diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6b656c6..8eec8b0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -41,6 +41,16 @@ When constructing or modifying the record, validation checks are run. You may ne
 validationOption `strict: true` sets all the other validationOptions as true regardless of if they are defined
 validationOption `strict: false` sets other validationOptions as they are defined or as default
 
+**noFailValidation**
+
+validationOption `noFailValidation: false` (default) throws an error when the record fails validation checks
+validationOption `noFailValidation: true` saves errors in validationErrors instead of throwing an error when the record fails validation checks
+
+```js
+// return validationErrors
+record.getValidationErrors();
+```
+
 **Global validation options:**
 
 ```js
@@ -60,7 +70,8 @@ MarcRecord.setValidationOptions(
     noControlCharacters: false,    // Do not allow ASCII control characters in field/subfield values
     noAdditionalProperties: false, // Do not allow additional properties in fields
 
-    strict: false                  // If true, set all validationOptions to true
+    strict: false,                 // If true, set all validationOptions to true
+    noFailValidation: false        // If true, do not error if validation fails, save errors in validationErrors instead
   }
 );
 ```
@@ -79,7 +90,6 @@ You can set all global validation options to true with validationOption strict:
 MarcRecord.setValidationOptions({strict: true});
 ```
 
-
 **Record specific validation options** can be given when constructing:
 
 ```js
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 5dd9294..e144ecc 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
 	"name": "@natlibfi/marc-record",
-	"version": "9.0.2",
+	"version": "9.1.0-alpha.4",
 	"lockfileVersion": 3,
 	"requires": true,
 	"packages": {
 		"": {
 			"name": "@natlibfi/marc-record",
-			"version": "9.0.2",
+			"version": "9.1.0-alpha.4",
 			"license": "MIT",
 			"dependencies": {
 				"debug": "^4.3.7",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 79e558c..948f09d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 		"url": "git@github.com:natlibfi/marc-record-js.git"
 	},
 	"license": "MIT",
-	"version": "9.0.2",
+	"version": "9.1.0-alpha.4",
 	"main": "./dist/index.js",
 	"engines": {
 		"node": ">=18"
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 2c310d3..a9ed5c5 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -4,11 +4,16 @@ import {fieldOrderComparator} from './marcFieldSort';
 import {clone, validateRecord, validateField} from './utils';
 import MarcRecordError from './error';
 export {default as MarcRecordError} from './error';
+import createDebugLogger from 'debug';
+const debug = createDebugLogger('@natlibfi/marc-record');
+//const debugData = debug.extend('data');
+const debugDev = debug.extend('dev');
 
 // Default setting for validationOptions:
 // These default validationOptions are (mostly) backwards compatible with marc-record-js < 7.3.0
 //
 // strict: false                  // All validationOptions below are set to true
+// noFailValidation: false        // Do not error if validation fails, return validationResults instead
 //
 // fields: true,                  // Do not allow record without fields
 // subfields: true,               // Do not allow empty subfields
@@ -21,6 +26,7 @@ export {default as MarcRecordError} from './error';
 
 const validationOptionsDefaults = {
   strict: false,
+  noFailValidation: false,
   fields: true,
   subfields: true,
   subfieldValues: true,
@@ -58,9 +64,16 @@ export class MarcRecord {
           field.ind2 = field.ind2 || ' ';
         });
 
-      validateRecord(recordClone, {...globalValidationOptions, ...this._validationOptions});
       this.leader = recordClone.leader;
       this.fields = recordClone.fields;
+
+      this._validationErrors = validateRecord(recordClone, {...globalValidationOptions, ...this._validationOptions});
+      if (!this._validationOptions.noFailValidation) {
+        // eslint-disable-next-line functional/immutable-data
+        delete this._validationErrors;
+        return;
+      }
+      debugDev(`${JSON.stringify(this)}`);
       return;
     }
 
