diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_dv.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_dv.c
index 778a766cdf..5ba788a330 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_dv.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_dv.c
@@ -1832,7 +1832,17 @@ flow_dv_validate_action_pop_vlan(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 					  RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_ACTION, action,
 					  "no support for multiple VLAN "
 					  "actions");
-	if (!(item_flags & MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_VLAN))
+	/* Pop VLAN with preceding Decap requires inner header with VLAN. */
+	if ((action_flags & MLX5_FLOW_ACTION_DECAP) &&
+	    !(item_flags & MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_INNER_VLAN))
+		return rte_flow_error_set(error, ENOTSUP,
+					  RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_UNSPECIFIED,
+					  NULL,
+					  "cannot pop vlan after decap without "
+					  "match on inner vlan in the flow");
+	/* Pop VLAN without preceding Decap requires outer header with VLAN. */
+	if (!(action_flags & MLX5_FLOW_ACTION_DECAP) &&
+	    !(item_flags & MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_VLAN))
 		return rte_flow_error_set(error, ENOTSUP,
 					  RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_UNSPECIFIED,
 					  NULL,