diff --git a/src/lsdb/core/crossmatch/abstract_crossmatch_algorithm.py b/src/lsdb/core/crossmatch/abstract_crossmatch_algorithm.py
index adcdd56f..4119c46a 100644
--- a/src/lsdb/core/crossmatch/abstract_crossmatch_algorithm.py
+++ b/src/lsdb/core/crossmatch/abstract_crossmatch_algorithm.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ def crossmatch(self) -> pd.DataFrame:
         """Perform a crossmatch"""
 
     # pylint: disable=unused-argument
-    def validate(self, *args, **kwargs):
+    def validate(self):
         """Validate the metadata and arguments.
 
         This method will be called **once**, after the algorithm object has
diff --git a/src/lsdb/core/crossmatch/bounded_kdtree_match.py b/src/lsdb/core/crossmatch/bounded_kdtree_match.py
index 4c24d701..0feee048 100644
--- a/src/lsdb/core/crossmatch/bounded_kdtree_match.py
+++ b/src/lsdb/core/crossmatch/bounded_kdtree_match.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ def validate(
         radius_arcsec: float = 1,
         require_right_margin: bool = True,
         min_radius_arcsec: float = 0,
-        **kwargs,
     ):
         super().validate(n_neighbors, radius_arcsec, require_right_margin)
         if min_radius_arcsec < 0:
@@ -28,8 +27,9 @@ def crossmatch(
         self,
         n_neighbors: int = 1,
         radius_arcsec: float = 1,
+        # We need it here because the signature is shared with .validate()
+        require_right_margin: bool = True,  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
         min_radius_arcsec: float = 0,
-        **kwargs,
     ) -> pd.DataFrame:
         """Perform a cross-match between the data from two HEALPix pixels
 
diff --git a/src/lsdb/core/crossmatch/kdtree_match.py b/src/lsdb/core/crossmatch/kdtree_match.py
index ddb4ee26..f32d7ea2 100644
--- a/src/lsdb/core/crossmatch/kdtree_match.py
+++ b/src/lsdb/core/crossmatch/kdtree_match.py
@@ -17,13 +17,11 @@ class KdTreeCrossmatch(AbstractCrossmatchAlgorithm):
 
     extra_columns = pd.DataFrame({"_dist_arcsec": pd.Series(dtype=np.dtype("float64"))})
 
-    # pylint: disable=unused-argument,arguments-differ
     def validate(
         self,
         n_neighbors: int = 1,
         radius_arcsec: float = 1,
         require_right_margin=True,
-        **kwargs,
     ):
         super().validate()
         # Validate radius
@@ -39,12 +37,12 @@ def validate(
             if self.right_margin_hc_structure.catalog_info.margin_threshold < radius_arcsec:
                 raise ValueError("Cross match radius is greater than margin threshold")
 
-    # pylint: disable=unused-argument
     def crossmatch(
         self,
         n_neighbors: int = 1,
         radius_arcsec: float = 1,
-        **kwargs,
+        # We need it here because the signature is shared with .validate()
+        require_right_margin=True,  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
     ) -> pd.DataFrame:
         """Perform a cross-match between the data from two HEALPix pixels
 
diff --git a/tests/lsdb/catalog/test_crossmatch.py b/tests/lsdb/catalog/test_crossmatch.py
index 246eaecc..ca60f7f1 100644
--- a/tests/lsdb/catalog/test_crossmatch.py
+++ b/tests/lsdb/catalog/test_crossmatch.py
@@ -226,6 +226,10 @@ class MockCrossmatchAlgorithm(AbstractCrossmatchAlgorithm):
 
     extra_columns = pd.DataFrame({"_DIST": pd.Series(dtype=np.dtype("float64"))})
 
+    # We must have the same signature as the crossmatch method
+    def validate(self, mock_results: pd.DataFrame = None):  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
+        super().validate()
+
     def crossmatch(self, mock_results: pd.DataFrame = None):
         left_reset = self.left.reset_index(drop=True)
         right_reset = self.right.reset_index(drop=True)
@@ -293,3 +297,8 @@ def test_append_extra_columns(small_sky_xmatch_catalog):
     algo.extra_columns = None
     algo._append_extra_columns(xmatch_df, pd.DataFrame(extra_columns))
     assert "_DIST" not in xmatch_df.columns
+
+
+def test_raise_for_unknown_kwargs(small_sky_catalog):
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="unexpected keyword argument"):
+        small_sky_catalog.crossmatch(small_sky_catalog, unknown_kwarg="value")