diff --git a/wire-runtime/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/squareup/wire/Message.kt b/wire-runtime/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/squareup/wire/Message.kt
index 54687fe1cb..0aca054954 100644
--- a/wire-runtime/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/squareup/wire/Message.kt
+++ b/wire-runtime/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/squareup/wire/Message.kt
@@ -60,8 +60,18 @@ protected actual constructor(
    */
   actual abstract fun newBuilder(): B
 
-  /** Returns this message with any unknown fields removed. */
-  fun withoutUnknownFields(): M = newBuilder().clearUnknownFields().build()
+  /**
+   * Returns this message with any unknown fields removed.
+   *
+   * Implemented as an adapter round-trip of the known-field prefix rather than via [newBuilder],
+   * which throws when Kotlin generation hides builders (`javaInterop = false`).
+   */
+  fun withoutUnknownFields(): M {
+    @Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
+    val message = this as M
+    val encoded = adapter.encodeByteString(message)
+    return adapter.decode(encoded.substring(0, encoded.size - unknownFields.size))
+  }
 
   @Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
   override fun toString(): String = adapter.toString(this as M)
diff --git a/wire-tests/multiplatform/src/jvmTest/kotlin/com/squareup/wire/WithoutUnknownFieldsTest.kt b/wire-tests/multiplatform/src/jvmTest/kotlin/com/squareup/wire/WithoutUnknownFieldsTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..817b3b20f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wire-tests/multiplatform/src/jvmTest/kotlin/com/squareup/wire/WithoutUnknownFieldsTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2026 Square, Inc.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package com.squareup.wire
+
+import assertk.assertThat
+import assertk.assertions.isEqualTo
+import assertk.assertions.isNotEqualTo
+import com.squareup.wire.protos.kotlin.edgecases.OneField
+import com.squareup.wire.protos.kotlin.unknownfields.NestedVersionOne
+import com.squareup.wire.protos.kotlin.unknownfields.NestedVersionTwo
+import com.squareup.wire.protos.kotlin.unknownfields.VersionOne
+import com.squareup.wire.protos.kotlin.unknownfields.VersionTwo
+import kotlin.test.Test
+import okio.ByteString
+import okio.ByteString.Companion.decodeHex
+
+/**
+ * JVM-only: [Message.withoutUnknownFields] is a JVM runtime API. These messages are generated with
+ * the default Kotlin target (`javaInterop = false`), so [Message.newBuilder] throws.
+ */
+class WithoutUnknownFieldsTest {
+  private val v1Adapter = VersionOne.ADAPTER
+  private val v2Adapter = VersionTwo.ADAPTER
+
+  @Test
+  @Suppress("ktlint:standard:property-naming")
+  fun withoutUnknownFieldsStripsUnknownFieldsWhenBuildersAreDeprecated() {
+    val v1_obj = NestedVersionOne(i = 111)
+    val v2_obj = NestedVersionTwo(
+      i = 111,
+      v2_i = 12345,
+      v2_s = "222",
+      v2_f32 = 67890,
+      v2_f64 = 98765L,
+      v2_rs = listOf("1", "2"),
+    )
+
+    val v2 = VersionTwo(
+      i = 111,
+      v2_i = 12345,
+      v2_s = "222",
+      v2_f32 = 67890,
+      v2_f64 = 98765L,
+      v2_rs = listOf("1", "2"),
+      obj = v2_obj,
+    )
+    val v1 = v1Adapter.decode(v2Adapter.encode(v2))
+
+    assertThat(v1.obj!!.withoutUnknownFields()).isEqualTo(v1_obj)
+
+    val v1Simple = VersionOne(i = 111, obj = v1_obj)
+    assertThat(v1).isNotEqualTo(v1Simple)
+    assertThat(v1.hashCode()).isNotEqualTo(v1Simple.hashCode())
+
+    val v1Known = v1.withoutUnknownFields().copy(obj = v1.obj.withoutUnknownFields())
+    assertThat(v1Known.unknownFields).isEqualTo(ByteString.EMPTY)
+    assertThat(v1Known).isEqualTo(v1Simple)
+    assertThat(v1Known.hashCode()).isEqualTo(v1Simple.hashCode())
+    assertArrayEquals(v1Adapter.encode(v1Simple), v1Adapter.encode(v1Known))
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  fun withoutUnknownFieldsDoesNotRecurseIntoNestedMessages() {
+    val v2 = VersionTwo(
+      i = 111,
+      obj = NestedVersionTwo(i = 111, v2_i = 12345),
+    )
+    val v1 = v1Adapter.decode(v2Adapter.encode(v2))
+
+    val stripped = v1.withoutUnknownFields()
+    assertThat(stripped.unknownFields).isEqualTo(ByteString.EMPTY)
+    assertThat(stripped.obj!!.unknownFields).isNotEqualTo(ByteString.EMPTY)
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  fun unknownTagIgnored() {
+    // tag 1 / type 0: 456
+    // tag 2 / type 0: 789
+    val data = "08c803109506".decodeHex()
+    val oneField = OneField.ADAPTER.decode(data)
+    val expected = OneField(opt_int32 = 456)
+    assertThat(oneField).isNotEqualTo(expected)
+    assertThat(oneField.withoutUnknownFields()).isEqualTo(expected)
+    assertThat(oneField.withoutUnknownFields().unknownFields).isEqualTo(ByteString.EMPTY)
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  fun withoutUnknownFieldsOnMessageWithNoneEqualsOriginal() {
+    val known = VersionOne(i = 111, obj = NestedVersionOne(i = 111))
+    assertThat(known.unknownFields).isEqualTo(ByteString.EMPTY)
+    assertThat(known.withoutUnknownFields()).isEqualTo(known)
+    assertThat(known.withoutUnknownFields().unknownFields).isEqualTo(ByteString.EMPTY)
+  }
+}