diff --git a/src/xrt/state_trackers/oxr/oxr_api_session.c b/src/xrt/state_trackers/oxr/oxr_api_session.c
index 43d1d9bd1..c73438984 100644
--- a/src/xrt/state_trackers/oxr/oxr_api_session.c
+++ b/src/xrt/state_trackers/oxr/oxr_api_session.c
@@ -94,7 +94,11 @@ oxr_xrBeginSession(XrSession session, const XrSessionBeginInfo *beginInfo)
 	OXR_VERIFY_SESSION_AND_INIT_LOG(&log, session, sess, "xrBeginSession");
 	OXR_VERIFY_SESSION_NOT_LOST(&log, sess);
 	OXR_VERIFY_ARG_TYPE_AND_NOT_NULL(&log, beginInfo, XR_TYPE_SESSION_BEGIN_INFO);
-	OXR_VERIFY_VIEW_CONFIG_TYPE(&log, sess->sys->inst, beginInfo->primaryViewConfigurationType);
+
+	// in a headless session there is no compositor and primaryViewConfigurationType must be ignored
+	if (sess->compositor != NULL) {
+		OXR_VERIFY_VIEW_CONFIG_TYPE(&log, sess->sys->inst, beginInfo->primaryViewConfigurationType);
+	}
 
 	if (sess->has_begun) {
 		return oxr_error(&log, XR_ERROR_SESSION_RUNNING, "Session is already running");
diff --git a/src/xrt/state_trackers/oxr/oxr_session.c b/src/xrt/state_trackers/oxr/oxr_session.c
index 4468fc847..773391d5c 100644
--- a/src/xrt/state_trackers/oxr/oxr_session.c
+++ b/src/xrt/state_trackers/oxr/oxr_session.c
@@ -210,7 +210,8 @@ oxr_session_begin(struct oxr_logger *log, struct oxr_session *sess, const XrSess
 	if (xc != NULL) {
 		XrViewConfigurationType view_type = beginInfo->primaryViewConfigurationType;
 
-		if (view_type != sess->sys->view_config_type) {
+		// in a headless session there is no compositor and primaryViewConfigurationType must be ignored
+		if (sess->compositor != NULL && view_type != sess->sys->view_config_type) {
 			/*! @todo we only support a single view config type per
 			 * system right now */
 			return oxr_error(log, XR_ERROR_VIEW_CONFIGURATION_TYPE_UNSUPPORTED,