diff --git a/tide/diff.go b/tide/diff.go
index 7b636ec..83716d0 100644
--- a/tide/diff.go
+++ b/tide/diff.go
@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@ func decodeJSON(raw []byte) (any, error) {
 	if err := dec.Decode(&v); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if dec.More() {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("trailing JSON after first value")
+	}
 	return v, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/tide/diff_test.go b/tide/diff_test.go
index 54941cb..af33230 100644
--- a/tide/diff_test.go
+++ b/tide/diff_test.go
@@ -32,3 +32,18 @@ func TestDiffParityClasses(t *testing.T) {
 	check("conditional key", `{"data":{"name":"a"}}`, `{"data":{"name":"a","extra":1}}`, "extra")
 	check("date vs Z", `{"created_at":"2026-01-01T00:00:00+00:00"}`, `{"created_at":"2026-01-01T00:00:00Z"}`, "created_at")
 }
+
+func TestDecodeJSONRejectsTrailingValue(t *testing.T) {
+	if _, err := decodeJSON([]byte(`{"data":[]}`)); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("single value: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := decodeJSON([]byte(`{"data":[]}{"debug":true}`)); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "trailing JSON") {
+		t.Fatalf("trailing value: %v", err)
+	}
+	want := Response{Headers: jsonCT(), Body: Body(`{"data":[]}{"debug":true}`)}
+	got := Response{Headers: jsonCT(), Body: Body(`{"data":[]}`)}
+	diffs := compareBodies(want, got, Step{ID: "trail"})
+	if len(diffs) == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("trailing JSON envelope must mismatch")
+	}
+}