diff --git a/packages/router-core/src/index.ts b/packages/router-core/src/index.ts
index 6759c0e22e..6a29f05b9d 100644
--- a/packages/router-core/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/router-core/src/index.ts
@@ -116,7 +116,12 @@ export { encode, decode } from './qss'
 export { rootRouteId } from './root'
 export type { RootRouteId } from './root'
 
-export { BaseRoute, BaseRouteApi, BaseRootRoute } from './route'
+export {
+  BaseRoute,
+  BaseRouteApi,
+  BaseRootRoute,
+  routeOptionsHeadUnexpectedKeysWarning,
+} from './route'
 export type {
   AnyPathParams,
   SearchSchemaInput,
diff --git a/packages/router-core/src/route.ts b/packages/router-core/src/route.ts
index 9c1aeb05ea..4535d34f9b 100644
--- a/packages/router-core/src/route.ts
+++ b/packages/router-core/src/route.ts
@@ -1114,10 +1114,12 @@ export interface UpdatableRouteOptions<
       TBeforeLoadFn,
       TLoaderDeps
     >,
-  ) => {
-    links?: AnyRouteMatch['links']
-    scripts?: AnyRouteMatch['headScripts']
-    meta?: AnyRouteMatch['meta']
+  ) => HeadResult & {
+    // prevent likely typos or accidental overrides since not able to force the shape of the return type using TypeScript
+    script?: never
+    link?: never
+    metas?: never
+    styles?: never
   }
   scripts?: (
     ctx: AssetFnContextOptions<
@@ -1673,4 +1675,38 @@ export class BaseRootRoute<
   }
 }
 
-//
+/**
+ * Warns if the result of a route head option is not a valid RouteHeadOptionResult
+ * @param result The result of a route head option
+ * @returns void
+ */
+export function routeOptionsHeadUnexpectedKeysWarning(result: unknown): void {
+  if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
+    const keys = Object.keys(result as HeadResult)
+    const unexpectedKeys = keys.filter(
+      (key) => !headExpectedKeys.includes(key as HeadExpectedKey),
+    )
+
+    if (unexpectedKeys.length === 0) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    console.warn(
+      `Route head option result has unexpected keys: "${unexpectedKeys.join('", "')}".`,
+      'Only "links", "scripts", and "meta" are allowed',
+    )
+  }
+}
+
+type HeadExpectedKey = keyof Required<HeadResult>
+const headExpectedKeys = [
+  'links',
+  'scripts',
+  'meta',
+] satisfies Array<HeadExpectedKey>
+
+type HeadResult = {
+  links?: AnyRouteMatch['links']
+  scripts?: AnyRouteMatch['headScripts']
+  meta?: AnyRouteMatch['meta']
+}
diff --git a/packages/router-core/src/router.ts b/packages/router-core/src/router.ts
index 3899ce384c..665d625a38 100644
--- a/packages/router-core/src/router.ts
+++ b/packages/router-core/src/router.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import {
 } from './path'
 import { isNotFound } from './not-found'
 import { setupScrollRestoration } from './scroll-restoration'
+import { routeOptionsHeadUnexpectedKeysWarning } from './route'
 import { defaultParseSearch, defaultStringifySearch } from './searchParams'
 import { rootRouteId } from './root'
 import { isRedirect, isResolvedRedirect } from './redirect'
@@ -2602,6 +2603,8 @@ export class RouterCore<
                         loaderData: match.loaderData,
                       }
                       const headFnContent = route.options.head?.(assetContext)
+                      routeOptionsHeadUnexpectedKeysWarning(headFnContent)
+
                       const meta = headFnContent?.meta
                       const links = headFnContent?.links
                       const headScripts = headFnContent?.scripts
diff --git a/packages/router-core/tests/route.test.ts b/packages/router-core/tests/route.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ee4e656789
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/router-core/tests/route.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { routeOptionsHeadUnexpectedKeysWarning } from '../src/route'
+
+describe('routeOptionsHeadUnexpectedKeysWarning', () => {
+  const originalEnv = process.env.NODE_ENV
+  const originalWarn = console.warn
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    console.warn = vi.fn()
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    console.warn = originalWarn
+    process.env.NODE_ENV = originalEnv
+  })
+
+  it('should not warn when all keys are valid', () => {
+    process.env.NODE_ENV = 'development'
+    const validResult = {
+      links: [],
+      scripts: [],
+      meta: [],
+    }
+
+    routeOptionsHeadUnexpectedKeysWarning(validResult)
+    expect(console.warn).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('should warn when there are unexpected keys', () => {
+    process.env.NODE_ENV = 'development'
+    const invalidResult = {
+      links: [],
+      scripts: [],
+      meta: [],
+      unexpectedKey: 'value',
+    }
+
+    routeOptionsHeadUnexpectedKeysWarning(invalidResult)
+    expect(console.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      'Route head option result has unexpected keys: "unexpectedKey".',
+      'Only "links", "scripts", and "meta" are allowed',
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('should not warn in production environment', () => {
+    process.env.NODE_ENV = 'production'
+    const invalidResult = {
+      links: [],
+      scripts: [],
+      meta: [],
+      unexpectedKey: 'value',
+    }
+
+    routeOptionsHeadUnexpectedKeysWarning(invalidResult)
+    expect(console.warn).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('should not warn when missing expected keys', () => {
+    process.env.NODE_ENV = 'development'
+    const partialResult = {
+      links: [],
+      // missing scripts and meta
+    }
+
+    routeOptionsHeadUnexpectedKeysWarning(partialResult)
+    expect(console.warn).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('should warn when all keys are unexpected', () => {
+    process.env.NODE_ENV = 'development'
+    const allInvalidResult = {
+      invalidKey1: 'value1',
+      invalidKey2: 'value2',
+    } as any
+
+    routeOptionsHeadUnexpectedKeysWarning(allInvalidResult)
+    expect(console.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      'Route head option result has unexpected keys: "invalidKey1", "invalidKey2".',
+      'Only "links", "scripts", and "meta" are allowed',
+    )
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/start-client-core/src/ssr-client.tsx b/packages/start-client-core/src/ssr-client.tsx
index 9eddf971db..54d4cfced2 100644
--- a/packages/start-client-core/src/ssr-client.tsx
+++ b/packages/start-client-core/src/ssr-client.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import type {
   MakeRouteMatch,
   Manifest,
   RouteContextOptions,
+  routeOptionsHeadUnexpectedKeysWarning,
 } from '@tanstack/router-core'
 
 declare global {
@@ -215,6 +216,7 @@ export function hydrate(router: AnyRouter) {
       loaderData: match.loaderData,
     }
     const headFnContent = route.options.head?.(assetContext)
+    routeOptionsHeadUnexpectedKeysWarning(headFnContent)
 
     const scripts = route.options.scripts?.(assetContext)