diff --git a/source/val/validate_decorations.cpp b/source/val/validate_decorations.cpp
index b7e38a3f8..3cdb471c7 100644
--- a/source/val/validate_decorations.cpp
+++ b/source/val/validate_decorations.cpp
@@ -997,7 +997,9 @@ spv_result_t CheckDecorationsOfBuffers(ValidationState_t& vstate) {
 
       const bool phys_storage_buffer =
           storageClass == SpvStorageClassPhysicalStorageBufferEXT;
-      const bool workgroup = storageClass == SpvStorageClassWorkgroup;
+      const bool workgroup =
+          storageClass == SpvStorageClassWorkgroup &&
+          vstate.HasCapability(SpvCapabilityWorkgroupMemoryExplicitLayoutKHR);
       if (uniform || push_constant || storage_buffer || phys_storage_buffer ||
           workgroup) {
         const auto ptrInst = vstate.FindDef(words[1]);
diff --git a/test/val/val_memory_test.cpp b/test/val/val_memory_test.cpp
index 616a88f65..f17133cc7 100644
--- a/test/val/val_memory_test.cpp
+++ b/test/val/val_memory_test.cpp
@@ -4372,6 +4372,29 @@ OpFunctionEnd
               HasSubstr("Cannot load a runtime-sized array"));
 }
 
+TEST_F(ValidateMemory, Pre1p4WorkgroupMemoryBadLayoutOk) {
+  const std::string spirv = R"(
+OpCapability Shader
+OpMemoryModel Logical GLSL450
+OpEntryPoint GLCompute %main "main"
+OpDecorate %struct Block
+OpMemberDecorate %struct 0 Offset 0
+%void = OpTypeVoid
+%bool = OpTypeBool
+%struct = OpTypeStruct %bool
+%ptr = OpTypePointer Workgroup %struct
+%var = OpVariable %ptr Workgroup
+%void_fn = OpTypeFunction %void
+%main = OpFunction %void None %void_fn
+%entry = OpLabel
+OpReturn
+OpFunctionEnd
+)";
+
+  CompileSuccessfully(spirv);
+  EXPECT_EQ(SPV_SUCCESS, ValidateInstructions());
+}
+
 }  // namespace
 }  // namespace val
 }  // namespace spvtools