diff --git a/pre_commit/meta_hooks/check_hooks_apply.py b/pre_commit/meta_hooks/check_hooks_apply.py
index 23420f46..4c4719c8 100644
--- a/pre_commit/meta_hooks/check_hooks_apply.py
+++ b/pre_commit/meta_hooks/check_hooks_apply.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ def check_all_hooks_match_files(config_file):
 
     for repo in repositories(load_config(config_file), Store()):
         for hook_id, hook in repo.hooks:
-            if hook['always_run']:
+            if hook['always_run'] or hook['language'] == 'fail':
                 continue
             include, exclude = hook['files'], hook['exclude']
             filtered = _filter_by_include_exclude(files, include, exclude)
diff --git a/tests/meta_hooks/check_hooks_apply_test.py b/tests/meta_hooks/check_hooks_apply_test.py
index f0f38d69..c75b036a 100644
--- a/tests/meta_hooks/check_hooks_apply_test.py
+++ b/tests/meta_hooks/check_hooks_apply_test.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-from collections import OrderedDict
-
 from pre_commit.meta_hooks import check_hooks_apply
 from testing.fixtures import add_config_to_repo
 from testing.fixtures import git_dir
@@ -7,17 +5,19 @@ from testing.util import cwd
 
 
 def test_hook_excludes_everything(capsys, tempdir_factory, mock_store_dir):
-    config = OrderedDict((
-        ('repo', 'meta'),
-        (
-            'hooks', (
-                OrderedDict((
-                    ('id', 'check-useless-excludes'),
-                    ('exclude', '.pre-commit-config.yaml'),
-                )),
-            ),
-        ),
-    ))
+    config = {
+        'repos': [
+            {
+                'repo': 'meta',
+                'hooks': [
+                    {
+                        'id': 'check-useless-excludes',
+                        'exclude': '.pre-commit-config.yaml',
+                    },
+                ],
+            },
+        ],
+    }
 
     repo = git_dir(tempdir_factory)
     add_config_to_repo(repo, config)
@@ -30,17 +30,19 @@ def test_hook_excludes_everything(capsys, tempdir_factory, mock_store_dir):
 
 
 def test_hook_includes_nothing(capsys, tempdir_factory, mock_store_dir):
-    config = OrderedDict((
-        ('repo', 'meta'),
-        (
-            'hooks', (
-                OrderedDict((
-                    ('id', 'check-useless-excludes'),
-                    ('files', 'foo'),
-                )),
-            ),
-        ),
-    ))
+    config = {
+        'repos': [
+            {
+                'repo': 'meta',
+                'hooks': [
+                    {
+                        'id': 'check-useless-excludes',
+                        'files': 'foo',
+                    },
+                ],
+            },
+        ],
+    }
 
     repo = git_dir(tempdir_factory)
     add_config_to_repo(repo, config)
@@ -53,17 +55,19 @@ def test_hook_includes_nothing(capsys, tempdir_factory, mock_store_dir):
 
 
 def test_hook_types_not_matched(capsys, tempdir_factory, mock_store_dir):
-    config = OrderedDict((
-        ('repo', 'meta'),
-        (
-            'hooks', (
-                OrderedDict((
-                    ('id', 'check-useless-excludes'),
-                    ('types', ['python']),
-                )),
-            ),
-        ),
-    ))
+    config = {
+        'repos': [
+            {
+                'repo': 'meta',
+                'hooks': [
+                    {
+                        'id': 'check-useless-excludes',
+                        'types': ['python'],
+                    },
+                ],
+            },
+        ],
+    }
 
     repo = git_dir(tempdir_factory)
     add_config_to_repo(repo, config)
@@ -78,17 +82,19 @@ def test_hook_types_not_matched(capsys, tempdir_factory, mock_store_dir):
 def test_hook_types_excludes_everything(
         capsys, tempdir_factory, mock_store_dir,
 ):
-    config = OrderedDict((
-        ('repo', 'meta'),
-        (
-            'hooks', (
-                OrderedDict((
-                    ('id', 'check-useless-excludes'),
-                    ('exclude_types', ['yaml']),
-                )),
-            ),
-        ),
-    ))
+    config = {
+        'repos': [
+            {
+                'repo': 'meta',
+                'hooks': [
+                    {
+                        'id': 'check-useless-excludes',
+                        'exclude_types': ['yaml'],
+                    },
+                ],
+            },
+        ],
+    }
 
     repo = git_dir(tempdir_factory)
     add_config_to_repo(repo, config)
@@ -100,23 +106,51 @@ def test_hook_types_excludes_everything(
     assert 'check-useless-excludes does not apply to this repository' in out
 
