diff --git a/spanner/value.go b/spanner/value.go
index a9f82ae81c7..70d7e7df7fd 100644
--- a/spanner/value.go
+++ b/spanner/value.go
@@ -986,7 +986,7 @@ func parseNullTime(v *proto3.Value, p *NullTime, code sppb.TypeCode, isNull bool
 
 // decodeValue decodes a protobuf Value into a pointer to a Go value, as
 // specified by sppb.Type.
-func decodeValue(v *proto3.Value, t *sppb.Type, ptr interface{}) error {
+func decodeValue(v *proto3.Value, t *sppb.Type, ptr interface{}, opts ...decodeOptions) error {
 	if v == nil {
 		return errNilSrc()
 	}
@@ -1891,7 +1891,13 @@ func decodeValue(v *proto3.Value, t *sppb.Type, ptr interface{}) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if err = decodeStructArray(t.ArrayElementType.StructType, x, p); err != nil {
+		s := decodeSetting{
+			Lenient: false,
+		}
+		for _, opt := range opts {
+			opt.Apply(&s)
+		}
+		if err = decodeStructArray(t.ArrayElementType.StructType, x, p, s.Lenient); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -3043,6 +3049,22 @@ func errDecodeStructField(ty *sppb.StructType, f string, err error) error {
 	return se
 }
 
+// decodeSetting contains all the settings for decoding from spanner struct
+type decodeSetting struct {
+	Lenient bool
+}
+
+// decodeOptions is the interface to change decode struct settings
+type decodeOptions interface {
+	Apply(s *decodeSetting)
+}
+
+type withLenient struct{ lenient bool }
+
+func (w withLenient) Apply(s *decodeSetting) {
+	s.Lenient = w.lenient
+}
+
 // decodeStruct decodes proto3.ListValue pb into struct referenced by pointer
 // ptr, according to
 // the structural information given in sppb.StructType ty.
@@ -3087,8 +3109,9 @@ func decodeStruct(ty *sppb.StructType, pb *proto3.ListValue, ptr interface{}, le
 			// We don't allow duplicated field name.
 			return errDupSpannerField(f.Name, ty)
 		}
+		opts := []decodeOptions{withLenient{lenient: lenient}}
 		// Try to decode a single field.
-		if err := decodeValue(pb.Values[i], f.Type, v.FieldByIndex(sf.Index).Addr().Interface()); err != nil {
+		if err := decodeValue(pb.Values[i], f.Type, v.FieldByIndex(sf.Index).Addr().Interface(), opts...); err != nil {
 			return errDecodeStructField(ty, f.Name, err)
 		}
 		// Mark field f.Name as processed.
@@ -3113,7 +3136,7 @@ func isPtrStructPtrSlice(t reflect.Type) bool {
 // decodeStructArray decodes proto3.ListValue pb into struct slice referenced by
 // pointer ptr, according to the
 // structural information given in a sppb.StructType.
-func decodeStructArray(ty *sppb.StructType, pb *proto3.ListValue, ptr interface{}) error {
+func decodeStructArray(ty *sppb.StructType, pb *proto3.ListValue, ptr interface{}, lenient bool) error {
 	if pb == nil {
 		return errNilListValue("STRUCT")
 	}
@@ -3139,7 +3162,7 @@ func decodeStructArray(ty *sppb.StructType, pb *proto3.ListValue, ptr interface{
 			return errDecodeArrayElement(i, pv, "STRUCT", err)
 		}
 		// Decode proto3.ListValue l into struct referenced by s.Interface().
-		if err = decodeStruct(ty, l, s.Interface(), false); err != nil {
+		if err = decodeStruct(ty, l, s.Interface(), lenient); err != nil {
 			return errDecodeArrayElement(i, pv, "STRUCT", err)
 		}
 		// Append the decoded struct back into the slice.
diff --git a/spanner/value_test.go b/spanner/value_test.go
index 9b43aa1b456..01dd88eb3c0 100644
--- a/spanner/value_test.go
+++ b/spanner/value_test.go
@@ -2273,6 +2273,70 @@ func TestDecodeStructWithPointers(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestDecodeStructArray(t *testing.T) {
+	stype := &sppb.StructType{Fields: []*sppb.StructType_Field{
+		{Name: "C", Type: &sppb.Type{Code: sppb.TypeCode_ARRAY,
+			ArrayElementType: &sppb.Type{
+				Code: sppb.TypeCode_STRUCT,
+				StructType: &sppb.StructType{Fields: []*sppb.StructType_Field{
+					{Name: "A", Type: intType()},
+					{Name: "B", Type: intType()},
+				}},
+			},
+		},
+		},
+	},
+	}
+	lv := listValueProto(listProto(listProto(intProto(1), intProto(2))))
+
+	type (
+		// inner struct
+		S2 struct {
+			A int64 `spanner:"A"`
+		}
+
+		S1 struct {
+			C []*S2 `spanner:"C"`
+		}
+	)
+
+	var (
+		test1 S1
+		test2 S1
+	)
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		desc    string
+		lenient bool
+		ptr     interface{}
+		want    interface{}
+		fail    bool
+	}{
+		{
+			// when the Spanner returns more fields in inner struct compared to Go inner struct
+			desc:    "decode to S1 with lenient enabled",
+			ptr:     &test1,
+			want:    &S1{C: []*S2{{A: 1}}},
+			lenient: true,
+		},
+		{
+			desc:    "decode to S1 with lenient disabled",
+			ptr:     &test2,
+			fail:    true,
+			lenient: false,
+		},
+	} {
+		err := decodeStruct(stype, lv, test.ptr, test.lenient)
+		if (err != nil) != test.fail {
+			t.Errorf("%s: got error %v, wanted fail: %v", test.desc, err, test.fail)
+		}
+		if err == nil {
+			if !testutil.Equal(test.ptr, test.want) {
+				t.Errorf("%s: got %+v, want %+v", test.desc, test.ptr, test.want)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestEncodeStructValueDynamicStructs(t *testing.T) {
 	dynStructType := reflect.StructOf([]reflect.StructField{
 		{Name: "A", Type: reflect.TypeOf(0), Tag: `spanner:"a"`},