diff --git a/runtime/doc/api.txt b/runtime/doc/api.txt
index 18129e8c39..98dd330b48 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/api.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/api.txt
@@ -1027,13 +1027,14 @@ nvim_get_color_map()                                    *nvim_get_color_map()*
                 Return: ~
                     Map of color names and RGB values.
 
-nvim_get_context({types})                                 *nvim_get_context()*
+nvim_get_context({opts})                                  *nvim_get_context()*
                 Gets a map of the current editor state.
 
                 Parameters: ~
-                    {types}  Context types ("regs", "jumps", "buflist",
-                             "gvars", ...) to gather, or NIL for all (see
-                             |context-types|).
+                    {opts}  Optional parameters.
+                            • types: List of |context-types| ("regs", "jumps",
+                              "bufs", "gvars", …) to gather, or empty for
+                              "all".
 
                 Return: ~
                     map of global |context|.
diff --git a/src/nvim/api/vim.c b/src/nvim/api/vim.c
index 5480bb5173..ab67bc2a3e 100644
--- a/src/nvim/api/vim.c
+++ b/src/nvim/api/vim.c
@@ -1418,32 +1418,52 @@ Dictionary nvim_get_color_map(void)
 
 /// Gets a map of the current editor state.
 ///
-/// @param  types  Context types ("regs", "jumps", "buflist", "gvars", ...)
-///                to gather, or NIL for all (see |context-types|).
+/// @param opts  Optional parameters.
+///               - types:  List of |context-types| ("regs", "jumps", "buflist",
+///                 "gvars", …) to gather, or empty for "all".
+/// @param[out]  err  Error details, if any
 ///
 /// @return map of global |context|.
-Dictionary nvim_get_context(Array types)
+Dictionary nvim_get_context(Dictionary opts, Error *err)
   FUNC_API_SINCE(6)
 {
-  int int_types = 0;
-  if (types.size == 1 && types.items[0].type == kObjectTypeNil) {
-    int_types = kCtxAll;
-  } else {
+  Array types = ARRAY_DICT_INIT;
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < opts.size; i++) {
+    String k = opts.items[i].key;
+    Object v = opts.items[i].value;
+    if (strequal("types", k.data)) {
+      if (v.type != kObjectTypeArray) {
+        api_set_error(err, kErrorTypeValidation, "invalid value for key: %s",
+                      k.data);
+        return (Dictionary)ARRAY_DICT_INIT;
+      }
+      types = v.data.array;
+    } else {
+      api_set_error(err, kErrorTypeValidation, "unexpected key: %s", k.data);
+      return (Dictionary)ARRAY_DICT_INIT;
+    }
+  }
+
+  int int_types = types.size > 0 ? 0 : kCtxAll;
+  if (types.size > 0) {
     for (size_t i = 0; i < types.size; i++) {
       if (types.items[i].type == kObjectTypeString) {
-        const char *const current = types.items[i].data.string.data;
-        if (strequal(current, "regs")) {
+        const char *const s = types.items[i].data.string.data;
+        if (strequal(s, "regs")) {
           int_types |= kCtxRegs;
-        } else if (strequal(current, "jumps")) {
+        } else if (strequal(s, "jumps")) {
           int_types |= kCtxJumps;
-        } else if (strequal(current, "buflist")) {
+        } else if (strequal(s, "buflist")) {
           int_types |= kCtxBuflist;
-        } else if (strequal(current, "gvars")) {
+        } else if (strequal(s, "gvars")) {
           int_types |= kCtxGVars;
-        } else if (strequal(current, "sfuncs")) {
+        } else if (strequal(s, "sfuncs")) {
           int_types |= kCtxSFuncs;
-        } else if (strequal(current, "funcs")) {
+        } else if (strequal(s, "funcs")) {
           int_types |= kCtxFuncs;
+        } else {
+          api_set_error(err, kErrorTypeValidation, "unexpected type: %s", s);
+          return (Dictionary)ARRAY_DICT_INIT;
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua b/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua
index c34e7a0945..77296e27f6 100644
--- a/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua
@@ -894,9 +894,17 @@ describe('API', function()
   end)
 
   describe('nvim_get_context', function()
-    it('returns context dictionary of current editor state', function()
-      local ctx_items = {'regs', 'jumps', 'buflist', 'gvars'}
-      eq({}, parse_context(nvim('get_context', ctx_items)))
+    it('validates args', function()
+      eq('unexpected key: blah',
+        pcall_err(nvim, 'get_context', {blah={}}))
+      eq('invalid value for key: types',
+        pcall_err(nvim, 'get_context', {types=42}))
+      eq('unexpected type: zub',
+        pcall_err(nvim, 'get_context', {types={'jumps', 'zub', 'zam',}}))
+    end)
+    it('returns map of current editor state', function()
+      local opts = {types={'regs', 'jumps', 'buflist', 'gvars'}}
+      eq({}, parse_context(nvim('get_context', {})))
 
       feed('i1<cr>2<cr>3<c-[>ddddddqahjklquuu')
       feed('gg')
@@ -928,19 +936,21 @@ describe('API', function()
         ['gvars'] = {{'one', 1}, {'Two', 2}, {'THREE', 3}},
       }
 
-      eq(expected_ctx, parse_context(nvim('get_context', ctx_items)))
+      eq(expected_ctx, parse_context(nvim('get_context', opts)))
+      eq(expected_ctx, parse_context(nvim('get_context', {})))
+      eq(expected_ctx, parse_context(nvim('get_context', {types={}})))
     end)
   end)
 
   describe('nvim_load_context', function()
     it('sets current editor state to given context dictionary', function()
-      local ctx_items = {'regs', 'jumps', 'buflist', 'gvars'}
-      eq({}, parse_context(nvim('get_context', ctx_items)))
+      local opts = {types={'regs', 'jumps', 'buflist', 'gvars'}}
+      eq({}, parse_context(nvim('get_context', opts)))
 
       nvim('set_var', 'one', 1)
       nvim('set_var', 'Two', 2)
       nvim('set_var', 'THREE', 3)
-      local ctx = nvim('get_context', ctx_items)
+      local ctx = nvim('get_context', opts)
       nvim('set_var', 'one', 'a')
       nvim('set_var', 'Two', 'b')
       nvim('set_var', 'THREE', 'c')