diff --git a/src/style-spec/validate_mapbox_api_supported.js b/src/style-spec/validate_mapbox_api_supported.js
index 38c44af52f7..d25eae18332 100644
--- a/src/style-spec/validate_mapbox_api_supported.js
+++ b/src/style-spec/validate_mapbox_api_supported.js
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ function getRootErrors(style: Object, specKeys: Array<any>): Array<?ValidationEr
     /*
      * The following keys are optional but fully managed by the Mapbox Styles
      * API. Values on stylesheet on POST or PATCH will be ignored: "owner",
-     * "id", "cacheControl", "draft", "created", "modified"
+     * "id", "cacheControl", "draft", "created", "modified", "protected"
      *
      * The following keys are optional. The Mapbox Styles API respects value on
      * stylesheet on PATCH, but ignores the value on POST: "visibility"
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@ function getRootErrors(style: Object, specKeys: Array<any>): Array<?ValidationEr
         'draft',
         'created',
         'modified',
-        'visibility'
+        'visibility',
+        'protected'
     ];
 
     const allowedKeyErrors = getAllowedKeyErrors(style, [...specKeys, ...optionalRootProperties]);
@@ -147,6 +148,10 @@ function getRootErrors(style: Object, specKeys: Array<any>): Array<?ValidationEr
         errors.push(new ValidationError('visibility', style.visibility, 'Style visibility must be public or private'));
     }
 
+    if (style.protected !== undefined && getType(style.protected) !== 'boolean') {
+        errors.push(new ValidationError('protected', style.protected, 'Style protection must be true or false'));
+    }
+
     return errors;
 }
 
@@ -177,3 +182,4 @@ export default function validateMapboxApiSupported(style: Object): Array<?Valida
 
     return errors;
 }
+
diff --git a/test/unit/style-spec/fixture/bad-style-api.input.json b/test/unit/style-spec/fixture/bad-style-api.input.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5aac9dedcfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/style-spec/fixture/bad-style-api.input.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "version": 8,
+  "protected": "no",
+  "sources": {},
+  "layers": []
+}
diff --git a/test/unit/style-spec/fixture/bad-style-api.output-api-supported.json b/test/unit/style-spec/fixture/bad-style-api.output-api-supported.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c085271c022
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/style-spec/fixture/bad-style-api.output-api-supported.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[
+  {
+    "message": "protected: Style protection must be true or false",
+    "line": 3
+  }
+]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/unit/style-spec/fixture/bad-style-api.output.json b/test/unit/style-spec/fixture/bad-style-api.output.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0637a088a01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/style-spec/fixture/bad-style-api.output.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+[]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/unit/style-spec/fixture/style-api.input.json b/test/unit/style-spec/fixture/style-api.input.json
index b96c339c9ce..ec1da5aa52a 100644
--- a/test/unit/style-spec/fixture/style-api.input.json
+++ b/test/unit/style-spec/fixture/style-api.input.json
@@ -56,5 +56,6 @@
     "owner": "Cyrus",
     "visibility": "private",
     "cacheControl": "s-max-age=200",
-    "draft": true
+    "draft": true,
+    "protected": true
 }
\ No newline at end of file