diff --git a/pkg/utils/validator/clusterresourceplacement.go b/pkg/utils/validator/clusterresourceplacement.go
index edd46503a..27cbc78cb 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/validator/clusterresourceplacement.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/validator/clusterresourceplacement.go
@@ -243,12 +243,8 @@ func validateTolerations(tolerations []placementv1beta1.Toleration) error {
 			if toleration.Key == "" {
 				allErr = append(allErr, fmt.Errorf(invalidTolerationErrFmt, toleration, "toleration key cannot be empty, when operator is Equal"))
 			}
-			if toleration.Value == "" {
-				allErr = append(allErr, fmt.Errorf(invalidTolerationErrFmt, toleration, "toleration value cannot be empty, when operator is Equal"))
-			} else {
-				for _, msg := range validation.IsValidLabelValue(toleration.Value) {
-					allErr = append(allErr, fmt.Errorf(invalidTolerationValueErrFmt, toleration, msg))
-				}
+			for _, msg := range validation.IsValidLabelValue(toleration.Value) {
+				allErr = append(allErr, fmt.Errorf(invalidTolerationValueErrFmt, toleration, msg))
 			}
 		}
 		if tolerationMap[toleration] {
diff --git a/pkg/utils/validator/clusterresourceplacement_test.go b/pkg/utils/validator/clusterresourceplacement_test.go
index 0f7324d9e..f265a3ca9 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/validator/clusterresourceplacement_test.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/validator/clusterresourceplacement_test.go
@@ -1064,39 +1064,38 @@ func TestValidateTolerations(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			wantErr: false,
 		},
-		"invalid toleration, key is empty, operator is Equal": {
+		"valid toleration, value is empty, operator is Equal": {
 			tolerations: []placementv1beta1.Toleration{
 				{
+					Key:      "key1",
 					Operator: corev1.TolerationOpEqual,
-					Value:    "value1",
 					Effect:   corev1.TaintEffectNoSchedule,
 				},
 			},
-			wantErr:    true,
-			wantErrMsg: "toleration key cannot be empty, when operator is Equal",
+			wantErr: false,
 		},
-		"invalid toleration, key is invalid, operator is Equal": {
+		"invalid toleration, key is empty, operator is Equal": {
 			tolerations: []placementv1beta1.Toleration{
 				{
-					Key:      "key:123*",
 					Operator: corev1.TolerationOpEqual,
 					Value:    "value1",
 					Effect:   corev1.TaintEffectNoSchedule,
 				},
 			},
 			wantErr:    true,
-			wantErrMsg: "name part must consist of alphanumeric characters, '-', '_' or '.', and must start and end with an alphanumeric character",
+			wantErrMsg: "toleration key cannot be empty, when operator is Equal",
 		},
-		"invalid toleration, value is empty, operator is Equal": {
+		"invalid toleration, key is invalid, operator is Equal": {
 			tolerations: []placementv1beta1.Toleration{
 				{
-					Key:      "key1",
+					Key:      "key:123*",
 					Operator: corev1.TolerationOpEqual,
+					Value:    "value1",
 					Effect:   corev1.TaintEffectNoSchedule,
 				},
 			},
 			wantErr:    true,
-			wantErrMsg: "toleration value cannot be empty, when operator is Equal",
+			wantErrMsg: "name part must consist of alphanumeric characters, '-', '_' or '.', and must start and end with an alphanumeric character",
 		},
 		"invalid toleration, value is invalid, operator is Equal": {
 			tolerations: []placementv1beta1.Toleration{