diff --git a/cli/CHANGELOG.md b/cli/CHANGELOG.md
index 968ef137..55a072d9 100644
--- a/cli/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/cli/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # Mops CLI Changelog
 
 ## Next
+- `mops publish` no longer rejects unknown `mops.toml` sections, `package.*` keys, or `requirements.*` entries — these typo guards were the only place in the CLI that complained about unknown keys, drifted from the docs/types, and blocked publish on harmless local-only config like `[moc]`, `[canisters]`, `[build]`, and `[lint]` (#512)
 
 ## 2.12.2
 - Fix `mops install` (and any `--lock check` flow) failing with "Mismatched number of resolved packages" when a project's resolved dependencies include multiple aliases (e.g. `base`, `base@0`, `base@0.16`) that pin to the same `name@version`
diff --git a/cli/commands/publish.ts b/cli/commands/publish.ts
index 79814c71..40e6651d 100644
--- a/cli/commands/publish.ts
+++ b/cli/commands/publish.ts
@@ -47,22 +47,6 @@ export async function publish(
 
   console.log(`Publishing ${config.package?.name}@${config.package?.version}`);
 
-  // validate
-  for (let key of Object.keys(config)) {
-    if (
-      ![
-        "package",
-        "dependencies",
-        "dev-dependencies",
-        "toolchain",
-        "requirements",
-      ].includes(key)
-    ) {
-      console.log(chalk.red("Error: ") + `Unknown config section [${key}]`);
-      process.exit(1);
-    }
-  }
-
   // required fields
   if (!config.package) {
     console.log(
@@ -97,29 +81,6 @@ export async function publish(
     }
   }
 
-  let packageKeys = [
-    "name",
-    "version",
-    "keywords",
-    "description",
-    "repository",
-    "documentation",
-    "homepage",
-    "baseDir",
-    "readme",
-    "license",
-    "files",
-    "dfx",
-    "moc",
-    "donation",
-  ];
-  for (let key of Object.keys(config.package)) {
-    if (!packageKeys.includes(key)) {
-      console.log(chalk.red("Error: ") + `Unknown config key 'package.${key}'`);
-      process.exit(1);
-    }
-  }
-
   // disabled fields
   for (let key of ["dfx", "moc", "homepage", "documentation", "donation"]) {
     if ((config.package as any)[key]) {
@@ -222,15 +183,6 @@ export async function publish(
     }
   }
 
-  if (config.requirements) {
-    Object.keys(config.requirements).forEach((name) => {
-      if (name !== "moc") {
-        console.log(chalk.red("Error: ") + `Unknown requirement "${name}"`);
-        return;
-      }
-    });
-  }
-
   let toBackendDep = (dep: Dependency): DependencyV2 => {
     return {
       ...dep,