diff --git a/src/base/inifile.cc b/src/base/inifile.cc
index 1fbebb46b3..b2eeafcbef 100644
--- a/src/base/inifile.cc
+++ b/src/base/inifile.cc
@@ -345,3 +345,25 @@ IniFile::dump()
         i->second->dump(i->first);
     }
 }
+
+IniFile::Section::EntryTable::const_iterator
+IniFile::Section::begin() const
+{
+    return table.begin();
+}
+
+IniFile::Section::EntryTable::const_iterator
+IniFile::Section::end() const
+{
+    return table.end();
+}
+
+void
+IniFile::visitSection(const std::string &sectionName,
+    IniFile::VisitSectionCallback cb)
+{
+    const auto& section = *table.at(sectionName);
+    for (const auto& pair : section) {
+        cb(pair.first, pair.second->getValue());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/base/inifile.hh b/src/base/inifile.hh
index 095d132665..ae6dc45015 100644
--- a/src/base/inifile.hh
+++ b/src/base/inifile.hh
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #define __INIFILE_HH__
 
 #include <fstream>
+#include <functional>
 #include <list>
 #include <string>
 #include <unordered_map>
@@ -132,6 +133,9 @@ class IniFile
 
         /// Print the contents of this section to cout (for debugging).
         void dump(const std::string &sectionName);
+
+        EntryTable::const_iterator begin() const;
+        EntryTable::const_iterator end() const;
     };
 
     /// SectionTable type.  Map of strings to Section object pointers.
@@ -203,6 +207,13 @@ class IniFile
 
     /// Dump contents to cout.  For debugging.
     void dump();
+
+    /// Visitor callback that receives key/value pairs.
+    using VisitSectionCallback = std::function<void(
+        const std::string&, const std::string&)>;
+
+    /// Iterate over key/value pairs of the given section.
+    void visitSection(const std::string &sectionName, VisitSectionCallback cb);
 };
 
 #endif // __INIFILE_HH__
diff --git a/src/sim/serialize.cc b/src/sim/serialize.cc
index e502d9aa77..a563332a17 100644
--- a/src/sim/serialize.cc
+++ b/src/sim/serialize.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2015 ARM Limited
+ * Copyright (c) 2015, 2020 ARM Limited
  * All rights reserved
  *
  * The license below extends only to copyright in the software and shall
@@ -337,6 +337,13 @@ CheckpointIn::sectionExists(const string &section)
     return db->sectionExists(section);
 }
 
+void
+CheckpointIn::visitSection(const std::string &section,
+    IniFile::VisitSectionCallback cb)
+{
+    db->visitSection(section, cb);
+}
+
 void
 objParamIn(CheckpointIn &cp, const string &name, SimObject * &param)
 {
diff --git a/src/sim/serialize.hh b/src/sim/serialize.hh
index 9e25d09879..80fac66617 100644
--- a/src/sim/serialize.hh
+++ b/src/sim/serialize.hh
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 #include <unordered_map>
 #include <vector>
 
+#include "base/inifile.hh"
 #include "base/logging.hh"
 #include "sim/serialize_handlers.hh"
 
@@ -94,6 +95,8 @@ class CheckpointIn
 
     bool entryExists(const std::string &section, const std::string &entry);
     bool sectionExists(const std::string &section);
+    void visitSection(const std::string &section,
+        IniFile::VisitSectionCallback cb);
     /** @}*/ //end of api_checkout group
 
     // The following static functions have to do with checkpoint
@@ -555,6 +558,16 @@ mappingParamIn(CheckpointIn &cp, const char* sectionName,
             param[name_to_index[key]] = value;
         }
     }
+    cp.visitSection(
+        Serializable::currentSection(),
+        [name_to_index](const std::string& key, const std::string& val)
+        {
+            if (!name_to_index.count(key)) {
+                warn("unknown entry found in checkpoint: %s %s %s\n",
+                    Serializable::currentSection(), key, val);
+            }
+        }
+    );
 }
 
 //