diff --git a/src/repart/repart.c b/src/repart/repart.c
index fe98893f39..f2bc5bc80e 100644
--- a/src/repart/repart.c
+++ b/src/repart/repart.c
@@ -2487,14 +2487,6 @@ static int partition_read_definition(Partition *p, const char *path, const char
                 return log_syntax(NULL, LOG_ERR, path, 1, SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
                                   "Encrypting verity hash/data partitions is not supported.");
 
-        if (p->verity == VERITY_SIG && !arg_private_key && !partition_type_defer(&p->type))
-                return log_syntax(NULL, LOG_ERR, path, 1, SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
-                                  "Verity signature partition requested but no private key provided (--private-key=).");
-
-        if (p->verity == VERITY_SIG && !arg_certificate && !partition_type_defer(&p->type))
-                return log_syntax(NULL, LOG_ERR, path, 1, SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
-                                  "Verity signature partition requested but no PEM certificate provided (--certificate=).");
-
         if (p->verity == VERITY_SIG && (p->size_min != UINT64_MAX || p->size_max != UINT64_MAX))
                 return log_syntax(NULL, LOG_ERR, path, 1, SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
                                   "SizeMinBytes=/SizeMaxBytes= cannot be used with Verity=%s.",
@@ -5062,6 +5054,14 @@ static int partition_format_verity_sig(Context *context, Partition *p) {
         if (PARTITION_EXISTS(p))
                 return 0;
 
+        if (!context->private_key)
+                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
+                                       "Verity signature partition signing requested but no private key provided (--private-key=).");
+
+        if (!context->certificate)
+                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
+                                       "Verity signature partition signing requested but no PEM certificate provided (--certificate=).");
+
         (void) partition_hint(p, context->node, &hint);
 
         assert_se(hp = p->siblings[VERITY_HASH]);