diff --git a/src/main/java/com/botdarr/clients/telegram/TelegramBootstrap.java b/src/main/java/com/botdarr/clients/telegram/TelegramBootstrap.java
index 7ae7c03..3945510 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/botdarr/clients/telegram/TelegramBootstrap.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/botdarr/clients/telegram/TelegramBootstrap.java
@@ -4,11 +4,16 @@
 import com.botdarr.clients.ChatClientBootstrap;
 import com.botdarr.clients.ChatClientResponseBuilder;
 import com.botdarr.scheduling.Scheduler;
+import com.google.common.base.Splitter;
+import com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 import com.pengrad.telegrambot.UpdatesListener;
 import com.pengrad.telegrambot.model.Update;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.util.Strings;
 
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
+import java.util.Set;
 
 public class TelegramBootstrap extends ChatClientBootstrap {
     private boolean isUsingChannels() {
@@ -54,6 +59,23 @@ public boolean isConfigured(Properties properties) {
         if (isTelegramConfigured && telegramPrivateChannelsExist && telegramPrivateGroupsExist) {
             throw new RuntimeException("Cannot configure telegram for private channels and groups, you must pick one or the other");
         }
+
+        if (telegramPrivateChannelsExist || telegramPrivateGroupsExist) {
+            String channels = properties.getProperty(Config.Constants.TELEGRAM_PRIVATE_CHANNELS);
+            if (Strings.isBlank(channels)) {
+                channels = properties.getProperty(Config.Constants.TELEGRAM_PRIVATE_GROUPS);
+            }
+            Set<String> configTelegramChannels = Sets.newHashSet(Splitter.on(',').trimResults().split(channels));
+            for (String channel : configTelegramChannels) {
+                String[] fields = channel.split(":");
+                if (fields == null || fields.length == 0) {
+                    throw new RuntimeException("Configured telegram channels not in correct format. i.e., CHANNEL_NAME:ID,CHANNEL_NAME2:ID2");
+                }
+                if (fields[1].startsWith("-100")) {
+                    throw new RuntimeException("Telegram channel or group contains -100, which is not necessary. We automatically add this to your channel at runtime, you can remove it.");
+                }
+            }
+        }
         return isTelegramConfigured && (telegramPrivateChannelsExist || telegramPrivateGroupsExist);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/resources/version.txt b/src/main/resources/version.txt
index e230c83..7d3cdbf 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/version.txt
+++ b/src/main/resources/version.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-5.3.0
\ No newline at end of file
+5.3.1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/botdarr/ConfigTests.java b/src/test/java/com/botdarr/ConfigTests.java
index 3682e45..280ff80 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/botdarr/ConfigTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/botdarr/ConfigTests.java
@@ -90,6 +90,28 @@ public void getConfig_telegramGroupsAndChannelsConfigured() throws Exception {
     Config.getProperty("");
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void getConfig_telegramChannelIdsContainNegativeOneHundred() throws Exception {
+    Properties properties = new Properties();
+    properties.put("telegram-token", "%H$$54j45i");
+    properties.put("telegram-private-channels", "channel1:-100459349");
+    writeFakePropertiesFile(properties);
+    expectedException.expect(RuntimeException.class);
+    expectedException.expectMessage("Telegram channel or group contains -100, which is not necessary. We automatically add this to your channel at runtime, you can remove it.");
+    Config.getProperty("");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void getConfig_telegramGroupIdsContainNegativeOneHundred() throws Exception {
+    Properties properties = new Properties();
+    properties.put("telegram-token", "%H$$54j45i");
+    properties.put("telegram-private-groups", "group1:-100459349");
+    writeFakePropertiesFile(properties);
+    expectedException.expect(RuntimeException.class);
+    expectedException.expectMessage("Telegram channel or group contains -100, which is not necessary. We automatically add this to your channel at runtime, you can remove it.");
+    Config.getProperty("");
+  }
+
   private void writeFakePropertiesFile(Properties properties) throws Exception {
     File propertiesFile = new File(temporaryFolder.getRoot(), "properties");
     Deencapsulation.setField(Config.class, "propertiesPath", propertiesFile.getPath());