diff --git a/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/io/JsonDecoder.java b/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/io/JsonDecoder.java
index 64e7ba9faf4..be6d8f005e8 100644
--- a/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/io/JsonDecoder.java
+++ b/lang/java/avro/src/main/java/org/apache/avro/io/JsonDecoder.java
@@ -505,9 +505,6 @@ public Symbol doAction(Symbol input, Symbol top) throws IOException {
       }
 
       if (top == Symbol.RECORD_END) {
-        if (currentReorderBuffer != null && !currentReorderBuffer.savedFields.isEmpty()) {
-          throw error("Unknown fields: " + currentReorderBuffer.savedFields.keySet());
-        }
         currentReorderBuffer = reorderBuffers.pop();
       }
 
diff --git a/lang/java/avro/src/test/java/org/apache/avro/io/TestEncoders.java b/lang/java/avro/src/test/java/org/apache/avro/io/TestEncoders.java
index 51ef375e307..dedc1010988 100644
--- a/lang/java/avro/src/test/java/org/apache/avro/io/TestEncoders.java
+++ b/lang/java/avro/src/test/java/org/apache/avro/io/TestEncoders.java
@@ -200,18 +200,16 @@ void jsonRecordOrdering() throws IOException {
 
   @Test
   void jsonExcessFields() throws IOException {
-    assertThrows(AvroTypeException.class, () -> {
-      String value = "{\"b\": { \"b3\": 1.4, \"b2\": 3.14, \"b1\": \"h\"}, \"a\": {\"a0\": 45, \"a2\":true, \"a1\": null}}";
-      Schema schema = new Schema.Parser().parse("{\"type\": \"record\", \"name\": \"ab\", \"fields\": [\n"
-          + "{\"name\": \"a\", \"type\": {\"type\":\"record\",\"name\":\"A\",\"fields\":\n"
-          + "[{\"name\":\"a1\", \"type\":\"null\"}, {\"name\":\"a2\", \"type\":\"boolean\"}]}},\n"
-          + "{\"name\": \"b\", \"type\": {\"type\":\"record\",\"name\":\"B\",\"fields\":\n"
-          + "[{\"name\":\"b1\", \"type\":\"string\"}, {\"name\":\"b2\", \"type\":\"float\"}, {\"name\":\"b3\", \"type\":\"double\"}]}}\n"
-          + "]}");
-      GenericDatumReader<Object> reader = new GenericDatumReader<>(schema);
-      Decoder decoder = DecoderFactory.get().jsonDecoder(schema, value);
-      reader.read(null, decoder);
-    });
+    String value = "{\"b\": { \"b3\": 1.4, \"b2\": 3.14, \"b1\": \"h\"}, \"a\": {\"a0\": 45, \"a2\":true, \"a1\": null}}";
+    Schema schema = new Schema.Parser().parse("{\"type\": \"record\", \"name\": \"ab\", \"fields\": [\n"
+        + "{\"name\": \"a\", \"type\": {\"type\":\"record\",\"name\":\"A\",\"fields\":\n"
+        + "[{\"name\":\"a1\", \"type\":\"null\"}, {\"name\":\"a2\", \"type\":\"boolean\"}]}},\n"
+        + "{\"name\": \"b\", \"type\": {\"type\":\"record\",\"name\":\"B\",\"fields\":\n"
+        + "[{\"name\":\"b1\", \"type\":\"string\"}, {\"name\":\"b2\", \"type\":\"float\"}, {\"name\":\"b3\", \"type\":\"double\"}]}}\n"
+        + "]}");
+    GenericDatumReader<Object> reader = new GenericDatumReader<>(schema);
+    Decoder decoder = DecoderFactory.get().jsonDecoder(schema, value);
+    assertNotNull(reader.read(null, decoder));
   }
 
   @Test