedEntities.size())
+            {
+                throw std::runtime_error(
+                    "Entities must be in pairs of " +
+                    std::to_string(obj.containedEntities.size()));
+            }
+
+            for (std::size_t i = 0; i < obj.containedEntities.size(); i++)
+            {
+                obj.containedEntities[i] = std::make_pair(
+                    jsonEntities[i].at("id").get<uint8_t>(),
+                    jsonEntities[i].at("instance").get<uint8_t>());
+            }
+
+            builtMap.insert({recordId, obj});
+        }
+    }
+    catch (const std::exception& e)
+    {
+        /* If any entry is invalid, the entire file cannot be trusted. */
+        builtMap.clear();
+    }
+
+    return builtMap;
+}
+
+} // namespace sensor
+} // namespace ipmi
diff --git a/entity_map_json.hpp b/entity_map_json.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e9be01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/entity_map_json.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <ipmid/types.hpp>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+namespace ipmi
+{
+namespace sensor
+{
+
+/**
+ * @brief Given json data validate the data matches the expected format for the
+ * entity map configuration and parse the data into a map of the entities.
+ *
+ * If any entry is invalid, the entire contents passed in is disregarded as
+ * possibly corrupt.
+ *
+ * @param[in] data - the json data
+ * @return the map
+ */
+EntityInfoMap buildJsonEntityMap(const nlohmann::json& data);
+
+} // namespace sensor
+} // namespace ipmi
diff --git a/test/Makefile.am b/test/Makefile.am
index e510230..e4ff261 100644
--- a/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/test/Makefile.am
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@
 check_PROGRAMS =
 TESTS = $(check_PROGRAMS)
 
+entitymap_json_unittest_SOURCES = entitymap_json_unittest.cpp
+entitymap_json_unittest_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/entity_map_json.o -lgmock
+
+check_PROGRAMS += entitymap_json_unittest
+
 # Build/add sample_unittest to test suite
 sample_unittest_CPPFLAGS = -Igtest $(GTEST_CPPFLAGS) $(AM_CPPFLAGS)
 sample_unittest_CXXFLAGS = $(PTHREAD_CFLAGS) $(CODE_COVERAGE_CXXFLAGS) \
diff --git a/test/entitymap_json_unittest.cpp b/test/entitymap_json_unittest.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a380a9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/entitymap_json_unittest.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,223 @@
+#include "entity_map_json.hpp"
+
+#include <ipmid/types.hpp>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+#include <utility>
+
+#include <gmock/gmock.h>
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+namespace ipmi
+{
+namespace sensor
+{
+
+namespace
+{
+using ::testing::IsEmpty;
+
+TEST(ValidateJson, FailWithNonArrayReturnsEmpty)
+{
+    /* The entity map input json is expected to be an array of objects. */
+    auto j = R"(
+        {
+            "id" : 1,
+            "containerEntityId" : 2,
+            "containerEntityInstance" : 3,
+            "isList" : false,
+            "isLinked" : false,
+            "entities" : [
+                {"id" : 1, "instance" : 2},
+                {"id" : 1, "instance" : 3},
+                {"id" : 1, "instance" : 4},
+                {"id" : 1, "instance" : 5}
+            ]
+        }
+    )"_json;
+
+    EXPECT_THAT(buildJsonEntityMap(j), IsEmpty());
+}
+
+TEST(ValidateJson, FailWithMissingFieldReturnsEmpty)
+{
+    /* There are many required fields, let's just validate that if one is
+     * missing, it returns the empty map.
+     */
+    auto j = R"(
+        [
+            {
+                "id" : 1,
+                "containerEntityId" : 2,
+                "containerEntityInstance" : 3,
+                "isList" : false,
+                "entities" : [
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 2},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 3},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 4},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 5}
+                ]
+            }
+        ]
+    )"_json;
+
+    EXPECT_THAT(buildJsonEntityMap(j), IsEmpty());
+}
+
+TEST(ValidateJson, AllValidEntryReturnsExpectedMap)
+{
+    /* Boring test where we provide completely valid information and expect the
+     * resulting map contains that information.