@@ -68,6 +81,14 @@ export class MarcRecord {
     this.fields = [];
   }
 
+  getValidationErrors() {
+    debugDev(`getting validationErrors: ${this._validationErrors} <-`);
+    if (!this._validationOptions.noFailValidation) {
+      return [];
+    }
+    return this._validationErrors || [];
+  }
+
   get(query) {
     return this.fields.filter(field => field.tag.match(query));
   }
diff --git a/src/index.spec.js b/src/index.spec.js
index 801d412..cbd3498 100644
--- a/src/index.spec.js
+++ b/src/index.spec.js
@@ -316,6 +316,11 @@ describe('index', () => {
         return MarcRecord.setValidationOptions(args);
       }
 
+      //-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+      if (name === 'getValidationErrors') {
+        return record.getValidationErrors();
+      }
+
       //-------------------------------------------------------------------------
       if (name === 'MarcRecord') {
         const {leader, fields, validationOptions} = args ?? {};
diff --git a/src/utils.js b/src/utils.js
index 865eb42..22dae4c 100644
--- a/src/utils.js
+++ b/src/utils.js
@@ -13,23 +13,33 @@ const debugData = debug.extend('data');
 
 
 export function validateRecord(record, options = {}) {
+  const {noFailValidation} = options;
   const validationResults = validate(record, createSchema(options), {nestedErrors: false});
-  debugData(JSON.stringify(record));
+  //debugData(JSON.stringify(record));
   //debugDev(inspect(validationResults), {depth: 3});
   //debugDev(inspect(validationResults.errors));
+  debugData(validationResults.errors.toString());
+  if (noFailValidation) {
+    return validationResults.errors.map(valError => valError.toString());
+  }
   if (validationResults.errors.length > 0) { // eslint-disable-line functional/no-conditional-statements
-    debugData(validationResults.toString());
     throw new MarcRecordError('Record is invalid', validationResults);
   }
+  return [];
 }
 
