diff --git a/runtime/doc/news.txt b/runtime/doc/news.txt
index 73704a143c..a977794230 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/news.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/news.txt
@@ -293,6 +293,7 @@ TERMINAL
   means that the |TermCursorNC| highlight group is no longer supported: an
   unfocused terminal window will have no cursor at all (so there is nothing to
   highlight).
+• |jobstart()| gained the "term" flag.
 
 TREESITTER
 
diff --git a/src/nvim/eval/deprecated.c b/src/nvim/eval/deprecated.c
index 0874e4ae76..67c254dac9 100644
--- a/src/nvim/eval/deprecated.c
+++ b/src/nvim/eval/deprecated.c
@@ -42,4 +42,3 @@ void f_termopen(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv, EvalFuncData fptr)
     tv_dict_free(argvars[1].vval.v_dict);
   }
 }
-
diff --git a/src/nvim/eval/deprecated.h b/src/nvim/eval/deprecated.h
index 69882695e7..04cf60218c 100644
--- a/src/nvim/eval/deprecated.h
+++ b/src/nvim/eval/deprecated.h
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 
 #include <stdbool.h>                // for true
 
-#include "nvim/message.h"           // for semsg
 #include "nvim/eval/typval_defs.h"  // IWYU pragma: keep
+#include "nvim/message.h"           // for semsg
 #include "nvim/types_defs.h"  // IWYU pragma: keep
 
 #ifdef INCLUDE_GENERATED_DECLARATIONS
diff --git a/src/nvim/eval/funcs.c b/src/nvim/eval/funcs.c
index e3fb2e7279..b36fd15516 100644
--- a/src/nvim/eval/funcs.c
+++ b/src/nvim/eval/funcs.c
@@ -3842,7 +3842,7 @@ static const char *required_env_vars[] = {
 };
 
 dict_T *create_environment(const dictitem_T *job_env, const bool clear_env, const bool pty,
-                                  const char * const pty_term_name)
+                           const char * const pty_term_name)
 {
   dict_T *env = tv_dict_alloc();
 
@@ -3992,6 +3992,14 @@ void f_jobstart(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv, EvalFuncData fptr)
       }
     }
 
+    dictitem_T *const job_term = tv_dict_find(job_opts, S_LEN("term"));
+    if (job_term && VAR_BOOL != job_term->di_tv.v_type) {
+      // Restrict "term" field to boolean, in case we want to allow buffer numbers in the future.
+      semsg(_(e_invarg2), "'term' must Boolean");
+      shell_free_argv(argv);
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (pty && rpc) {
       semsg(_(e_invarg2), "job cannot have both 'pty' and 'rpc' options set");
       shell_free_argv(argv);
@@ -4111,8 +4119,7 @@ void f_jobstart(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv, EvalFuncData fptr)
     channel_terminal_open(curbuf, chan);
     channel_create_event(chan, NULL);
     channel_decref(chan);
-  }
-  else if (chan) {
+  } else if (chan) {
     channel_create_event(chan, NULL);
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/functional/core/job_spec.lua b/test/functional/core/job_spec.lua
index 20b7ab0f13..7820ee7e1e 100644
--- a/test/functional/core/job_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/core/job_spec.lua
@@ -65,6 +65,31 @@ describe('jobs', function()
     ]])
   end)
 
+  it('validation', function()
+    matches(
+      "E475: Invalid argument: job cannot have both 'pty' and 'rpc' options set",
+      pcall_err(command, "let j = jobstart(['cat', '-'], { 'pty': v:true, 'rpc': v:true })")
+    )
+    matches(
+      'E475: Invalid argument: expected valid directory',
+      pcall_err(command, "let j = jobstart(['cat', '-'], { 'cwd': 1 })")
+    )
+    matches(
+      'E475: Invalid argument: expected valid directory',
+      pcall_err(command, "let j = jobstart(['cat', '-'], { 'cwd': 'bogusssssss/bogus' })")
+    )
+    matches(
+      "E475: Invalid argument: 'term' must Boolean",
+      pcall_err(command, "let j = jobstart(['cat', '-'], { 'term': 'bogus' })")
+    )
+    matches(
+      "E475: Invalid argument: 'term' must Boolean",
+      pcall_err(command, "let j = jobstart(['cat', '-'], { 'term': 1 })")
+    )
+    command("let j = jobstart(['cat', '-'], { 'term': v:true })")
+    command("let j = jobstart(['cat', '-'], { 'term': v:false })")
+  end)
+
   it('must specify env option as a dict', function()
     command('let g:job_opts.env = v:true')
     local _, err = pcall(function()
@@ -969,13 +994,6 @@ describe('jobs', function()
     eq({ 'notification', 'exit', { 0, 143 } }, next_msg())
   end)
 
-  it('cannot have both rpc and pty options', function()
-    command('let g:job_opts.pty = v:true')
-    command('let g:job_opts.rpc = v:true')
-    local _, err = pcall(command, "let j = jobstart(['cat', '-'], g:job_opts)")
-    matches("E475: Invalid argument: job cannot have both 'pty' and 'rpc' options set", err)
-  end)
-
   it('does not crash when repeatedly failing to start shell', function()
     source([[
       set shell=nosuchshell