diff --git a/configure_data_plane.go b/configure_data_plane.go
index 697efdd3..54f08182 100644
--- a/configure_data_plane.go
+++ b/configure_data_plane.go
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"syscall"
+	"bytes"
+	"reflect"
+	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/getkin/kin-openapi/openapi2"
 	"github.com/getkin/kin-openapi/openapi2conv"
@@ -86,6 +89,156 @@ func SetServerStartedCallback(callFunc func()) {
 	serverStartedCallback = callFunc
 }
 
+func strictUnknownFieldsCheck(body []byte, target any) error {
+        if len(bytes.TrimSpace(body)) == 0 {
+                return nil
+        }
+
+        // Raw/plain config endpoint decodes body into string.
+        // Do not apply JSON strict check to string targets.
+        if _, ok := target.(*string); ok {
+                return nil
+        }
+
+        var raw any
+
+        dec := json.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(body))
+        dec.UseNumber()
+
+        if err := dec.Decode(&raw); err != nil {
+                return err
+        }
+
+        return checkUnknownFields(raw, reflect.TypeOf(target), "")
+}
+
+func checkUnknownFields(raw any, targetType reflect.Type, path string) error {
+	if targetType == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	for targetType.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
+		targetType = targetType.Elem()
+	}
+
+	switch rawValue := raw.(type) {
+	case map[string]any:
+		switch targetType.Kind() {
+		case reflect.Struct:
+			allowed := jsonFieldNames(targetType)
+
+			for key, value := range rawValue {
+				fieldType, ok := allowed[key]
+				if !ok {
+					if path == "" {
+						return fmt.Errorf("unknown field %q", key)
+					}
+
+					return fmt.Errorf("unknown field %q at %s", key, path)
+				}
+
+				childPath := key
+				if path != "" {
+					childPath = path + "." + key
+				}
+
+				if err := checkUnknownFields(value, fieldType, childPath); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+
+		case reflect.Map:
+			elemType := targetType.Elem()
+
+			for key, value := range rawValue {
+				childPath := key
+				if path != "" {
+					childPath = path + "." + key
+				}
+
+				if err := checkUnknownFields(value, elemType, childPath); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+	case []any:
+		elemType := targetType
+
+		for elemType.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
+			elemType = elemType.Elem()
+		}
+
+		if elemType.Kind() == reflect.Slice || elemType.Kind() == reflect.Array {
+			elemType = elemType.Elem()
+		}
+
+		for index, item := range rawValue {
+			childPath := fmt.Sprintf("%s[%d]", path, index)
+
+			if err := checkUnknownFields(item, elemType, childPath); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func jsonFieldNames(t reflect.Type) map[string]reflect.Type {
+	fields := make(map[string]reflect.Type)
+
+	for t.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
+		t = t.Elem()
+	}
+
+	if t.Kind() != reflect.Struct {
+		return fields
+	}
+
+	for i := 0; i < t.NumField(); i++ {
+		field := t.Field(i)
+
+		// skip unexported non-embedded fields
+		if field.PkgPath != "" && !field.Anonymous {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		fieldType := field.Type
+		for fieldType.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
+			fieldType = fieldType.Elem()
+		}
+
+		tag := field.Tag.Get("json")
+		name := strings.Split(tag, ",")[0]
+
+		if tag == "-" {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Embedded struct without explicit json name:
+		// type Resolver struct { ResolverBase }
+		// Need to flatten ResolverBase fields into parent object.
+		if field.Anonymous && (name == "" || name == field.Name) {
+			if fieldType.Kind() == reflect.Struct {
+				for embeddedName, embeddedType := range jsonFieldNames(fieldType) {
+					fields[embeddedName] = embeddedType
+				}
+				continue
+			}
+		}
+
+		if name == "" {
+			name = field.Name
+		}
+
+		fields[name] = field.Type
+	}
+
+	return fields
+}
+
+
 func configureFlags(api *operations.DataPlaneAPI) {
 	cfg := dataplaneapi_config.Get()
 
@@ -169,9 +322,20 @@ func configureAPI(api *operations.DataPlaneAPI) http.Handler { //nolint:cyclop,m
 	api.Logger = log.Printf
 
 	api.JSONConsumer = runtime.ConsumerFunc(func(reader io.Reader, data any) error {
+		body, err := io.ReadAll(reader)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		if err := strictUnknownFieldsCheck(body, data); err != nil {
+			log.Warningf("STRICT JSON UNKNOWN FIELD ERROR: %v", err)
+			return err
+		}
+
 		json := jsoniter.ConfigCompatibleWithStandardLibrary
-		dec := json.NewDecoder(reader)
+		dec := json.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(body))
 		dec.UseNumber() // preserve number formats
+
 		return dec.Decode(data)
 	})