 export function validateField(field, options = {}) {
+  const {noFailValidation} = options;
   const validationResults = validate(field, createSchema(options).properties.fields.items, {nestedErrors: false});
-  debugData(JSON.stringify(field));
+  //debugData(JSON.stringify(field));
   //debugDev(inspect(validationResults));
   //debugDev(inspect(validationResults.errors));
+  debugData(validationResults.errors.toString());
+  if (noFailValidation) {
+    return validationResults.errors.map(valError => valError.toString());
+  }
   if (validationResults.errors.length > 0) { // eslint-disable-line functional/no-conditional-statements
-    debugData(validationResults.toString());
     throw new MarcRecordError(`Field is invalid: ${JSON.stringify(field)}`, validationResults);
   }
+  return [];
 }
diff --git a/test-fixtures/index/constructor/03/metadata.json b/test-fixtures/index/constructor/03/metadata.json
index 2051107..9d8768b 100644
--- a/test-fixtures/index/constructor/03/metadata.json
+++ b/test-fixtures/index/constructor/03/metadata.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "description": "Should fail to create record without subfields",
+  "description": "Should fail to create record that has a field without subfields or value",
   "skip": false,
   "noinput": true,
   "operations": [
diff --git a/test-fixtures/index/constructor/04/metadata.json b/test-fixtures/index/constructor/04/metadata.json
index 586cbb3..f3cee4c 100644
--- a/test-fixtures/index/constructor/04/metadata.json
+++ b/test-fixtures/index/constructor/04/metadata.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "description": "Should fail to create record without subfields values",
+  "description": "Should fail to create record that has a (data)field without subfields values",
   "skip": false,
   "noinput": true,
   "operations": [
diff --git a/test-fixtures/index/constructor/05/metadata.json b/test-fixtures/index/constructor/05/metadata.json
index a875a1d..291cfec 100644
--- a/test-fixtures/index/constructor/05/metadata.json
+++ b/test-fixtures/index/constructor/05/metadata.json
@@ -1,16 +1,20 @@
 {
-  "description": "Should create MarcRecord without subfields",
+  "description": "Should create MarcRecord that has no fields, but return validationErrors (validationOptions {\"noFailValidation\": true, \"fields\": true} )",
   "skip": false,
+  "only": false,
   "noinput": true,
   "operations": [
     { "name": "MarcRecord", "args": {
         "leader": "02848ccm a22005894i 4500",
-        "validationOptions": {"fields": false}
+        "validationOptions": {"noFailValidation": true, "fields": true}
       }
     }
   ],
   "returns": {
-    "_validationOptions": {"fields": false},
+    "_validationErrors": [
+      "instance.fields does not meet minimum length of 1"
+    ],
+    "_validationOptions": {"fields": true, "noFailValidation": true},
     "leader": "02848ccm a22005894i 4500",
     "fields": []
   },
diff --git a/test-fixtures/index/constructor/06/metadata.json b/test-fixtures/index/constructor/06/metadata.json
index cd49b12..c1c1395 100644
--- a/test-fixtures/index/constructor/06/metadata.json
+++ b/test-fixtures/index/constructor/06/metadata.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "description": "Should create MarcRecord without subfields",
+  "description": "Should create MarcRecord that has a (data)field without subfields validationOptions: \"subfields\": false",
   "skip": false,
   "noinput": true,
   "operations": [
diff --git a/test-fixtures/index/constructor/07/metadata.json b/test-fixtures/index/constructor/07/metadata.json
index 08070bc..7fd00a3 100644
--- a/test-fixtures/index/constructor/07/metadata.json
+++ b/test-fixtures/index/constructor/07/metadata.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "description": "Should create MarcRecord without subfield values",
+  "description": "Should create MarcRecord that has a (data)field without subfield values, validationOption: \"subfieldValues\": false",
   "skip": false,
   "noinput": true,
   "operations": [
diff --git a/test-fixtures/index/constructor/10/metadata.json b/test-fixtures/index/constructor/10/metadata.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bc62a93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-fixtures/index/constructor/10/metadata.json
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+{
+  "description": "Should create MarcRecord that has no fields (validationOptions {\"fields\": false} )",
+  "skip": false,
+  "only": false,
+  "noinput": true,
+  "operations": [
+    { "name": "MarcRecord", "args": {
+        "leader": "02848ccm a22005894i 4500",
+        "validationOptions": {"fields": false}
+      }
+    }
+  ],
+  "returns": {
+    "_validationOptions": {"fields": false},
+    "leader": "02848ccm a22005894i 4500",
+    "fields": []
+  },
+  "immutable": true
+}
diff --git a/test-fixtures/index/constructor/11/metadata.json b/test-fixtures/index/constructor/11/metadata.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..deb8357
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-fixtures/index/constructor/11/metadata.json
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+{
+  "description": "Should create MarcRecord that has no fields, but return validationErrors (validationOptions {\"noFailValidation\": true, \"fields\": true} )",
