diff --git a/lib/command.js b/lib/command.js
index 248ef67e7..2deac2706 100644
--- a/lib/command.js
+++ b/lib/command.js
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ module.exports = function command (yargs, usage, validation, globalMiddleware) {
 
     // we apply validation post-hoc, so that custom
     // checks get passed populated positional arguments.
-    if (!yargs._hasOutput()) yargs._runValidation(innerArgv, aliases, positionalMap, yargs.parsed.error)
+    if (!yargs._hasOutput()) yargs._runValidation(innerArgv, aliases, positionalMap, yargs.parsed.error, !command)
 
     if (commandHandler.handler && !yargs._hasOutput()) {
       yargs._setHasOutput()
diff --git a/lib/validation.ts b/lib/validation.ts
index 8277e4374..731e18caa 100644
--- a/lib/validation.ts
+++ b/lib/validation.ts
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ export function validation (yargs: YargsInstance, usage: UsageInstance, y18n: Y1
   }
 
   // check for unknown arguments (strict-mode).
-  self.unknownArguments = function unknownArguments (argv, aliases, positionalMap) {
+  self.unknownArguments = function unknownArguments (argv, aliases, positionalMap, isDefaultCommand) {
     const commandKeys = yargs.getCommandInstance().getCommands()
     const unknown: string[] = []
     const currentContext = yargs.getContext()
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ export function validation (yargs: YargsInstance, usage: UsageInstance, y18n: Y1
       }
     })
 
-    if ((currentContext.commands.length > 0) || (commandKeys.length > 0)) {
+    if ((currentContext.commands.length > 0) || (commandKeys.length > 0) || isDefaultCommand) {
       argv._.slice(currentContext.commands.length).forEach((key) => {
         if (commandKeys.indexOf(key) === -1) {
           unknown.push(key)
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ export function validation (yargs: YargsInstance, usage: UsageInstance, y18n: Y1
 }
 
 /** Instance of the validation module. */
-interface ValidationInstance {
+export interface ValidationInstance {
   check(f: CustomCheck['func'], global: boolean): void
   conflicting(argv: Arguments): void
   conflicts(key: string, value: string | string[]): void
@@ -425,7 +425,12 @@ interface ValidationInstance {
   requiredArguments(argv: Arguments): void
   reset(localLookup: Dictionary): ValidationInstance
   unfreeze(): void
-  unknownArguments(argv: Arguments, aliases: DetailedArguments['aliases'], positionalMap: Dictionary): void
+  unknownArguments(
+    argv: Arguments,
+    aliases: DetailedArguments['aliases'],
+    positionalMap: Dictionary,
+    isDefaultCommand: boolean
+  ): void
   unknownCommands(argv: Arguments): boolean
 }
 
diff --git a/test/validation.js b/test/validation.js
index f562a93a3..8d438eaa2 100644
--- a/test/validation.js
+++ b/test/validation.js
@@ -320,6 +320,7 @@ describe('validation tests', () => {
           return done()
         })
         .parse()
+      expect.fail('no parsing failure')
     })
 
     it('fails in strict mode with invalid command', (done) => {
@@ -333,6 +334,7 @@ describe('validation tests', () => {
           return done()
         })
         .parse()
+      expect.fail('no parsing failure')
     })
 
     it('fails in strict mode with extra positionals', (done) => {
@@ -347,6 +349,18 @@ describe('validation tests', () => {
       expect.fail('no parsing failure')
     })
 
+    it('fails in strict mode with extra positionals for default command', (done) => {
+      yargs(['jumping', 'fast'])
+        .command('$0 <status>', 'kangaroo handlers')
+        .strict()
+        .fail((msg) => {
+          msg.should.equal('Unknown argument: fast')
+          return done()
+        })
+        .parse()
+      expect.fail('no parsing failure')
+    })
+
     it('does not fail in strict mode when no commands configured', () => {
       const argv = yargs('koala')
         .demand(1)
diff --git a/yargs.js b/yargs.js
index 623d77a85..e00fa0329 100644
--- a/yargs.js
+++ b/yargs.js
@@ -1261,7 +1261,7 @@ function Yargs (processArgs, cwd, parentRequire) {
     return argv
   }
 
-  self._runValidation = function runValidation (argv, aliases, positionalMap, parseErrors) {
+  self._runValidation = function runValidation (argv, aliases, positionalMap, parseErrors, isDefaultCommand = false) {
     if (parseErrors) throw new YError(parseErrors.message)
     validation.nonOptionCount(argv)
     validation.requiredArguments(argv)
@@ -1270,7 +1270,7 @@ function Yargs (processArgs, cwd, parentRequire) {
       failedStrictCommands = validation.unknownCommands(argv)
     }
     if (strict && !failedStrictCommands) {
-      validation.unknownArguments(argv, aliases, positionalMap)
+      validation.unknownArguments(argv, aliases, positionalMap, isDefaultCommand)
     }
     validation.customChecks(argv, aliases)
     validation.limitedChoices(argv)