diff --git a/src/rapids_dependency_file_generator/_config.py b/src/rapids_dependency_file_generator/_config.py
index d650037..550f8d3 100644
--- a/src/rapids_dependency_file_generator/_config.py
+++ b/src/rapids_dependency_file_generator/_config.py
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ def get_extras():
     )
 
 
-def _parse_requirement(requirement: typing.Union[str, dict[str, str]]) -> typing.Union[str, PipRequirements]:
+def _parse_requirement(requirement: typing.Union[str, dict[str, list[str]]]) -> typing.Union[str, PipRequirements]:
     if isinstance(requirement, str):
         return requirement
 
diff --git a/tests/examples/invalid/pip-no-list/dependencies.yaml b/tests/examples/invalid/pip-no-list/dependencies.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98bc6fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/examples/invalid/pip-no-list/dependencies.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# tests that dfg rejects a config where 'pip:' in a conda requirements is a single string
+# (it should always be an array of packages)
+files:
+  build:
+    output: conda
+    includes:
+      - build
+channels:
+  - rapidsai
+  - conda-forge
+dependencies:
+  build:
+    common:
+      - output_types: [conda]
+        packages:
+          - beep-boop=1.2.3
+          - pip
+          - pip: pandas
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index 823fda7..2aab8af 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def test_parse_outputs(input, output):
     ["input", "output"],
     [
         ("package", "package"),
-        ({"pip": "package"}, _config.PipRequirements(pip="package")),
+        ({"pip": ["package", "other-package"]}, _config.PipRequirements(pip=["package", "other-package"])),
         ({"other": "invalid"}, KeyError),
     ],
 )