diff --git a/layers/core_checks/cc_pipeline_graphics.cpp b/layers/core_checks/cc_pipeline_graphics.cpp
index 025949449b7..bd9b0f3c3b5 100644
--- a/layers/core_checks/cc_pipeline_graphics.cpp
+++ b/layers/core_checks/cc_pipeline_graphics.cpp
@@ -1651,26 +1651,30 @@ bool CoreChecks::ValidateGraphicsPipelineColorBlendAttachmentState(const vvl::Pi
             }
 
             if (advance_blend) {
-                const uint32_t color_attachment_count = pipeline.rendering_create_info
-                                                            ? pipeline.rendering_create_info->colorAttachmentCount
-                                                            : subpass_desc->colorAttachmentCount;
                 if (attachment_state.colorBlendOp != attachment_state.alphaBlendOp) {
                     skip |=
                         LogError("VUID-VkPipelineColorBlendAttachmentState-colorBlendOp-01406", device, attachment_loc,
                                  "has different colorBlendOp (%s) and alphaBlendOp (%s) but one of "
                                  "them is an advance blend operation.",
                                  string_VkBlendOp(attachment_state.colorBlendOp), string_VkBlendOp(attachment_state.alphaBlendOp));
-                } else if (color_attachment_count >
-                           phys_dev_ext_props.blend_operation_advanced_props.advancedBlendMaxColorAttachments) {
-                    // color_attachment_count is found one of multiple spots above
-                    //
-                    // error can guarantee it is the same VkBlendOp
-                    skip |= LogError("VUID-VkPipelineColorBlendAttachmentState-colorBlendOp-01410", device, attachment_loc,
-                                     "has an advance blend operation (%s) but the colorAttachmentCount (%" PRIu32
-                                     ") is larger than advancedBlendMaxColorAttachments (%" PRIu32 ").",
-                                     string_VkBlendOp(attachment_state.colorBlendOp), color_attachment_count,
-                                     phys_dev_ext_props.blend_operation_advanced_props.advancedBlendMaxColorAttachments);
-                    break;  // if this fails once, will fail every iteration
+                } else {
+                    const uint32_t color_attachment_count = pipeline.rendering_create_info
+                                                                ? pipeline.rendering_create_info->colorAttachmentCount
+                                                            : subpass_desc ? subpass_desc->colorAttachmentCount
+                                                                           : 0;
+                    if (color_attachment_count != 0 &&
+                        color_attachment_count >
+                            phys_dev_ext_props.blend_operation_advanced_props.advancedBlendMaxColorAttachments) {
+                        // color_attachment_count is found one of multiple spots above
+                        //
+                        // error can guarantee it is the same VkBlendOp
+                        skip |= LogError("VUID-VkPipelineColorBlendAttachmentState-colorBlendOp-01410", device, attachment_loc,
+                                         "has an advance blend operation (%s) but the colorAttachmentCount (%" PRIu32
+                                         ") is larger than advancedBlendMaxColorAttachments (%" PRIu32 ").",
+                                         string_VkBlendOp(attachment_state.colorBlendOp), color_attachment_count,
+                                         phys_dev_ext_props.blend_operation_advanced_props.advancedBlendMaxColorAttachments);
+                        break;  // if this fails once, will fail every iteration
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -1727,8 +1731,7 @@ bool CoreChecks::ValidateGraphicsPipelineColorBlendState(const vvl::Pipeline &pi
                          color_loc.dot(Field::logicOpEnable), "is VK_TRUE, but the logicOp feature was not enabled.");
     }
 
-    auto color_write = vku::FindStructInPNextChain<VkPipelineColorWriteCreateInfoEXT>(color_blend_state->pNext);
-    if (color_write) {
+    if (auto color_write = vku::FindStructInPNextChain<VkPipelineColorWriteCreateInfoEXT>(color_blend_state->pNext)) {
         if (color_write->attachmentCount > phys_dev_props.limits.maxColorAttachments) {
             skip |= LogError("VUID-VkPipelineColorWriteCreateInfoEXT-attachmentCount-06655", device,
                              color_loc.pNext(Struct::VkPipelineColorWriteCreateInfoEXT, Field::attachmentCount),
@@ -1745,8 +1748,9 @@ bool CoreChecks::ValidateGraphicsPipelineColorBlendState(const vvl::Pipeline &pi
             }
         }
     }
-    const auto *color_blend_advanced = vku::FindStructInPNextChain<VkPipelineColorBlendAdvancedStateCreateInfoEXT>(color_blend_state->pNext);
-    if (color_blend_advanced) {
+
+    if (const auto *color_blend_advanced =
+            vku::FindStructInPNextChain<VkPipelineColorBlendAdvancedStateCreateInfoEXT>(color_blend_state->pNext)) {
         if (!phys_dev_ext_props.blend_operation_advanced_props.advancedBlendCorrelatedOverlap &&
             color_blend_advanced->blendOverlap != VK_BLEND_OVERLAP_UNCORRELATED_EXT) {
             skip |= LogError("VUID-VkPipelineColorBlendAdvancedStateCreateInfoEXT-blendOverlap-01426", device,
@@ -1772,8 +1776,9 @@ bool CoreChecks::ValidateGraphicsPipelineColorBlendState(const vvl::Pipeline &pi
 
 bool CoreChecks::ValidateGraphicsPipelineRasterizationState(const vvl::Pipeline &pipeline, const Location &create_info_loc) const {
     bool skip = false;
-    const Location raster_loc = create_info_loc.dot(Field::pRasterizationState);
     const auto raster_state = pipeline.RasterizationState();
+    if (!raster_state) return skip;
+    const Location raster_loc = create_info_loc.dot(Field::pRasterizationState);
 
     if ((raster_state->depthClampEnable == VK_TRUE) && (!enabled_features.depthClamp)) {
         skip |= LogError("VUID-VkPipelineRasterizationStateCreateInfo-depthClampEnable-00782", device,
diff --git a/tests/unit/graphics_library.cpp b/tests/unit/graphics_library.cpp
index d31893d4b29..e3e0eb9f332 100644
--- a/tests/unit/graphics_library.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/graphics_library.cpp
@@ -940,7 +940,6 @@ TEST_F(NegativeGraphicsLibrary, BadRenderPassFragmentShader) {
     pipe.InitFragmentLibInfo(&fs_stage.stage_ci);
     VkRenderPass bad_rp = CastToHandle<VkRenderPass, uintptr_t>(0xbaadbeef);
     pipe.gp_ci_.renderPass = bad_rp;
-    m_errorMonitor->SetDesiredError("VUID-VkGraphicsPipelineCreateInfo-renderPass-09035");
     m_errorMonitor->SetDesiredError("VUID-VkGraphicsPipelineCreateInfo-flags-06643");
     pipe.CreateGraphicsPipeline();
     m_errorMonitor->VerifyFound();
@@ -3206,6 +3205,7 @@ TEST_F(NegativeGraphicsLibrary, MissingFragmentOutput) {
 
     VkGraphicsPipelineCreateInfo exe_pipe_ci = vku::InitStructHelper(&link_info);
     exe_pipe_ci.layout = pre_raster_lib.gp_ci_.layout;
+    exe_pipe_ci.renderPass = renderPass();
     m_errorMonitor->SetDesiredError("VUID-VkGraphicsPipelineCreateInfo-flags-08909");
     vkt::Pipeline exe_pipe(*m_device, exe_pipe_ci);
     m_errorMonitor->VerifyFound();