diff --git a/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/index.ts b/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/index.ts
index ea155ef66c1d6b..d86d4c9dca1240 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/index.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import {
   NumberOptions,
   NumberType,
   ObjectType,
+  ObjectTypeOptions,
   Props,
   RecordOfOptions,
   RecordOfType,
@@ -94,10 +95,7 @@ function maybe<V>(type: Type<V>): Type<V | undefined> {
   return new MaybeType(type);
 }
 
-function object<P extends Props>(
-  props: P,
-  options?: TypeOptions<{ [K in keyof P]: TypeOf<P[K]> }>
-): ObjectType<P> {
+function object<P extends Props>(props: P, options?: ObjectTypeOptions<P>): ObjectType<P> {
   return new ObjectType(props, options);
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/__snapshots__/object_type.test.ts.snap b/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/__snapshots__/object_type.test.ts.snap
index 5a31c3b0a7c9e8..c5e47ac09f0347 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/__snapshots__/object_type.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/__snapshots__/object_type.test.ts.snap
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
+exports[`allowUnknowns = true affects only own keys 1`] = `"[foo.baz]: definition for this key is missing"`;
+
 exports[`called with wrong type 1`] = `"expected a plain object value, but found [string] instead."`;
 
 exports[`called with wrong type 2`] = `"expected a plain object value, but found [number] instead."`;
 
+exports[`does not allow unknown keys when allowUnknowns = false 1`] = `"[bar]: definition for this key is missing"`;
+
 exports[`fails if key does not exist in schema 1`] = `"[bar]: definition for this key is missing"`;
 
 exports[`fails if missing required value 1`] = `"[name]: expected value of type [string] but got [undefined]"`;
diff --git a/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/index.ts b/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/index.ts
index 4dd689425a7816..727e2c65030214 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/index.ts
+++ b/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/index.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export { LiteralType } from './literal_type';
 export { MaybeType } from './maybe_type';
 export { MapOfOptions, MapOfType } from './map_type';
 export { NumberOptions, NumberType } from './number_type';
-export { ObjectType, Props, TypeOf } from './object_type';
+export { ObjectType, ObjectTypeOptions, Props, TypeOf } from './object_type';
 export { RecordOfOptions, RecordOfType } from './record_type';
 export { StringOptions, StringType } from './string_type';
 export { UnionType } from './union_type';
diff --git a/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/object_type.test.ts b/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/object_type.test.ts
index e47932a3a3ed2f..41bba1a78d4786 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/object_type.test.ts
+++ b/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/object_type.test.ts
@@ -211,3 +211,47 @@ test('individual keys can validated', () => {
     `"bar is not a valid part of this schema"`
   );
 });
+
+test('allow unknown keys when allowUnknowns = true', () => {
+  const type = schema.object(
+    { foo: schema.string({ defaultValue: 'test' }) },
+    { allowUnknowns: true }
+  );
+
+  expect(
+    type.validate({
+      bar: 'baz',
+    })
+  ).toEqual({
+    foo: 'test',
+    bar: 'baz',
+  });
+});
+
+test('allowUnknowns = true affects only own keys', () => {
+  const type = schema.object(
+    { foo: schema.object({ bar: schema.string() }) },
+    { allowUnknowns: true }
+  );
+
+  expect(() =>
+    type.validate({
+      foo: {
+        bar: 'bar',
+        baz: 'baz',
+      },
+    })
+  ).toThrowErrorMatchingSnapshot();
+});
+
+test('does not allow unknown keys when allowUnknowns = false', () => {
+  const type = schema.object(
+    { foo: schema.string({ defaultValue: 'test' }) },
+    { allowUnknowns: false }
+  );
+  expect(() =>
+    type.validate({
+      bar: 'baz',
+    })
+  ).toThrowErrorMatchingSnapshot();
+});
diff --git a/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/object_type.ts b/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/object_type.ts
index 7ee4014b08d0ef..986448481cd83f 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/object_type.ts
+++ b/packages/kbn-config-schema/src/types/object_type.ts
@@ -28,25 +28,31 @@ export type TypeOf<RT extends Type<any>> = RT['type'];
 
 // Because of https://github.com/Microsoft/TypeScript/issues/14041
 // this might not have perfect _rendering_ output, but it will be typed.
-
 export type ObjectResultType<P extends Props> = Readonly<{ [K in keyof P]: TypeOf<P[K]> }>;
 
+export type ObjectTypeOptions<P extends Props = any> = TypeOptions<
+  { [K in keyof P]: TypeOf<P[K]> }
+> & {
+  allowUnknowns?: boolean;
+};
+
 export class ObjectType<P extends Props = any> extends Type<ObjectResultType<P>> {
   private props: Record<string, AnySchema>;
 
-  constructor(props: P, options: TypeOptions<{ [K in keyof P]: TypeOf<P[K]> }> = {}) {
+  constructor(props: P, options: ObjectTypeOptions<P> = {}) {
     const schemaKeys = {} as Record<string, AnySchema>;
     for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(props)) {
       schemaKeys[key] = value.getSchema();
     }
-
+    const { allowUnknowns, ...typeOptions } = options;
     const schema = internals
       .object()
       .keys(schemaKeys)
       .optional()
-      .default();
+      .default()
+      .unknown(Boolean(allowUnknowns));
 
-    super(schema, options);
+    super(schema, typeOptions);
     this.props = schemaKeys;
   }