diff --git a/schema/scope.go b/schema/scope.go
index 53eda03..729d3f3 100644
--- a/schema/scope.go
+++ b/schema/scope.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ type Scope interface {
 	Object
 	Objects() map[string]*ObjectSchema
 	Root() string
+	RootObject() *ObjectSchema
 
 	SelfSerialize() (any, error)
 }
@@ -56,40 +57,40 @@ func (s *ScopeSchema) SelfSerialize() (any, error) {
 }
 
 func (s *ScopeSchema) ID() string {
-	return s.ObjectsValue[s.RootValue].ID()
+	return s.RootObject().ID()
 }
 
 func (s *ScopeSchema) Properties() map[string]*PropertySchema {
-	return s.ObjectsValue[s.RootValue].PropertiesValue
+	return s.RootObject().PropertiesValue
 }
 
 func (s *ScopeSchema) GetDefaults() map[string]any {
-	return s.ObjectsValue[s.RootValue].GetDefaults()
+	return s.RootObject().GetDefaults()
 }
 
 func (s *ScopeSchema) ReflectedType() reflect.Type {
-	return s.ObjectsValue[s.RootValue].ReflectedType()
+	return s.RootObject().ReflectedType()
 }
 
 func (s *ScopeSchema) Unserialize(data any) (any, error) {
-	return s.ObjectsValue[s.RootValue].Unserialize(data)
+	return s.RootObject().Unserialize(data)
 }
 
 func (s *ScopeSchema) ValidateCompatibility(typeOrData any) error {
 	schemaType, ok := typeOrData.(*ScopeSchema)
 	if ok {
-		return s.ObjectsValue[s.RootValue].ValidateCompatibility(schemaType.ObjectsValue[schemaType.RootValue])
+		return s.RootObject().ValidateCompatibility(schemaType.ObjectsValue[schemaType.RootValue])
 	}
 
-	return s.ObjectsValue[s.RootValue].ValidateCompatibility(typeOrData)
+	return s.RootObject().ValidateCompatibility(typeOrData)
 }
 
 func (s *ScopeSchema) Validate(data any) error {
-	return s.ObjectsValue[s.RootValue].Validate(data)
+	return s.RootObject().Validate(data)
 }
 
 func (s *ScopeSchema) Serialize(data any) (any, error) {
-	return s.ObjectsValue[s.RootValue].Serialize(data)
+	return s.RootObject().Serialize(data)
 }
 
 func (s *ScopeSchema) ApplyScope(externalScope Scope, namespace string) {
@@ -123,6 +124,38 @@ func (s *ScopeSchema) Objects() map[string]*ObjectSchema {
 	return s.ObjectsValue
 }
 
+func (s *ScopeSchema) objectIDList(separator string) string {
+	output := ""
+	for id := range s.ObjectsValue {
+		output += separator + id
+	}
+	return output
+}
+
+func (s *ScopeSchema) RootObject() *ObjectSchema {
+	rootObject, rootObjectFound := s.ObjectsValue[s.RootValue]
+	if !rootObjectFound {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf(
+			"root object with ID %q not found; available objects:%s",
+			s.RootValue,
+			s.objectIDList("\n\t"),
+		))
+	}
+	if rootObject == nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf(
+			"root object with ID %q is nil",
+			s.RootValue,
+		))
+	}
+	if rootObject.ID() != s.RootValue {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf(
+			"root object's ID %q doesn't match its map key %q; please fix the schema definition",
+			rootObject.ID(), s.RootValue,
+		))
+	}
+	return rootObject
+}
+
 func (s *ScopeSchema) Root() string {
 	return s.RootValue
 }
diff --git a/schema/scope_test.go b/schema/scope_test.go
index 7f8eebe..2c4bcc6 100644
--- a/schema/scope_test.go
+++ b/schema/scope_test.go
@@ -498,3 +498,67 @@ func TestApplyingExternalNamespaceToNonRefTypes(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestGetRootObject(t *testing.T) {
+	rootObject := schema.NewObjectSchema("a", map[string]*schema.PropertySchema{})
+	correctSchema := schema.ScopeSchema{
+		ObjectsValue: map[string]*schema.ObjectSchema{
+			"a": rootObject,
+		},
+		RootValue: "a",
+	}
+	assert.Equals(t, correctSchema.RootObject(), rootObject)
+}
+
+func TestMismatchedRoot(t *testing.T) {
+	// This is a common user mistake: invalid RootValue in the scope.
+	// Panic when a Scope's RootValue is not a key in its ObjectsValue
+	brokenSchema := schema.ScopeSchema{
+		ObjectsValue: map[string]*schema.ObjectSchema{
+			"a": schema.NewObjectSchema("a", map[string]*schema.PropertySchema{}),
+		},
+		RootValue: "wrong",
+	}
+	assert.PanicsContains(t, func() {
+		brokenSchema.RootObject()
+	}, "root object with ID \"wrong\" not found; available objects:\n\ta")
+}
+
+func TestMismatchedRootKey(t *testing.T) {
+	// Tests when the Root value and ID value are correct, but the key of the object map is wrong.
+	brokenSchema := schema.ScopeSchema{
+		ObjectsValue: map[string]*schema.ObjectSchema{
+			"wrong": schema.NewObjectSchema("a", map[string]*schema.PropertySchema{}),
+		},
+		RootValue: "a",
+	}
+	assert.PanicsContains(t, func() {
+		brokenSchema.RootObject()
+	}, "root object with ID \"a\" not found; available objects:\n\twrong")
+}
+
+func TestNilRoot(t *testing.T) {
+	// This is just a bug case; nil object in the objects map.
+	brokenSchema := schema.ScopeSchema{
+		ObjectsValue: map[string]*schema.ObjectSchema{
+			"a": nil,
+		},
+		RootValue: "a",
+	}
+	assert.PanicsContains(t, func() {
+		brokenSchema.RootObject()
+	}, "root object with ID \"a\" is nil")
+}
+
+func TestMismatchedRootID(t *testing.T) {
+	// This is a common user mistake: valid scope map key doesn't match the object's ID
+	brokenSchema := schema.ScopeSchema{
+		ObjectsValue: map[string]*schema.ObjectSchema{
+			"wrong": schema.NewObjectSchema("a", map[string]*schema.PropertySchema{}),
+		},
+		RootValue: "wrong",
+	}
+	assert.PanicsContains(t, func() {
+		brokenSchema.RootObject()
+	}, "root object's ID \"a\" doesn't match its map key \"wrong\"")
+}