diff --git a/layers/core_checks/cc_ray_tracing.cpp b/layers/core_checks/cc_ray_tracing.cpp
index c3a401f7beb..2be73d94bb6 100644
--- a/layers/core_checks/cc_ray_tracing.cpp
+++ b/layers/core_checks/cc_ray_tracing.cpp
@@ -2730,7 +2730,9 @@ bool CoreChecks::ValidateClusterAccelerationStructureCommandsInfoNV(
         case VK_CLUSTER_ACCELERATION_STRUCTURE_OP_TYPE_MAX_ENUM_NV:
             break;
     }
-    if (command_infos.srcInfosArray.stride < stride_min) {
+
+    // "If the stride is 0, the structures are assumed to be packed tightly"
+    if (command_infos.srcInfosArray.stride < stride_min && command_infos.srcInfosArray.stride != 0) {
         skip |= LogError("VUID-VkClusterAccelerationStructureCommandsInfoNV-srcInfosArray-10476", objlist,
                          command_infos_loc.dot(Field::srcInfosArray).dot(Field::stride),
                          "(%" PRIu64 ") must be greater than size of %s (%" PRIu32 ")", command_infos.srcInfosArray.stride,
diff --git a/layers/state_tracker/state_tracker.cpp b/layers/state_tracker/state_tracker.cpp
index df9fc45d87f..1135ce8944d 100644
--- a/layers/state_tracker/state_tracker.cpp
+++ b/layers/state_tracker/state_tracker.cpp
@@ -2455,7 +2455,7 @@ void DeviceState::PostCallRecordCmdBindPipeline(VkCommandBuffer commandBuffer, V
     auto cb_state = GetWrite<CommandBuffer>(commandBuffer);
     cb_state->RecordCommand(record_obj.location);
     auto pipeline_state = Get<Pipeline>(pipeline);
-    ASSERT_AND_RETURN(pipeline);
+    ASSERT_AND_RETURN(pipeline_state);
     cb_state->RecordBindPipeline(pipelineBindPoint, *pipeline_state);
 
     if (!disabled[command_buffer_state]) {