 
-def test_valid_includes(capsys, tempdir_factory, mock_store_dir):
-    config = OrderedDict((
-        ('repo', 'meta'),
-        (
-            'hooks', (
-                OrderedDict((
-                    ('id', 'check-useless-excludes'),
-                )),
-                # Should not be reported as an error due to always_run
-                OrderedDict((
-                    ('id', 'check-useless-excludes'),
-                    ('files', '^$'),
-                    ('always_run', True),
-                )),
-            ),
-        ),
-    ))
+def test_valid_always_run(capsys, tempdir_factory, mock_store_dir):
+    config = {
+        'repos': [
+            {
+                'repo': 'meta',
+                'hooks': [
+                    # Should not be reported as an error due to always_run
+                    {
+                        'id': 'check-useless-excludes',
+                        'files': '^$',
+                        'always_run': True,
+                    },
+                ],
+            },
+        ],
+    }
+
+    repo = git_dir(tempdir_factory)
+    add_config_to_repo(repo, config)
+
+    with cwd(repo):
+        assert check_hooks_apply.main(()) == 0
+
+    out, _ = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert out == ''
+
+
+def test_valid_language_fail(capsys, tempdir_factory, mock_store_dir):
+    config = {
+        'repos': [
+            {
+                'repo': 'local',
+                'hooks': [
+                    # Should not be reported as an error due to language: fail
+                    {
+                        'id': 'changelogs-rst',
+                        'name': 'changelogs must be rst',
+                        'entry': 'changelog filenames must end in .rst',
+                        'language': 'fail',
+                        'files': r'changelog/.*(?<!\.rst)$',
+                    },
+                ],
+            },
+        ],
+    }
 
     repo = git_dir(tempdir_factory)
     add_config_to_repo(repo, config)
diff --git a/tests/meta_hooks/useless_excludes_test.py b/tests/meta_hooks/check_useless_excludes_test.py
similarity index 50%
rename from tests/meta_hooks/useless_excludes_test.py
rename to tests/meta_hooks/check_useless_excludes_test.py
index 137c357f..1a03fb08 100644
--- a/tests/meta_hooks/useless_excludes_test.py
+++ b/tests/meta_hooks/check_useless_excludes_test.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-from collections import OrderedDict
-
 from pre_commit.meta_hooks import check_useless_excludes
 from testing.fixtures import add_config_to_repo
 from testing.fixtures import git_dir
@@ -7,23 +5,15 @@ from testing.util import cwd
 
 
 def test_useless_exclude_global(capsys, tempdir_factory):
-    config = OrderedDict((
-        ('exclude', 'foo'),
-        (
-            'repos', [
-                OrderedDict((
-                    ('repo', 'meta'),
-                    (
-                        'hooks', (
-                            OrderedDict((
-                                ('id', 'check-useless-excludes'),
-                            )),
-                        ),
-                    ),
-                )),
-            ],
-        ),
-    ))
+    config = {
+        'exclude': 'foo',
+        'repos': [
+            {
+                'repo': 'meta',
+                'hooks': [{'id': 'check-useless-excludes'}],
+            },
+        ],
+    }
 
     repo = git_dir(tempdir_factory)
     add_config_to_repo(repo, config)
@@ -32,21 +22,19 @@ def test_useless_exclude_global(capsys, tempdir_factory):
         assert check_useless_excludes.main(()) == 1
 
     out, _ = capsys.readouterr()
-    assert "The global exclude pattern 'foo' does not match any files" in out
+    out = out.strip()
+    assert "The global exclude pattern 'foo' does not match any files" == out
 
 
 def test_useless_exclude_for_hook(capsys, tempdir_factory):
-    config = OrderedDict((
-        ('repo', 'meta'),
-        (
-            'hooks', (
-                OrderedDict((
-                    ('id', 'check-useless-excludes'),
-                    ('exclude', 'foo'),
-                )),
-            ),
-        ),
-    ))
+    config = {
+        'repos': [
+            {
+                'repo': 'meta',
+                'hooks': [{'id': 'check-useless-excludes', 'exclude': 'foo'}],
+            },
+        ],
+    }
 
     repo = git_dir(tempdir_factory)
     add_config_to_repo(repo, config)
@@ -55,24 +43,23 @@ def test_useless_exclude_for_hook(capsys, tempdir_factory):
         assert check_useless_excludes.main(()) == 1
 
     out, _ = capsys.readouterr()
+    out = out.strip()
     expected = (
         "The exclude pattern 'foo' for check-useless-excludes "
         "does not match any files"
     )
-    assert expected in out
+    assert expected == out
 
 
 def test_no_excludes(capsys, tempdir_factory):
-    config = OrderedDict((
-        ('repo', 'meta'),
-        (
-            'hooks', (
-                OrderedDict((
-                    ('id', 'check-useless-excludes'),
-                )),
-            ),
-        ),
-    ))
+    config = {
+        'repos': [
+            {
+                'repo': 'meta',
+                'hooks': [{'id': 'check-useless-excludes'}],
+            },
+        ],
+    }
 
     repo = git_dir(tempdir_factory)
     add_config_to_repo(repo, config)
@@ -85,17 +72,19 @@ def test_no_excludes(capsys, tempdir_factory):
 
 
 def test_valid_exclude(capsys, tempdir_factory):
-    config = OrderedDict((
-        ('repo', 'meta'),
-        (
-            'hooks', (
-                OrderedDict((
-                    ('id', 'check-useless-excludes'),
-                    ('exclude', '.pre-commit-config.yaml'),
-                )),
-            ),
-        ),
-    ))
+    config = {
+        'repos': [
+            {
+                'repo': 'meta',
+                'hooks': [
+                    {
+                        'id': 'check-useless-excludes',
+                        'exclude': '.pre-commit-config.yaml',
+                    },
+                ],
+            },
+        ],
+    }
 
     repo = git_dir(tempdir_factory)
     add_config_to_repo(repo, config)