diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.c
index b4b08f4c6c..54f4cfe04b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.c
@@ -1403,6 +1403,8 @@ mlx5_flow_validate_item_vlan(const struct rte_flow_item *item,
 int
 mlx5_flow_validate_item_ipv4(const struct rte_flow_item *item,
 			     uint64_t item_flags,
+			     uint64_t last_item,
+			     uint16_t ether_type,
 			     const struct rte_flow_item_ipv4 *acc_mask,
 			     struct rte_flow_error *error)
 {
@@ -1423,7 +1425,16 @@ mlx5_flow_validate_item_ipv4(const struct rte_flow_item *item,
 				      MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_L4;
 	int ret;
 	uint8_t next_proto = 0xFF;
+	const uint64_t l2_vlan = (MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_L2 |
+				  MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_VLAN |
+				  MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_INNER_VLAN);
 
+	if ((last_item & l2_vlan) && ether_type &&
+	    ether_type != RTE_ETHER_TYPE_IPV4)
+		return rte_flow_error_set(error, EINVAL,
+					  RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_ITEM, item,
+					  "IPv4 cannot follow L2/VLAN layer "
+					  "which ether type is not IPv4");
 	if (item_flags & MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_IPIP) {
 		if (mask && spec)
 			next_proto = mask->hdr.next_proto_id &
@@ -1494,6 +1505,8 @@ mlx5_flow_validate_item_ipv4(const struct rte_flow_item *item,
 int
 mlx5_flow_validate_item_ipv6(const struct rte_flow_item *item,
 			     uint64_t item_flags,
+			     uint64_t last_item,
+			     uint16_t ether_type,
 			     const struct rte_flow_item_ipv6 *acc_mask,
 			     struct rte_flow_error *error)
 {
@@ -1519,7 +1532,16 @@ mlx5_flow_validate_item_ipv6(const struct rte_flow_item *item,
 				      MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_L4;
 	int ret;
 	uint8_t next_proto = 0xFF;
+	const uint64_t l2_vlan = (MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_L2 |
+				  MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_VLAN |
+				  MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_INNER_VLAN);
 
+	if ((last_item & l2_vlan) && ether_type &&
+	    ether_type != RTE_ETHER_TYPE_IPV6)
+		return rte_flow_error_set(error, EINVAL,
+					  RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_ITEM, item,
+					  "IPv6 cannot follow L2/VLAN layer "
+					  "which ether type is not IPv6");
 	if (item_flags & MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_IPV6_ENCAP) {
 		if (mask && spec)
 			next_proto = mask->hdr.proto & spec->hdr.proto;
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.h b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.h
index 7559810d01..d33d856ad2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.h
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow.h
@@ -600,10 +600,14 @@ int mlx5_flow_validate_item_gre_key(const struct rte_flow_item *item,
 				    struct rte_flow_error *error);
 int mlx5_flow_validate_item_ipv4(const struct rte_flow_item *item,
 				 uint64_t item_flags,
+				 uint64_t last_item,
+				 uint16_t ether_type,
 				 const struct rte_flow_item_ipv4 *acc_mask,
 				 struct rte_flow_error *error);
 int mlx5_flow_validate_item_ipv6(const struct rte_flow_item *item,
 				 uint64_t item_flags,
+				 uint64_t last_item,
+				 uint16_t ether_type,
 				 const struct rte_flow_item_ipv6 *acc_mask,
 				 struct rte_flow_error *error);
 int mlx5_flow_validate_item_mpls(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_dv.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_dv.c
index 42c265f217..f507358e48 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_dv.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_dv.c
@@ -3396,6 +3396,7 @@ flow_dv_validate(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, const struct rte_flow_attr *attr,
 	uint64_t item_flags = 0;
 	uint64_t last_item = 0;
 	uint8_t next_protocol = 0xff;
+	uint16_t ether_type = 0;
 	int actions_n = 0;
 	const struct rte_flow_item *gre_item = NULL;
 	struct rte_flow_item_tcp nic_tcp_mask = {
@@ -3432,6 +3433,17 @@ flow_dv_validate(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, const struct rte_flow_attr *attr,
 				return ret;
 			last_item = tunnel ? MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_INNER_L2 :
 					     MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_L2;
+			if (items->mask != NULL && items->spec != NULL) {
+				ether_type =
+					((const struct rte_flow_item_eth *)
+					 items->spec)->type;
+				ether_type &=
+					((const struct rte_flow_item_eth *)
+					 items->mask)->type;
+				ether_type = rte_be_to_cpu_16(ether_type);
+			} else {
+				ether_type = 0;
+			}
 			break;
 		case RTE_FLOW_ITEM_TYPE_VLAN:
 			ret = mlx5_flow_validate_item_vlan(items, item_flags,
@@ -3440,12 +3452,25 @@ flow_dv_validate(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, const struct rte_flow_attr *attr,
 				return ret;
 			last_item = tunnel ? MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_INNER_VLAN :
 					     MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_VLAN;
+			if (items->mask != NULL && items->spec != NULL) {
+				ether_type =
+					((const struct rte_flow_item_vlan *)
+					 items->spec)->inner_type;
+				ether_type &=
+					((const struct rte_flow_item_vlan *)
+					 items->mask)->inner_type;
+				ether_type = rte_be_to_cpu_16(ether_type);
+			} else {
+				ether_type = 0;
+			}
 			break;
 		case RTE_FLOW_ITEM_TYPE_IPV4:
 			mlx5_flow_tunnel_ip_check(items, next_protocol,
 						  &item_flags, &tunnel);
 			ret = mlx5_flow_validate_item_ipv4(items, item_flags,
-							   NULL, error);
+							   last_item,
+							   ether_type, NULL,
+							   error);
 			if (ret < 0)
 				return ret;
 			last_item = tunnel ? MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_INNER_L3_IPV4 :
@@ -3468,7 +3493,9 @@ flow_dv_validate(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, const struct rte_flow_attr *attr,
 			mlx5_flow_tunnel_ip_check(items, next_protocol,
 						  &item_flags, &tunnel);
 			ret = mlx5_flow_validate_item_ipv6(items, item_flags,
-							   NULL, error);
+							   last_item,
+							   ether_type, NULL,
+							   error);
 			if (ret < 0)
 				return ret;
 			last_item = tunnel ? MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_INNER_L3_IPV6 :
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_verbs.c b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_verbs.c
index fd27f6c3de..147436d7b3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_verbs.c
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx5/mlx5_flow_verbs.c
@@ -1037,6 +1037,7 @@ flow_verbs_validate(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 	uint64_t item_flags = 0;
 	uint64_t last_item = 0;
 	uint8_t next_protocol = 0xff;
+	uint16_t ether_type = 0;
 
