diff --git a/lib/services/workload_identity.go b/lib/services/workload_identity.go
index 3b4aa18b386a6..826ab6540b0e6 100644
--- a/lib/services/workload_identity.go
+++ b/lib/services/workload_identity.go
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func ValidateWorkloadIdentity(s *workloadidentityv1pb.WorkloadIdentity) error {
 				return trace.BadParameter("spec.rules.allow[%d].conditions[%d].attribute: must be non-empty", i, j)
 			}
 			if condition.Operator == nil {
-				return trace.BadParameter("spec.rules.allow[%d].conditions[%d]: at least one operator must be provided", i, j)
+				return trace.BadParameter("spec.rules.allow[%d].conditions[%d]: operator must be specified", i, j)
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/lib/services/workload_identity_test.go b/lib/services/workload_identity_test.go
index 429612ed48555..27d0e1ec0261b 100644
--- a/lib/services/workload_identity_test.go
+++ b/lib/services/workload_identity_test.go
@@ -92,7 +92,11 @@ func TestValidateWorkloadIdentity(t *testing.T) {
 								Conditions: []*workloadidentityv1pb.WorkloadIdentityCondition{
 									{
 										Attribute: "example",
-										Equals:    "foo",
+										Operator: &workloadidentityv1pb.WorkloadIdentityCondition_Eq{
+											Eq: &workloadidentityv1pb.WorkloadIdentityConditionEq{
+												Value: "foo",
+											},
+										},
 									},
 								},
 							},
@@ -180,7 +184,11 @@ func TestValidateWorkloadIdentity(t *testing.T) {
 								Conditions: []*workloadidentityv1pb.WorkloadIdentityCondition{
 									{
 										Attribute: "",
-										Equals:    "foo",
+										Operator: &workloadidentityv1pb.WorkloadIdentityCondition_Eq{
+											Eq: &workloadidentityv1pb.WorkloadIdentityConditionEq{
+												Value: "foo",
+											},
+										},
 									},
 								},
 							},
@@ -218,7 +226,7 @@ func TestValidateWorkloadIdentity(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
-			requireErr: errContains("spec.rules.allow[0].conditions[0]: exactly one operator must be specified, found 0"),
+			requireErr: errContains("spec.rules.allow[0].conditions[0]: operator must be specified"),
 		},
 	}