diff --git a/lib/modules.nix b/lib/modules.nix
index 518f4047cc60..c18fec66c705 100644
--- a/lib/modules.nix
+++ b/lib/modules.nix
@@ -299,9 +299,7 @@ rec {
             in
               throw "The option `${showOption loc}' in `${firstOption._file}' is a prefix of options in `${firstNonOption._file}'."
           else
-            if all (def: isAttrs def.value) defns' then mergeModules' loc decls defns
-            else let firstInvalid = findFirst (def: ! isAttrs def.value) null defns';
-            in throw "The option path `${showOption loc}' is an attribute set of options, but it is defined to not be an attribute set in `${firstInvalid.file}'. Did you define its value at the correct and complete path?"
+            mergeModules' loc decls defns
       ))
     // { _definedNames = map (m: { inherit (m) file; names = attrNames m.config; }) configs; };
 
diff --git a/lib/tests/modules.sh b/lib/tests/modules.sh
index 1b3d01646d84..e80a3eccecd1 100755
--- a/lib/tests/modules.sh
+++ b/lib/tests/modules.sh
@@ -199,9 +199,6 @@ checkConfigOutput "true" config.conditionalWorks ./declare-attrsOf.nix ./attrsOf
 checkConfigOutput "false" config.conditionalWorks ./declare-lazyAttrsOf.nix ./attrsOf-conditional-check.nix
 checkConfigOutput "empty" config.value.foo ./declare-lazyAttrsOf.nix ./attrsOf-conditional-check.nix
 
-# Check error for when an option set is defined to be a non-attribute set value
-checkConfigError 'The option path .* is an attribute set of options, but it is defined to not be an attribute set in' \
-  config.value ./declare-option-set.nix ./define-value-int-zero.nix
 
 # Even with multiple assignments, a type error should be thrown if any of them aren't valid
 checkConfigError 'The option value .* in .* is not of type .*' \
diff --git a/lib/tests/modules/declare-option-set.nix b/lib/tests/modules/declare-option-set.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index fddc650ffa90..000000000000
--- a/lib/tests/modules/declare-option-set.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-{
-  options.value = {};
-}