 	if (items == NULL)
 		return -1;
@@ -1057,6 +1058,17 @@ flow_verbs_validate(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 				return ret;
 			last_item = tunnel ? MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_INNER_L2 :
 					     MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_L2;
+			if (items->mask != NULL && items->spec != NULL) {
+				ether_type =
+					((const struct rte_flow_item_eth *)
+					 items->spec)->type;
+				ether_type &=
+					((const struct rte_flow_item_eth *)
+					 items->mask)->type;
+				ether_type = rte_be_to_cpu_16(ether_type);
+			} else {
+				ether_type = 0;
+			}
 			break;
 		case RTE_FLOW_ITEM_TYPE_VLAN:
 			ret = mlx5_flow_validate_item_vlan(items, item_flags,
@@ -1067,10 +1079,23 @@ flow_verbs_validate(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 					      MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_INNER_VLAN) :
 					     (MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_L2 |
 					      MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_VLAN);
+			if (items->mask != NULL && items->spec != NULL) {
+				ether_type =
+					((const struct rte_flow_item_vlan *)
+					 items->spec)->inner_type;
+				ether_type &=
+					((const struct rte_flow_item_vlan *)
+					 items->mask)->inner_type;
+				ether_type = rte_be_to_cpu_16(ether_type);
+			} else {
+				ether_type = 0;
+			}
 			break;
 		case RTE_FLOW_ITEM_TYPE_IPV4:
 			ret = mlx5_flow_validate_item_ipv4(items, item_flags,
-							   NULL, error);
+							   last_item,
+							   ether_type, NULL,
+							   error);
 			if (ret < 0)
 				return ret;
 			last_item = tunnel ? MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_INNER_L3_IPV4 :
@@ -1091,7 +1116,9 @@ flow_verbs_validate(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 			break;
 		case RTE_FLOW_ITEM_TYPE_IPV6:
 			ret = mlx5_flow_validate_item_ipv6(items, item_flags,
-							   NULL, error);
+							   last_item,
+							   ether_type, NULL,
+							   error);
 			if (ret < 0)
 				return ret;
 			last_item = tunnel ? MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_INNER_L3_IPV6 :