diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index c911e61..e1c2ccd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -50,14 +50,20 @@ jobs:
             envs/env1.yaml
             envs/env2.yaml
         expected-failure: ["false"]
+        policy-file: ["policy.yaml"]
         include:
           - env-paths: |
               envs/failing-env1.yaml
+            policy-file: "policy.yaml"
             expected-failure: "true"
           - env-paths: |
               envs/env1.yaml
               envs/failing-env1.yaml
+            policy-file: "policy.yaml"
             expected-failure: "true"
+          - env-paths: "envs/env3.yaml"
+            policy-file: policy_no_extra_options.yaml
+            expected-failure: "false"
 
     steps:
       - name: clone the repository
@@ -67,7 +73,7 @@ jobs:
         id: action-run
         continue-on-error: true
         with:
-          policy: policy.yaml
+          policy: ${{ matrix.policy-file }}
           environment-paths: ${{ matrix.env-paths }}
           today: 2024-12-20
       - name: detect outcome
diff --git a/envs/env3.yaml b/envs/env3.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd9ceac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/envs/env3.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+channels:
+  - conda-forge
+dependencies:
+  - python=3.10
+  - numpy=1.24
diff --git a/minimum_versions.py b/minimum_versions.py
index f2bdaa2..1133347 100644
--- a/minimum_versions.py
+++ b/minimum_versions.py
@@ -52,9 +52,6 @@
             "required": [
                 "packages",
                 "default",
-                "overrides",
-                "exclude",
-                "ignored_violations",
             ],
         },
     },
@@ -167,11 +164,11 @@ def parse_policy(file):
     return Policy(
         channels=policy["channels"],
         platforms=policy["platforms"],
-        exclude=package_policy["exclude"],
+        exclude=package_policy.get("exclude", {}),
         package_months=package_policy["packages"],
         default_months=package_policy["default"],
-        ignored_violations=package_policy["ignored_violations"],
-        overrides=package_policy["overrides"],
+        ignored_violations=package_policy.get("ignored_violations", {}),
+        overrides=package_policy.get("overrides", {}),
     )
 
 
diff --git a/policy_no_extra_options.yaml b/policy_no_extra_options.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c398aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/policy_no_extra_options.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+channels:
+  - conda-forge
+platforms:
+  - noarch
+  - linux-64
+policy:
+  # all packages in months
+  packages:
+    python: 30
+    numpy: 18
+  default: 12