diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/OptionsResolver/OptionsResolver.php b/src/Symfony/Component/OptionsResolver/OptionsResolver.php
index d6554baa0a2ff..772a743d975cd 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/OptionsResolver/OptionsResolver.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/OptionsResolver/OptionsResolver.php
@@ -214,9 +214,18 @@ public function isRequired($option)
     /**
      * {@inheritdoc}
      */
-    public function resolve(array $options = array())
+    public function resolve(array $options = array(), $flags = 0)
     {
-        $this->validateOptionsExistence($options);
+        if (($flags & OptionsResolverInterface::REMOVE_UNKNOWN) && ($flags & OptionsResolverInterface::IGNORE_UNKNOWN)) {
+            throw new \InvalidArgumentException('OptionsResolverInterface::REMOVE_UNKNOWN and OptionsResolverInterface::IGNORE_UNKNOWN are mutually exclusive');
+        }
+
+        if ($flags & OptionsResolverInterface::REMOVE_UNKNOWN) {
+            $options = $this->removeUnknownOptions($options);
+        } elseif (!($flags & OptionsResolverInterface::IGNORE_UNKNOWN)) {
+            $this->validateOptionsExistence($options);
+        }
+
         $this->validateOptionsCompleteness($options);
 
         // Make sure this method can be called multiple times
@@ -236,11 +245,23 @@ public function resolve(array $options = array())
         return $resolvedOptions;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Remove unknown options
+     *
+     * @param array $options A list of option names as keys.
+     *
+     * @return array Options with all unknown options removed
+     */
+    private function removeUnknownOptions(array $options)
+    {
+        return array_intersect_key($options, $this->knownOptions);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Validates that the given option names exist and throws an exception
      * otherwise.
      *
-     * @param array $options An list of option names as keys.
+     * @param array $options A list of option names as keys.
      *
      * @throws InvalidOptionsException If any of the options has not been defined.
      */
@@ -264,7 +285,7 @@ private function validateOptionsExistence(array $options)
      * Validates that all required options are given and throws an exception
      * otherwise.
      *
-     * @param array $options An list of option names as keys.
+     * @param array $options A list of option names as keys.
      *
      * @throws MissingOptionsException If a required option is missing.
      */
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/OptionsResolver/OptionsResolverInterface.php b/src/Symfony/Component/OptionsResolver/OptionsResolverInterface.php
index 8474c4bcd793d..e5a1f1e591c89 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/OptionsResolver/OptionsResolverInterface.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/OptionsResolver/OptionsResolverInterface.php
@@ -16,6 +16,18 @@
  */
 interface OptionsResolverInterface
 {
+    /**
+     * Remove unknown options passed to the resolve() method
+     * Is mutually exclusive with IGNORE_UNKNOWN
+     */
+    const REMOVE_UNKNOWN = 1;
+
+    /**
+     * Ignore unknown options passed to the resolve() method
+     * Is mutually exclusive with REMOVE_UNKNOWN
+     */
+    const IGNORE_UNKNOWN = 2;
+
     /**
      * Sets default option values.
      *
@@ -196,6 +208,7 @@ public function isRequired($option);
      * Returns the combination of the default and the passed options.
      *
      * @param array $options The custom option values.
+     * @param int   $flags   Can be REMOVE_UNKNOWN or IGNORE_UNKNOWN
      *
      * @return array A list of options and their values.
      *
@@ -206,5 +219,5 @@ public function isRequired($option);
      * @throws Exception\OptionDefinitionException If a cyclic dependency is detected
      *                                             between two lazy options.
      */
-    public function resolve(array $options = array());
+    public function resolve(array $options = array(), $flags = 0);
 }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/OptionsResolver/Tests/OptionsResolverTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/OptionsResolver/Tests/OptionsResolverTest.php
index d50cd3fcfe3e4..e7b4b1b9de47c 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/OptionsResolver/Tests/OptionsResolverTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/OptionsResolver/Tests/OptionsResolverTest.php
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 namespace Symfony\Component\OptionsResolver\Tests;
 
+use Symfony\Component\OptionsResolver\OptionsResolverInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\OptionsResolver\OptionsResolver;
 use Symfony\Component\OptionsResolver\Options;
 
@@ -678,4 +679,52 @@ public function testClone()
             'three' => '3',
         ), $clone->resolve());
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @expectedException \InvalidArgumentException
+     */
+    public function testRemoveUnknownAndIgnoreUnknownAreMutuallyExclusive()
+    {
+        $this->resolver->resolve(array(
+            'one' => 'one',
+            'two' => 'two'
+        ), OptionsResolverInterface::REMOVE_UNKNOWN | OptionsResolverInterface::IGNORE_UNKNOWN);
+    }
+
+    public function testRemoveUnknownOption()
+    {
+        $this->resolver->setDefaults(array(
+            'one' => 'default',
+            'two' => 'default'
+        ));
+
+        $options = $this->resolver->resolve(array(
+            'one' => 'keep',
+            'three' => 'remove'
+        ), OptionsResolverInterface::REMOVE_UNKNOWN);
+
+        $this->assertEquals($options, array(
+            'one' => 'keep',
+            'two' => 'default'
+        ));
+    }
+
+    public function testIgnoreUnknownOption()
+    {
+        $this->resolver->setDefaults(array(
+            'one' => 'default',
+            'two' => 'default'
+        ));
+
+        $options = $this->resolver->resolve(array(
+            'one' => 'keep',
+            'three' => 'ignored'
+        ), OptionsResolverInterface::IGNORE_UNKNOWN);
+
+        $this->assertEquals($options, array(
+            'one' => 'keep',
+            'two' => 'default',
+            'three' => 'ignored'
+        ));
+    }
 }