+     */
+    auto j = R"(
+        [
+            {
+                "id" : 1,
+                "containerEntityId" : 2,
+                "containerEntityInstance" : 3,
+                "isList" : false,
+                "isLinked" : false,
+                "entities" : [
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 2},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 3},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 4},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 5}
+                ]
+            }
+        ]
+    )"_json;
+
+    auto map = buildJsonEntityMap(j);
+    EXPECT_FALSE(map.find(1) == map.end());
+    auto entry = map.find(1);
+    EXPECT_EQ(entry->first, 1);
+
+    /* TODO: someone could write an equality operator for this object. */
+    EXPECT_EQ(entry->second.containerEntityId, 2);
+    EXPECT_EQ(entry->second.containerEntityInstance, 3);
+    EXPECT_FALSE(entry->second.isList);
+    EXPECT_FALSE(entry->second.isLinked);
+    ContainedEntitiesArray expected = {
+        std::make_pair(1, 2), std::make_pair(1, 3), std::make_pair(1, 4),
+        std::make_pair(1, 5)};
+    EXPECT_EQ(entry->second.containedEntities, expected);
+}
+
+TEST(ValidateJson, EntryHasInsufficientContainerEntryCountReturnsEmpty)
+{
+    /* The container must have four pairs. (I don't know why, and maybe this
+     * restriction will change).
+     */
+    auto j = R"(
+        [
+            {
+                "id" : 1,
+                "containerEntityId" : 2,
+                "containerEntityInstance" : 3,
+                "isList" : false,
+                "isLinked" : false,
+                "entities" : [
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 2},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 3},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 4}
+                ]
+            }
+        ]
+    )"_json;
+
+    EXPECT_THAT(buildJsonEntityMap(j), IsEmpty());
+}
+
+TEST(ValidateJson, ThereAreTwoEntriesOneInvalidReturnsEmpty)
+{
+    /* If any entry in the file is corrupt, the file is disregarded. */
+    auto j = R"(
+        [
+            {
+                "id" : 1,
+                "containerEntityId" : 2,
+                "containerEntityInstance" : 3,
+                "isList" : false,
+                "isLinked" : false,
+                "entities" : [
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 2},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 3},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 4},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 5}
+                ]
+            },
+            {
+                "id" : 2,
+                "containerEntityId" : 2,
+                "containerEntityInstance" : 3,
+                "isList" : false,
+                "isLinked" : false,
+                "entities" : [
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 2},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 3},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 4}
+                ]
+            }
+        ]
+    )"_json;
+
+    EXPECT_THAT(buildJsonEntityMap(j), IsEmpty());
+}
+
+TEST(ValidateJson, ThereAreTwoEntriesBothValidReturnsBoth)
+{
+    /* The map supports more than one entry, just validate this. */
+    auto j = R"(
+        [
+            {
+                "id" : 1,
+                "containerEntityId" : 2,
+                "containerEntityInstance" : 3,
+                "isList" : false,
+                "isLinked" : false,
+                "entities" : [
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 2},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 3},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 4},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 5}
+                ]
+            },
+            {
+                "id" : 2,
+                "containerEntityId" : 2,
+                "containerEntityInstance" : 3,
+                "isList" : false,
+                "isLinked" : false,
+                "entities" : [
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 6},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 7},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 8},
+                    {"id" : 1, "instance" : 9}
+                ]
+            }
+        ]
+    )"_json;
+
+    auto map = buildJsonEntityMap(j);
+    EXPECT_FALSE(map.find(1) == map.end());
+    EXPECT_FALSE(map.find(2) == map.end());
+
+    auto entry = map.find(1);
+    EXPECT_EQ(entry->first, 1);
+    EXPECT_EQ(entry->second.containerEntityId, 2);
+    EXPECT_EQ(entry->second.containerEntityInstance, 3);
+    EXPECT_FALSE(entry->second.isList);
+    EXPECT_FALSE(entry->second.isLinked);
+    ContainedEntitiesArray expected = {
+        std::make_pair(1, 2), std::make_pair(1, 3), std::make_pair(1, 4),
+        std::make_pair(1, 5)};
+    EXPECT_EQ(entry->second.containedEntities, expected);
+
+    entry = map.find(2);
+    expected = {std::make_pair(1, 6), std::make_pair(1, 7),
+                std::make_pair(1, 8), std::make_pair(1, 9)};
+    EXPECT_EQ(entry->second.containedEntities, expected);
+}
+
+} // namespace
+} // namespace sensor
+} // namespace ipmi