diff --git a/homeassistant/components/notify/file.py b/homeassistant/components/notify/file.py
index 3d04bf13334..3e2f20707ad 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/notify/file.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/notify/file.py
@@ -7,24 +7,28 @@ https://home-assistant.io/components/notify.file/
 import logging
 import os
 
+import voluptuous as vol
+
 import homeassistant.util.dt as dt_util
 from homeassistant.components.notify import (
-    ATTR_TITLE, DOMAIN, BaseNotificationService)
-from homeassistant.helpers import validate_config
+    ATTR_TITLE, PLATFORM_SCHEMA, BaseNotificationService)
+from homeassistant.const import CONF_FILENAME
+import homeassistant.helpers.config_validation as cv
+
+CONF_TIMESTAMP = 'timestamp'
+
+PLATFORM_SCHEMA = PLATFORM_SCHEMA.extend({
+    vol.Required(CONF_FILENAME): cv.string,
+    vol.Optional(CONF_TIMESTAMP, default=False): cv.boolean,
+})
 
 _LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 def get_service(hass, config):
     """Get the file notification service."""
-    if not validate_config({DOMAIN: config},
-                           {DOMAIN: ['filename',
-                                     'timestamp']},
-                           _LOGGER):
-        return None
-
-    filename = config['filename']
-    timestamp = config['timestamp']
+    filename = config[CONF_FILENAME]
+    timestamp = config[CONF_TIMESTAMP]
 
     return FileNotificationService(hass, filename, timestamp)
 
@@ -48,7 +52,7 @@ class FileNotificationService(BaseNotificationService):
                     '-' * 80)
                 file.write(title)
 
-            if self.add_timestamp == 1:
+            if self.add_timestamp:
                 text = '{} {}\n'.format(dt_util.utcnow().isoformat(), message)
                 file.write(text)
             else:
diff --git a/tests/components/notify/test_file.py b/tests/components/notify/test_file.py
index 87d275b05f9..2564b0bd65a 100644
--- a/tests/components/notify/test_file.py
+++ b/tests/components/notify/test_file.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import homeassistant.components.notify as notify
 from homeassistant.components.notify import (
     ATTR_TITLE_DEFAULT)
 import homeassistant.util.dt as dt_util
+from homeassistant.bootstrap import _setup_component
 
 from tests.common import get_test_home_assistant
 
@@ -25,11 +26,11 @@ class TestNotifyFile(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_bad_config(self):
         """Test set up the platform with bad/missing config."""
-        self.assertFalse(notify.setup(self.hass, {
+        self.assertFalse(_setup_component(self.hass, notify.DOMAIN, {
             'notify': {
                 'name': 'test',
                 'platform': 'file',
-            }
+            },
         }))
 
     @patch('homeassistant.util.dt.utcnow')
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ class TestNotifyFile(unittest.TestCase):
                     'name': 'test',
                     'platform': 'file',
                     'filename': filename,
-                    'timestamp': 0
+                    'timestamp': False,
                 }
             }))
             title = '{} notifications (Log started: {})\n{}\n'.format(