diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6c1610e..8736644 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ Required fields for both formats on every row or record:
 
 Input and output validation:
 
+- run configs reject unknown top-level, time, feature, and rule fields to catch typos
 - config paths, event inputs, and plot CSV inputs must point to files
 - required event fields must be present and non-empty
 - custom timestamp columns cannot reuse required event field names
diff --git a/src/telemetry_window_demo/cli.py b/src/telemetry_window_demo/cli.py
index 8c73a70..26807ec 100644
--- a/src/telemetry_window_demo/cli.py
+++ b/src/telemetry_window_demo/cli.py
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@
     "source_spread_spike": frozenset(("absolute_threshold", "multiplier", "severity")),
     "rare_event_repeat": frozenset(("threshold", "event_types", "severity")),
 }
+RUN_CONFIG_FIELDS = frozenset(("input_path", "output_dir", "time", "features", "rules"))
+RUN_TIME_CONFIG_FIELDS = frozenset(
+    ("timestamp_col", "window_size_seconds", "step_size_seconds")
+)
+RUN_FEATURE_CONFIG_FIELDS = frozenset(
+    ("count_event_types", "error_statuses", "severity_levels")
+)
 
 
 def main(argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> None:
@@ -280,8 +287,18 @@ def _demo_root_path(value: str | None, default_root: Path) -> Path:
 
 
 def _validate_run_config(config: Mapping[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    _reject_unknown_config_fields(config, RUN_CONFIG_FIELDS)
+
     time_config = _optional_mapping(config.get("time", {}), "time")
+    _reject_unknown_config_fields(time_config, RUN_TIME_CONFIG_FIELDS, parent="time")
+
     feature_config = _optional_mapping(config.get("features", {}), "features")
+    _reject_unknown_config_fields(
+        feature_config,
+        RUN_FEATURE_CONFIG_FIELDS,
+        parent="features",
+    )
+
     rules_config = _validate_rules_config(config.get("rules"))
 
     return {
@@ -331,13 +348,7 @@ def _validate_rules_config(raw_rules_config: Any) -> dict[str, Any]:
         else dict(_optional_mapping(raw_rules_config, "rules"))
     )
     allowed_rule_keys = {"cooldown_seconds", *RUN_RULE_SECTION_NAMES}
-    unknown_rule_keys = sorted(
-        str(key) for key in rules_config if key not in allowed_rule_keys
-    )
-    if unknown_rule_keys:
-        raise ValueError(
-            "Unknown config field(s) under 'rules': " + ", ".join(unknown_rule_keys)
-        )
+    _reject_unknown_config_fields(rules_config, allowed_rule_keys, parent="rules")
 
     rules_config["cooldown_seconds"] = _int_config_value(
         rules_config.get("cooldown_seconds", 0),
@@ -366,14 +377,11 @@ def _validate_rule_section_config(
     rule_config: dict[str, Any],
 ) -> dict[str, Any]:
     allowed_fields = RUN_RULE_CONFIG_FIELDS[rule_name]
-    unknown_fields = sorted(
-        str(key) for key in rule_config if key not in allowed_fields
+    _reject_unknown_config_fields(
+        rule_config,
+        allowed_fields,
+        parent=f"rules.{rule_name}",
     )
-    if unknown_fields:
-        raise ValueError(
-            f"Unknown config field(s) under 'rules.{rule_name}': "
-            + ", ".join(unknown_fields)
-        )
 
     if "severity" in rule_config:
         rule_config["severity"] = _string_config_value(
@@ -450,6 +458,22 @@ def _optional_mapping(value: Any, field_name: str) -> Mapping[str, Any]:
     return value
 
 
+def _reject_unknown_config_fields(
+    config: Mapping[str, Any],
+    allowed_fields: set[str] | frozenset[str],
+    *,
+    parent: str | None = None,
+) -> None:
+    unknown_fields = sorted(str(key) for key in config if key not in allowed_fields)
+    if not unknown_fields:
+        return
+
+    location = f" under '{parent}'" if parent else ""
+    raise ValueError(
+        f"Unknown config field(s){location}: " + ", ".join(unknown_fields)
+    )
+
+
 def _path_config_value(value: Any, field_name: str) -> str:
     if not isinstance(value, str) or not value.strip():
         raise ValueError(f"Config field '{field_name}' must be a non-empty path string.")
diff --git a/tests/test_cli_errors.py b/tests/test_cli_errors.py
index 18b3a3e..7295cf4 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli_errors.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli_errors.py
@@ -36,6 +36,32 @@ def test_main_reports_missing_config_without_traceback(tmp_path, capsys) -> None
     assert "Traceback" not in stderr
 
 
+def test_main_reports_unknown_run_config_field_without_traceback(
+    tmp_path,
+    capsys,
+) -> None:
+    config_path = tmp_path / "typo.yaml"
+    config_path.write_text(
+        yaml.safe_dump(
+            {
+                "input": "events.csv",
+                "output_dir": str(tmp_path / "processed"),
+            }
+        ),
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as excinfo:
+        main(["run", "--config", str(config_path)])
+
+    assert excinfo.value.code == 1
+    stderr = capsys.readouterr().err
+    assert stderr.startswith("error: ")
+    assert "Unknown config field" in stderr
+    assert "input" in stderr
+    assert "Traceback" not in stderr
+
+
 def test_main_reports_invalid_yaml_config_without_traceback(tmp_path, capsys) -> None:
     config_path = tmp_path / "broken.yaml"
     config_path.write_text("input_path: [\n", encoding="utf-8")
diff --git a/tests/test_run_config_validation.py b/tests/test_run_config_validation.py
index 6f82a8b..279a5b3 100644
--- a/tests/test_run_config_validation.py
+++ b/tests/test_run_config_validation.py
@@ -37,6 +37,33 @@ def test_run_config_requires_input_path(tmp_path) -> None:
         run_command(Namespace(config=str(config_path)))
 
 
+def test_run_config_rejects_unknown_top_level_field(tmp_path) -> None:
+    config = _base_config(tmp_path)
+    config["input"] = config["input_path"]
+    config_path = _write_config(tmp_path, config)
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Unknown config field.*input"):
+        run_command(Namespace(config=str(config_path)))
+
+
+def test_run_config_rejects_unknown_time_field(tmp_path) -> None:
+    config = _base_config(tmp_path)
+    config["time"]["window_seconds"] = 60
+    config_path = _write_config(tmp_path, config)
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="time.*window_seconds"):
+        run_command(Namespace(config=str(config_path)))
+
+
+def test_run_config_rejects_unknown_feature_field(tmp_path) -> None:
+    config = _base_config(tmp_path)
+    config["features"]["event_counts"] = ["login_fail"]
+    config_path = _write_config(tmp_path, config)
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="features.*event_counts"):
+        run_command(Namespace(config=str(config_path)))
+
+
 def test_run_config_rejects_boolean_window_size(tmp_path) -> None:
     config = _base_config(tmp_path)
     config["time"]["window_size_seconds"] = True