diff --git a/r/tests/testthat/test-schema.R b/r/tests/testthat/test-schema.R
index 6dd86d817..364a36eb7 100644
--- a/r/tests/testthat/test-schema.R
+++ b/r/tests/testthat/test-schema.R
@@ -280,9 +280,10 @@ test_that("schema modify can modify name", {
 
 test_that("schema modify can modify flags", {
   schema <- na_int32()
+  expect_identical(schema$flags, 2L)
 
-  schema2 <- nanoarrow_schema_modify(schema, list(flags = 1))
-  expect_identical(schema2$flags, 1L)
+  schema2 <- nanoarrow_schema_modify(schema, list(flags = 0))
+  expect_identical(schema2$flags, 0L)
   expect_identical(schema2$format, schema$format)
   expect_identical(schema2$name, schema$name)
 
diff --git a/src/nanoarrow/nanoarrow_testing_test.cc b/src/nanoarrow/nanoarrow_testing_test.cc
index f0e9ff3c5..ce1e873e3 100644
--- a/src/nanoarrow/nanoarrow_testing_test.cc
+++ b/src/nanoarrow/nanoarrow_testing_test.cc
@@ -1370,9 +1370,9 @@ TEST(NanoarrowTestingTest, NanoarrowTestingTestSchemaComparison) {
   AssertSchemasCompareEqual(actual.get(), expected.get());
 
   // With different top-level flags
-  actual->flags = ARROW_FLAG_MAP_KEYS_SORTED;
+  actual->flags = 0;
   AssertSchemasCompareUnequal(actual.get(), expected.get(), /*num_differences*/ 1,
-                              "Path: \n- .flags: 4\n+ .flags: 2\n\n");
+                              "Path: \n- .flags: 0\n+ .flags: 2\n\n");
   actual->flags = expected->flags;
 
   // With different top-level metadata
diff --git a/src/nanoarrow/nanoarrow_types.h b/src/nanoarrow/nanoarrow_types.h
index 41ddd1dce..fcad91dd7 100644
--- a/src/nanoarrow/nanoarrow_types.h
+++ b/src/nanoarrow/nanoarrow_types.h
@@ -209,6 +209,11 @@ typedef int ArrowErrorCode;
 #define ArrowErrorCode NANOARROW_CHECK_RETURN_ATTRIBUTE ArrowErrorCode
 #endif
 
+/// \brief Flags supported by ArrowSchemaViewInit()
+/// \ingroup nanoarrow-schema-view
+#define NANOARROW_FLAG_ALL_SUPPORTED \
+  (ARROW_FLAG_DICTIONARY_ORDERED | ARROW_FLAG_NULLABLE | ARROW_FLAG_MAP_KEYS_SORTED)
+
 /// \brief Error type containing a UTF-8 encoded message.
 /// \ingroup nanoarrow-errors
 struct ArrowError {
diff --git a/src/nanoarrow/schema.c b/src/nanoarrow/schema.c
index dd5edb420..215645074 100644
--- a/src/nanoarrow/schema.c
+++ b/src/nanoarrow/schema.c
@@ -1178,16 +1178,31 @@ ArrowErrorCode ArrowSchemaViewInit(struct ArrowSchemaView* schema_view,
     schema_view->type = NANOARROW_TYPE_DICTIONARY;
   }
 
-  result = ArrowSchemaViewValidate(schema_view, schema_view->storage_type, error);
-  if (result != NANOARROW_OK) {
-    return result;
-  }
+  NANOARROW_RETURN_NOT_OK(
+      ArrowSchemaViewValidate(schema_view, schema_view->storage_type, error));
 
   if (schema_view->storage_type != schema_view->type) {
-    result = ArrowSchemaViewValidate(schema_view, schema_view->type, error);
-    if (result != NANOARROW_OK) {
-      return result;
-    }
+    NANOARROW_RETURN_NOT_OK(
+        ArrowSchemaViewValidate(schema_view, schema_view->type, error));
+  }
+
+  int64_t unknown_flags = schema->flags & ~NANOARROW_FLAG_ALL_SUPPORTED;
+  if (unknown_flags != 0) {
+    ArrowErrorSet(error, "Unknown ArrowSchema flag");
+    return EINVAL;
+  }
+
+  if (schema->flags & ARROW_FLAG_DICTIONARY_ORDERED &&
+      schema_view->type != NANOARROW_TYPE_DICTIONARY) {
+    ArrowErrorSet(error,
+                  "ARROW_FLAG_DICTIONARY_ORDERED is only relevant for dictionaries");
+    return EINVAL;
+  }
+
+  if (schema->flags & ARROW_FLAG_MAP_KEYS_SORTED &&
+      schema_view->type != NANOARROW_TYPE_MAP) {
+    ArrowErrorSet(error, "ARROW_FLAG_MAP_KEYS_SORTED is only relevant for a map type");
+    return EINVAL;
   }
 
   ArrowLayoutInit(&schema_view->layout, schema_view->storage_type);
diff --git a/src/nanoarrow/schema_test.cc b/src/nanoarrow/schema_test.cc
index d8bfd3c4b..acafb3a2c 100644
--- a/src/nanoarrow/schema_test.cc
+++ b/src/nanoarrow/schema_test.cc
@@ -574,6 +574,24 @@ TEST(SchemaViewTest, SchemaViewInitErrors) {
   EXPECT_STREQ(ArrowErrorMessage(&error),
                "Error parsing schema->format 'n*': parsed 1/2 characters");
 
+  ASSERT_EQ(ArrowSchemaSetFormat(&schema, "n"), NANOARROW_OK);
+  schema.flags = 0;
+  schema.flags |= ARROW_FLAG_DICTIONARY_ORDERED;
+  EXPECT_EQ(ArrowSchemaViewInit(&schema_view, &schema, &error), EINVAL);
+  EXPECT_STREQ(ArrowErrorMessage(&error),
+               "ARROW_FLAG_DICTIONARY_ORDERED is only relevant for dictionaries");
+
+  schema.flags = 0;
+  schema.flags |= ARROW_FLAG_MAP_KEYS_SORTED;
+  EXPECT_EQ(ArrowSchemaViewInit(&schema_view, &schema, &error), EINVAL);
+  EXPECT_STREQ(ArrowErrorMessage(&error),
+               "ARROW_FLAG_MAP_KEYS_SORTED is only relevant for a map type");
+
+  schema.flags = 0;
+  schema.flags |= ~NANOARROW_FLAG_ALL_SUPPORTED;
+  EXPECT_EQ(ArrowSchemaViewInit(&schema_view, &schema, &error), EINVAL);
+  EXPECT_STREQ(ArrowErrorMessage(&error), "Unknown ArrowSchema flag");
+
   ArrowSchemaRelease(&schema);
 }