diff --git a/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/hooks/core/router/index.js b/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/hooks/core/router/index.js
index 021a7ac1dd..eec3f354fc 100644
--- a/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/hooks/core/router/index.js
+++ b/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/hooks/core/router/index.js
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ module.exports = strapi => {
           // Retrieve the API's name where the controller is located
           // to access to the right validators
           const api = finder(strapi.api, controller);
-          const validator = _.get(strapi.api, api + '.config.validators.' + value.config.validate);
+          const validator = _.get(strapi.api, api + '.validators.' + value.config.validate);
 
           _.merge(validate, _.mapValues(validator, value => {
             return builder.build(value);
diff --git a/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/hooks/dictionary/_api/index.js b/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/hooks/dictionary/_api/index.js
index 9ed808084b..02096f9dbb 100644
--- a/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/hooks/dictionary/_api/index.js
+++ b/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/hooks/dictionary/_api/index.js
@@ -79,15 +79,24 @@ module.exports = strapi => {
             }, cb);
           },
 
-          // Load API policies from `./api/*/policies/*.js`.
+          // Load API policies from `./api/*/config/policies/*.js`.
           'policies/*': cb => {
-            dictionary.aggregate({
-              dirname: path.resolve(strapi.config.appPath, strapi.config.paths.api, api, strapi.config.paths.policies),
+            dictionary.optional({
+              dirname: path.resolve(strapi.config.appPath, strapi.config.paths.api, api, strapi.config.paths.config, strapi.config.paths.policies),
               filter: /(.+)\.(js)$/,
               depth: 1
             }, cb);
           },
 
+          // Load API validators from `./api/*/config/validators/*.js`.
+          'validators/*': cb => {
+            dictionary.optional({
+              dirname: path.resolve(strapi.config.appPath, strapi.config.paths.api, api, strapi.config.paths.config, strapi.config.paths.validators),
+              filter: /(.+)\.(json|js)$/,
+              depth: 1
+            }, cb);
+          },
+
           // Load API config from `./api/*/config/*.js|json` and `./api/*/config/environments/**/*.js|json`.
           'config/**': cb => {
             async.parallel({
@@ -99,13 +108,6 @@ module.exports = strapi => {
                   depth: 2
                 }, cb);
               },
-              validators: cb => {
-                dictionary.aggregate({
-                  dirname: path.resolve(strapi.config.appPath, strapi.config.paths.api, api, strapi.config.paths.config, 'validators'),
-                  filter: /(.+)\.(js|json)$/,
-                  depth: 2
-                }, cb);
-              },
               specific: cb => {
                 dictionary.aggregate({
                   dirname: path.resolve(strapi.config.appPath, strapi.config.paths.api, api, strapi.config.paths.config, 'environments', strapi.config.environment),
@@ -118,7 +120,7 @@ module.exports = strapi => {
                 return cb(err);
               }
 
-              return cb(null, _.merge(config.common, config.specific, {validators: config.validators}));
+              return cb(null, _.merge(config.common, config.specific));
             });
           }
         },
@@ -137,6 +139,7 @@ module.exports = strapi => {
             models: api['models/*'],
             services: api['services/*'],
             policies: api['policies/*'],
+            validators: api['validators/*'],
             config: api['config/**']
           };
 
@@ -158,9 +161,6 @@ module.exports = strapi => {
           // Merge API models with the main ones.
           strapi.models = _.merge({}, strapi.models, _.get(strapi.api, api.name + '.models'));
 
-          // Merge API policies with the main ones.
-          strapi.policies = _.merge({}, strapi.policies, _.get(strapi.api, api.name + '.policies'));
-
           // Merge API routes with the main ones.
           strapi.config.routes = _.union([], strapi.config.routes, _.get(strapi.api, api.name + '.config.routes'));
         });
diff --git a/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/hooks/dictionary/_config/index.js b/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/hooks/dictionary/_config/index.js
index 0fc4b9aece..ce27423e7e 100644
--- a/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/hooks/dictionary/_config/index.js
+++ b/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/hooks/dictionary/_config/index.js
@@ -78,6 +78,15 @@ module.exports = strapi => {
           }, cb);
         },
 
+        // Load global policies from `./config/policies/*.js`..
+        'config/policies/*': cb => {
+          dictionary.optional({
+            dirname: path.resolve(strapi.config.appPath, strapi.config.paths.config, 'policies'),
+            filter: /(.+)\.(js)$/,
+            depth: 1
+          }, cb);
+        },
+
         // Load APIs from `./api/**/*.js|json`.
         'api/**': cb => {
           dictionary.optional({
@@ -126,6 +135,9 @@ module.exports = strapi => {
         // Merge default config and user loaded config together inside `strapi.config`.
         strapi.config = _.merge(strapi.config, mergedConfig, packageJSON);
 
+        // Exposer global policies
+        strapi.policies = _.merge({}, config['config/policies/*']);
+
         // Expose user APIs.
         strapi.api = config['api/**'];
 
@@ -150,7 +162,6 @@ module.exports = strapi => {
         // Initialize empty API objects.
         strapi.controllers = {};
         strapi.models = {};
-        strapi.policies = {};
 
         cb();
       });
diff --git a/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/index.js b/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/index.js
index 52a535a8bb..6f1c21ff9c 100644
--- a/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/index.js
+++ b/packages/strapi/lib/configuration/index.js
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ module.exports = class Configuration {
         services: 'services',
         policies: 'policies',
         models: 'models',
-        plugins: 'plugins'
+        plugins: 'plugins',
+        validators: 'validators'
       },
 
       // Start off needed empty objects and strings.