diff --git a/src/jse/jse.cpp b/src/jse/jse.cpp
index e7f63d2..ac50c77 100644
--- a/src/jse/jse.cpp
+++ b/src/jse/jse.cpp
@@ -184,6 +184,28 @@ namespace jse
                         return true;
             }
 
+            // If there is only one candidate rule (no ambiguity) and it is an object rule
+            // that failed only because of extra/unknown fields, pinpoint those fields
+            // instead of dumping the whole subtree.
+            if (strict && matching_rules.size() == 1 && matching_rules[0].value("type", "") == "object")
+            {
+                std::vector<std::string> extra_keys = find_extra_keys(input, matching_rules[0]);
+                if (!extra_keys.empty())
+                {
+                    for (const std::string &key : extra_keys)
+                    {
+                        const string extra_pointer = append_pointer(pointer, key);
+                        std::stringstream s;
+                        s << "No rule matched for \"" << extra_pointer << "\": " << input[key].dump(/*indent=*/4) << std::endl;
+                        s << "No valid rules in this list:\n";
+                        for (int i = 0; i < matching_rules.size(); i++)
+                            s << i << ": " << matching_rules[i].dump(/*indent=*/4) << "\n";
+                        log.push_back(log_item("error", s.str()));
+                    }
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+
             std::stringstream s;
             s << "No rule matched for \"" << pointer << "\": " << input.dump(/*indent=*/4) << std::endl;
             s << "No valid rules in this list:\n";
@@ -414,6 +436,24 @@ namespace jse
 
         return true;
     }
+    std::vector<std::string> JSE::find_extra_keys(const json &input, const json &rule)
+    {
+        std::vector<std::string> keys;
+        keys.reserve((rule.contains("required") ? rule["required"].size() : 0)
+                     + (rule.contains("optional") ? rule["optional"].size() : 0));
+        if (rule.contains("required"))
+            keys.insert(keys.end(), rule["required"].begin(), rule["required"].end());
+        if (rule.contains("optional"))
+            keys.insert(keys.end(), rule["optional"].begin(), rule["optional"].end());
+
+        std::vector<std::string> extra;
+        if (input.is_object())
+            for (const auto &[key, value] : input.items())
+                if (std::find(keys.begin(), keys.end(), key) == keys.end())
+                    extra.push_back(key);
+        return extra;
+    }
+
     bool JSE::verify_rule_object(const json &input, const json &rule)
     {
         assert(rule.at("type") == "object");
@@ -429,17 +469,8 @@ namespace jse
 
         if (strict) // strict mode: check that no extra fields are present
         {
-            std::vector<std::string> keys;
-            keys.reserve((rule.contains("required") ? rule["required"].size() : 0)
-                         + (rule.contains("optional") ? rule["optional"].size() : 0));
-            if (rule.contains("required"))
-                keys.insert(keys.end(), rule["required"].begin(), rule["required"].end());
-            if (rule.contains("optional"))
-                keys.insert(keys.end(), rule["optional"].begin(), rule["optional"].end());
-
-            for (const auto &[key, value] : input.items())
-                if (std::find(keys.begin(), keys.end(), key) == keys.end())
-                    return false;
+            if (!find_extra_keys(input, rule).empty())
+                return false;
         }
 
         if (rule.contains("type_name")
diff --git a/src/jse/jse.h b/src/jse/jse.h
index 81752e1..2a07887 100644
--- a/src/jse/jse.h
+++ b/src/jse/jse.h
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ namespace jse
         // Find the first rule matching a pointer
         json find_valid_rule(const string &pointer, const json &input, const json &rules);
 
+        // Returns the keys of input that are not listed in rule's "required" or "optional" lists.
+        // Only meaningful for rules of type "object".
+        std::vector<std::string> find_extra_keys(const json &input, const json &rule);
+
         // Utils
         bool contained_in_list(string item, const json &list);
 
diff --git a/tests/test_validator.cpp b/tests/test_validator.cpp
index 2129714..5711261 100644
--- a/tests/test_validator.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_validator.cpp
@@ -221,6 +221,65 @@ TEST_CASE("type_object", "[validator]")
     REQUIRE(!jse.verify_json(input, rules));
 }
 
+TEST_CASE("strict_unknown_parameter", "[validator]")
+{
+    json input = R"(
+        {
+            "string1": "teststring"
+        }
+        )"_json;
+
+    json rules = R"(
+        [
+        {
+            "pointer": "/",
+            "type": "object",
+            "required": ["string1"]
+        }
+        ]
+        )"_json;
+
+    JSE jse;
+
+    jse.strict = true;
+    REQUIRE(!jse.verify_json(input, rules));
+    REQUIRE(jse.log2str().find("Unknown entry /string1") != std::string::npos);
+
+    jse.strict = false;
+    REQUIRE(jse.verify_json(input, rules));
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("strict_unlisted_extra_parameter", "[validator]")
+{
+    // "skip_simplif" is a typo for "skip_simplify" and is not listed in
+    // required/optional, so it should be pinpointed rather than triggering
+    // a dump of the whole object.
+    json input = R"(
+        {
+            "string1": "teststring",
+            "foo2": false
+        }
+        )"_json;
+
+    json rules = R"(
+        [
+        {
+            "pointer": "/",
+            "type": "object",
+            "required": ["string1"],
+            "optional": ["foo1"]
+        }
+        ]
+        )"_json;
+
+    JSE jse;
+
+    jse.strict = true;
+    REQUIRE(!jse.verify_json(input, rules));
+    REQUIRE(jse.log2str().find("No rule matched for \"/foo2\": false") != std::string::npos);
+    REQUIRE(jse.log2str().find("No valid rules in this list") != std::string::npos);
+}
+
 TEST_CASE("include_rule", "[validator]")
 {
     json rules = R"(