+  "skip": false,
+  "only": false,
+  "noinput": true,
+  "operations": [
+    { "name": "MarcRecord", "args": {
+        "leader": "02848ccm a22005894i 4500",
+        "fields": [ 
+          {"tag": "245", "ind1": " ", "ind2": " ", "subfields": []},
+          {"tag": "500", "ind1": " ", "ind2": " ", "subfields": []}
+        ],
+        "validationOptions": {"noFailValidation": true, "fields": true}
+      }
+    }
+  ],
+  "returns": {
+    "_validationErrors": [
+      "instance.fields[0] is not any of [subschema 0],[subschema 1]",
+      "instance.fields[1] is not any of [subschema 0],[subschema 1]"
+    ],
+    "_validationOptions": {"fields": true, "noFailValidation": true},
+    "leader": "02848ccm a22005894i 4500",
+    "fields": [
+      {"tag": "245", "ind1": " ", "ind2": " ", "subfields": []},
+      {"tag": "500", "ind1": " ", "ind2": " ", "subfields": []}]
+  },
+  "immutable": true
+}
diff --git a/test-fixtures/index/validationErrors/01/metadata.json b/test-fixtures/index/validationErrors/01/metadata.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a6e12e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-fixtures/index/validationErrors/01/metadata.json
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+{
+  "description": "Should return validationErrors",
+  "skip": false,
+  "only": false,
+  "input": {"leader": "02848ccm a22005894i 4500"},
+  "validationOptions":  {"fields": true, "noFailValidation": true},
+  "operations": [
+    { "name": "getValidationErrors"}
+  ],
+  "returns": [
+    "instance.fields does not meet minimum length of 1"
+  ],
+  "immutable": true
+}
diff --git a/test-fixtures/index/validationErrors/02/metadata.json b/test-fixtures/index/validationErrors/02/metadata.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..df15b41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-fixtures/index/validationErrors/02/metadata.json
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{
+  "description": "Should return several validationErrors",
+  "skip": false,
+  "only": false,
+  "input": {
+  "leader": "02848ccm a22005894i 4500",
+  "fields": [ 
+    {"tag": "245", "ind1": " ", "ind2": " ", "subfields": []},
+    {"tag": "500", "ind1": " ", "ind2": " ", "subfields": []}
+  ]},
+  "validationOptions": {"noFailValidation": true, "subfields": false},
+  "operations": [
+    { "name": "getValidationErrors"}
+  ],
+  "returns": [],
+  "immutable": true
+}
diff --git a/test-fixtures/index/validationErrors/03/metadata.json b/test-fixtures/index/validationErrors/03/metadata.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2a231a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-fixtures/index/validationErrors/03/metadata.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "description": "Should return several validationErrors",
+  "skip": false,
+  "only": false,
+  "input": {
+  "leader": "02848ccm a22005894i 4500",
+  "fields": [ 
+    {"tag": "245", "ind1": " ", "ind2": " ", "subfields": []},
+    {"tag": "500", "ind1": " ", "ind2": " ", "subfields": []}
+  ]},
+  "validationOptions": {"noFailValidation": true, "subfields": true},
+  "operations": [
+    { "name": "getValidationErrors"}
+  ],
+  "returns": [
+   "instance.fields[0] is not any of [subschema 0],[subschema 1]",
+   "instance.fields[1] is not any of [subschema 0],[subschema 1]"
+  ],
+  "immutable": true
+}
diff --git a/test-fixtures/index/validationErrors/04/metadata.json b/test-fixtures/index/validationErrors/04/metadata.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..42b3fc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-fixtures/index/validationErrors/04/metadata.json
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{
+  "description": "Should return empty array if validationErrors is undefined",
+  "skip": false,
+  "only": false,
+  "input": {
+  "leader": "02848ccm a22005894i 4500",
+  "fields": [ 
+    {"tag": "245", "ind1": " ", "ind2": " ", "subfields": [{"code": "a", "value": "A"}]},
+    {"tag": "500", "ind1": " ", "ind2": " ", "subfields": [{"code": "a", "value": "A"}]}
+  ]},
+  "validationOptions": {"noFailValidation": false, "subfields": true},
+  "operations": [
+    { "name": "getValidationErrors"}
+  ],
+  "returns": [],
+  "immutable": true
+}
diff --git a/test-fixtures/index/validationOptions/01/metadata.json b/test-fixtures/index/validationOptions/01/metadata.json
index 87aa3c5..2883e2e 100644
--- a/test-fixtures/index/validationOptions/01/metadata.json
+++ b/test-fixtures/index/validationOptions/01/metadata.json
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
     "leader": false,
     "noAdditionalProperties": false,
     "noControlCharacters": false,
+    "noFailValidation": false,
     "subfields": true,
     "subfieldValues": true,
     "strict": false
diff --git a/test-fixtures/index/validationOptions/02/metadata.json b/test-fixtures/index/validationOptions/02/metadata.json
index 5c1274d..199b52e 100644
--- a/test-fixtures/index/validationOptions/02/metadata.json
+++ b/test-fixtures/index/validationOptions/02/metadata.json
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
     "leader": false,
     "noAdditionalProperties": false,
     "noControlCharacters": false,
+    "noFailValidation": false,
     "subfields": true,
     "subfieldValues": true,
     "strict": false