diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ccbd994..a7ccccc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 1.2.1 - WIP
+- Added configurable missing-key behavior: silent, warning, or exception.
+
 ## 1.2.0 - 2026-01-08
 - Removing PestPHP, using phpunit 11
 - Support from PHP 8.2 to 8.5
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7371022..3ddfd12 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -423,6 +423,60 @@ For example, `$data->getBlock("avocado.color")` returns a Block object with just
 
 If you are going to access a non-valid key, an empty Block object is returned, so the `$data->getBlock("avocado.notexists")` returns a Block object with a length equal to 0.
 
+### Missing key behavior
+
+By default, accessing a non-existing key returns the provided default value **silently**.
+
+You can configure three behaviors:
+
+- **Silent** (default)
+- **Warning** (non-fatal)
+- **Exception**
+
+
+#### Silent (default)
+
+```php
+$fruits = Block::make($fruitsArray);
+// OR if you want to be more explicit: $fruits = Block::make($fruitsArray)->silentOnMissingKey();
+
+$nothing = $fruits->get("a-missing-key", "DEFAULT VALUE"); // no warning, no exception
+```
+
+#### Warning
+
+```php
+$fruits = Block::make($fruitsArray)->warnOnMissingKey();
+
+$nothing = $fruits->get("a-missing-key", "DEFAULT VALUE"); // PHP warning
+```
+
+#### Exception
+
+```php
+$fruits = Block::make($fruitsArray)
+    ->throwOnMissingKey();
+
+$nothing = $fruits->get("a-missing-key"); // throws exception
+
+
+$fruits->throwOnMissingKey(
+    MyMissingKeyException::class,
+    "The key in the configuration JSON file doens't exist?"
+);
+```
+
+You can also pass your own exception class (must extend `\Throwable`).
+
+#### Summary for the "missing key behavior"
+
+| Mode      | Result                               |
+| --------- | ------------------------------------ |
+| Silent (default behavior)    | Returns default value                |
+| Warning   | Emits warning, returns default value |
+| Exception | Throws exception                     |
+
+
 ### The `set()` method
 The `set()` method supports keys with the dot (or custom) notation for setting values for nested data.
 If a key doesn't exist, the `set()` method creates one and sets the value.
diff --git a/src/Block.php b/src/Block.php
index 7100f7a..638635a 100644
--- a/src/Block.php
+++ b/src/Block.php
@@ -38,12 +38,119 @@ final class Block implements Iterator, ArrayAccess, Countable
     /** @var array<int|string, mixed> */
     private array $data;
 
+    /**
+     * Missing key handling mode: return default value silently.
+     */
+    private const MISSING_KEY_SILENT = 0;
+
+    /**
+     * Missing key handling mode: emit a warning and continue execution.
+     */
+    private const MISSING_KEY_WARNING = 1;
+
+    /**
+     * Missing key handling mode: throw an exception.
+     */
+    private const MISSING_KEY_EXCEPTION = 2;
+
+    /**
+     * Current missing key handling mode.
+     *
+     * One of:
+     * - self::MISSING_KEY_SILENT
+     * - self::MISSING_KEY_WARNING
+     * - self::MISSING_KEY_EXCEPTION
+     */
+    private int $missingKeyMode = self::MISSING_KEY_SILENT;
+
+
+    /** @var class-string<\Throwable>|null Exception class to throw on missing key */
+    private ?string $missingKeyExceptionClass = null;
+    /** @var string|null Optional hint appended to the exception message */
+    private ?string $missingKeyExceptionHint = null;
+
     /** @param array<int|string, mixed> $data */
     public function __construct(array $data = [], private bool $iteratorReturnsBlock = true)
     {
         $this->data = $data;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Use silent mode when accessing missing keys (return default value).
+     */
+    public function silentOnMissingKey(): self
+    {
+        $this->missingKeyMode = self::MISSING_KEY_SILENT;
+        $this->missingKeyExceptionClass = null;
+        $this->missingKeyExceptionHint = null;
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Emit a warning when accessing a missing key.
+     */
+    public function warnOnMissingKey(): self
+    {
+        $this->missingKeyMode = self::MISSING_KEY_WARNING;
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Configure the Block object to throw an exception when accessing a missing key.
+     *
+     * When enabled, any access to a non-existing key will throw an exception of the
+     * given class instead of returning the default value.
+     *
+     * An optional hint can be provided to add extra context to the exception message.
+     *
+     * @param class-string<\Throwable> $exceptionClass Exception class to throw (must extend Throwable)
+     * @param string|null $hint Optional additional context appended to the exception message
+     *
+     * @return self Returns the current instance for method chaining.
+     *
+     * @throws \InvalidArgumentException If the given class does not extend Throwable
+     */
+    public function throwOnMissingKey(
+        string $exceptionClass = \OutOfBoundsException::class,
+        ?string $hint = null,
+    ): self {
+        /** @phpstan-ignore function.alreadyNarrowedType, booleanAnd.alwaysFalse */
+        if (!is_subclass_of($exceptionClass, \Throwable::class) && $exceptionClass !== \Throwable::class) {
+            throw new \InvalidArgumentException("Exception class must extend Throwable");
+        }
+
+        $this->missingKeyMode = self::MISSING_KEY_EXCEPTION;
+        $this->missingKeyExceptionClass = $exceptionClass;
+        $this->missingKeyExceptionHint = $hint;
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    private function handleMissingKey(int|string $key, mixed $defaultValue): mixed
+    {
+        switch ($this->missingKeyMode) {
+            case self::MISSING_KEY_WARNING:
+                trigger_error("Undefined array key: " . $key, E_USER_WARNING);
+                return $defaultValue;
+
+            case self::MISSING_KEY_EXCEPTION:
+                $class = $this->missingKeyExceptionClass ?? \OutOfBoundsException::class;
+                $message = "Undefined array key: " . $key;
+                if ($this->missingKeyExceptionHint) {
+                    $message = $message . " (" . $this->missingKeyExceptionHint . ")";
+                }
+
+                throw new $class($message);
+
+            case self::MISSING_KEY_SILENT:
+            default:
+                return $defaultValue;
+        }
+    }
+
+
+
     public function iterateBlock(bool $returnsBlock = true): self
     {
         $this->iteratorReturnsBlock = $returnsBlock;
@@ -89,13 +196,17 @@ public function get(int|string $key, mixed $defaultValue = null, string $charNes
                     } elseif ($nestedValue instanceof Block) {
                         $nestedValue = $nestedValue->get($nestedKey);
                     } else {
-                        return $defaultValue;
+                        return $this->handleMissingKey($key, $defaultValue);
                     }
                 }
                 return $nestedValue;
             }
         }
-        return $this->data[$key] ?? $defaultValue;
+        if (!array_key_exists($key, $this->data)) {
+            return $this->handleMissingKey($key, $defaultValue);
+        }
+
+        return $this->data[$key];
     }
 
 
@@ -247,9 +358,4 @@ public function applyField(
         $this->set($targetKey, $callable($this->get($key)));
         return $this;
     }
-
-
-
-
-
 }
diff --git a/tests/BlockJsonTest.php b/tests/BlockJsonTest.php
index f87a435..d42c3fc 100644
--- a/tests/BlockJsonTest.php
+++ b/tests/BlockJsonTest.php
@@ -109,4 +109,10 @@ public function testSaveToJsonWithExistingFile(): void
 
         unlink("fruits.json");
     }
+
+    public function testEmptyJson(): void
+    {
+        $data = Block::fromJsonFile("file-not-exists");
+        $this->assertSame(0, $data->count());
+    }
 }