diff --git a/src/Components/Components/src/ElementReference.cs b/src/Components/Components/src/ElementReference.cs
index adb1ebbc43..92affa1249 100644
--- a/src/Components/Components/src/ElementReference.cs
+++ b/src/Components/Components/src/ElementReference.cs
@@ -64,10 +64,21 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.Components
                 string id = null;
                 while (reader.Read() && reader.TokenType != JsonTokenType.EndObject)
                 {
-                    if (reader.ValueTextEquals(IdProperty.EncodedUtf8Bytes))
+                    if (reader.TokenType == JsonTokenType.PropertyName)
                     {
-                        reader.Read();
-                        id = reader.GetString();
+                        if (reader.ValueTextEquals(IdProperty.EncodedUtf8Bytes))
+                        {
+                            reader.Read();
+                            id = reader.GetString();
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            throw new JsonException($"Unexpected JSON property '{reader.GetString()}'.");
+                        }
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        throw new JsonException($"Unexcepted JSON Token {reader.TokenType}.");
                     }
                 }
 
diff --git a/src/Components/Components/test/ElementReferenceTest.cs b/src/Components/Components/test/ElementReferenceTest.cs
index 496a3bbe33..39c947aaf0 100644
--- a/src/Components/Components/test/ElementReferenceTest.cs
+++ b/src/Components/Components/test/ElementReferenceTest.cs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.Components
         }
 
         [Fact]
-        public void Deserializing_Throws_IfIdIsNotSpecified()
+        public void Deserializing_Throws_IfUnknownPropertyAppears()
         {
             // Arrange
             var json = "{\"id\":\"some-value\"}";
@@ -62,6 +62,19 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.Components
             // Act
             var ex = Assert.Throws<JsonException>(() => JsonSerializer.Deserialize<ElementReference>(json, JsonSerializerOptionsProvider.Options));
 
+            // Assert
+            Assert.Equal("Unexpected JSON property 'id'.", ex.Message);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Deserializing_Throws_IfIdIsNotSpecified()
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var json = "{}";
+
+            // Act
+            var ex = Assert.Throws<JsonException>(() => JsonSerializer.Deserialize<ElementReference>(json, JsonSerializerOptionsProvider.Options));
+
             // Assert
             Assert.Equal("__internalId is required.", ex.Message);
         }