diff --git a/parser_option.go b/parser_option.go
index fd285ebe..10362f3f 100644
--- a/parser_option.go
+++ b/parser_option.go
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@ func WithAudience(aud string) ParserOption {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithAudienceRequired returns the ParserOption for specifying a required aud member value
+func WithAudienceRequired(aud string) ParserOption {
+	return func(p *Parser) {
+		p.ValidationHelper.audience = &aud
+		p.ValidationHelper.requireAudience = true
+	}
+}
+
 // WithoutAudienceValidation returns the ParserOption that specifies audience check should be skipped
 func WithoutAudienceValidation() ParserOption {
 	return func(p *Parser) {
diff --git a/parser_test.go b/parser_test.go
index 1d92761a..48f72f3a 100644
--- a/parser_test.go
+++ b/parser_test.go
@@ -200,6 +200,15 @@ var jwtTestData = []struct {
 		[]error{&jwt.InvalidAudienceError{}},
 		jwt.NewParser(),
 	},
+	{
+		"Audience - Required in Claims",
+		"", // autogen
+		defaultKeyFunc,
+		jwt.MapClaims{"aud": []interface{}{}},
+		false,
+		[]error{&jwt.InvalidAudienceError{}},
+		jwt.NewParser(jwt.WithAudienceRequired("foo")),
+	},
 	{
 		"Audience - Ignored",
 		"", // autogen
diff --git a/validation_helper.go b/validation_helper.go
index 2edd0a46..2edbaaab 100644
--- a/validation_helper.go
+++ b/validation_helper.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ type ValidationHelper struct {
 	leeway       time.Duration    // Leeway to provide when validating time values
 	audience     *string          // Expected audience value
 	skipAudience bool             // Ignore aud check
+	requireAudience bool          // Make sure aud value exists
 	issuer       *string          // Expected issuer value. ignored if nil
 }
 
@@ -97,7 +98,11 @@ func (h *ValidationHelper) ValidateAudience(aud ClaimStrings) error {
 
 	// If there's no audience claim, ignore
 	if aud == nil || len(aud) == 0 {
-		return nil
+		if h.requireAudience {
+			return &InvalidAudienceError{Message: "audience value is missing"}
+		} else {
+			return nil
+		}
 	}
 
 	// If there is an audience claim, but no value provided, fail
@@ -112,7 +117,11 @@ func (h *ValidationHelper) ValidateAudience(aud ClaimStrings) error {
 // It is used by ValidateAudience, but exposed as a helper for other implementations
 func (h *ValidationHelper) ValidateAudienceAgainst(aud ClaimStrings, compare string) error {
 	if aud == nil {
-		return nil
+		if h.requireAudience {
+			return &InvalidAudienceError{Message: "audience value is missing"}
+		} else {
+			return nil
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Compare provided value with aud claim.