diff --git a/spec/ameba/base_spec.cr b/spec/ameba/base_spec.cr
index 6beae408..21970320 100644
--- a/spec/ameba/base_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/ameba/base_spec.cr
@@ -1,18 +1,12 @@
 require "../spec_helper"
 
 module Ameba::Rule
-  struct NoProperties < Rule::Base
-    def test(source)
-    end
-  end
-
   describe Base do
     context ".rules" do
       it "returns a list of all rules" do
         rules = Rule.rules
         rules.should_not be_nil
         rules.should contain DummyRule
-        rules.should contain NoProperties
       end
     end
 
@@ -32,12 +26,6 @@ module Ameba::Rule
       end
     end
 
-    describe "when a rule does not have defined properties" do
-      it "is enabled by default" do
-        NoProperties.new.enabled.should be_true
-      end
-    end
-
     describe "#excluded?" do
       it "returns false if a rule does no have a list of excluded source" do
         DummyRule.new.excluded?(Source.new "", "source.cr").should_not be_true
@@ -80,7 +68,7 @@ module Ameba::Rule
       end
 
       it "returns false if rule has a different name" do
-        DummyRule.new.should_not eq(NoProperties.new)
+        DummyRule.new.should_not eq(ScopeRule.new)
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/ameba/formatter/todo_formatter_spec.cr b/spec/ameba/formatter/todo_formatter_spec.cr
index 1abc9904..050162af 100644
--- a/spec/ameba/formatter/todo_formatter_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/ameba/formatter/todo_formatter_spec.cr
@@ -93,11 +93,11 @@ module Ameba
         # Run `ameba --only Ameba/DummyRule` for details
         Ameba/DummyRule:
           Description: Dummy rule that does nothing.
-          Enabled: true
-          Severity: Convention
           Excluded:
           - source1.cr
           - source2.cr
+          Enabled: true
+          Severity: Convention
         CONTENT
       end
 
diff --git a/spec/ameba/severity_spec.cr b/spec/ameba/severity_spec.cr
index fe8c5cc5..94f3b730 100644
--- a/spec/ameba/severity_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/ameba/severity_spec.cr
@@ -44,9 +44,10 @@ module Ameba
   end
 
   struct SeverityConvertable
-    YAML.mapping(
-      severity: {type: Severity, converter: SeverityYamlConverter}
-    )
+    include YAML::Serializable
+
+    @[YAML::Field(converter: Ameba::SeverityYamlConverter)]
+    property severity : Severity
   end
 
   describe SeverityYamlConverter do
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.cr b/spec/spec_helper.cr
index 005b207e..4df5496c 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.cr
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.cr
@@ -37,10 +37,7 @@ module Ameba
 
   struct NamedRule < Rule::Base
     properties do
-      description : String = "A rule with a custom name."
-    end
-
-    def test(source)
+      description "A rule with a custom name."
     end
 
     def self.name
@@ -50,7 +47,7 @@ module Ameba
 
   struct ErrorRule < Rule::Base
     properties do
-      description : String = "Always adds an error at 1:1"
+      description "Always adds an error at 1:1"
     end
 
     def test(source)
@@ -59,9 +56,11 @@ module Ameba
   end
 
   struct ScopeRule < Rule::Base
+    @[YAML::Field(ignore: true)]
     getter scopes = [] of AST::Scope
 
-    def test(source)
+    properties do
+      description "Internal rule to test scopes"
     end
 
     def test(source, node : Crystal::ASTNode, scope : AST::Scope)
@@ -70,9 +69,11 @@ module Ameba
   end
 
   struct FlowExpressionRule < Rule::Base
+    @[YAML::Field(ignore: true)]
     getter expressions = [] of AST::FlowExpression
 
-    def test(source)
+    properties do
+      description "Internal rule to test flow expressions"
     end
 
     def test(source, node, flow_expression : AST::FlowExpression)
@@ -81,9 +82,11 @@ module Ameba
   end
 
   struct RedundantControlExpressionRule < Rule::Base
+    @[YAML::Field(ignore: true)]
     getter nodes = [] of Crystal::ASTNode
 
-    def test(source)
+    properties do
+      description "Internal rule to test redundant control expressions"
     end
 
     def test(source, node, visitor : AST::RedundantControlExpressionVisitor)
@@ -95,6 +98,10 @@ module Ameba
   struct RaiseRule < Rule::Base
     property should_raise = false
 
+    properties do
+      description "Internal rule that always raises"
+    end
+
     def test(source)
       should_raise && raise "something went wrong"
     end
diff --git a/src/ameba/config.cr b/src/ameba/config.cr
index dc94bc7b..1ecbd3a8 100644
--- a/src/ameba/config.cr
+++ b/src/ameba/config.cr
@@ -241,28 +241,32 @@ class Ameba::Config
         {% end %}
 
         {% properties[name] = {key: key, default: value, type: type, converter: converter} %}
+
+        @[YAML::Field(key: {{key}}, converter: {{converter}}, type: {{type}})]
+        property {{name}} : {{type}} = {{value}}
       {% end %}
 
       {% if properties["enabled".id] == nil %}
-        {% properties["enabled".id] = {key: "Enabled", default: true, type: Bool} %}
+        @[YAML::Field(key: "Enabled")]
+        property enabled = true
       {% end %}
 
       {% if properties["severity".id] == nil %}
-        {% default = @type.name.starts_with?("Ameba::Rule::Lint") ? "Severity::Warning".id : "Severity::Convention".id %}
-        {% properties["severity".id] = {key: "Severity", default: default, type: Severity, converter: SeverityYamlConverter} %}
+        {% default = @type.name.starts_with?("Ameba::Rule::Lint") ? "Ameba::Severity::Warning".id : "Ameba::Severity::Convention".id %}
+        @[YAML::Field(key: "Severity", converter: Ameba::SeverityYamlConverter)]
+        property severity = {{default}}
       {% end %}
 
       {% if properties["excluded".id] == nil %}
-        {% properties["excluded".id] = {key: "Excluded", type: "Array(String)?".id} %}
+        @[YAML::Field(key: "Excluded")]
+        property excluded : Array(String)?
       {% end %}
-
-      YAML.mapping({{properties}})
     end
 
     macro included
       macro inherited
-        # allow creating rules without properties
-        properties {}
+        include YAML::Serializable
+        include YAML::Serializable::Strict
 
         def self.new(config = nil)
           if (raw = config.try &.raw).is_a? Hash
diff --git a/src/ameba/rule/lint/syntax.cr b/src/ameba/rule/lint/syntax.cr
index f5c2addc..8d135401 100644
--- a/src/ameba/rule/lint/syntax.cr
+++ b/src/ameba/rule/lint/syntax.cr
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ module Ameba::Rule::Lint
   struct Syntax < Base
     properties do
       description "Reports invalid Crystal syntax"
-      severity Severity::Error
+      severity Ameba::Severity::Error
     end
 
     def test(source)