diff --git a/pkg/webhooks/pytorch/pytorchjob_webhook.go b/pkg/webhooks/pytorch/pytorchjob_webhook.go
index 2459815935..a0e6b05409 100644
--- a/pkg/webhooks/pytorch/pytorchjob_webhook.go
+++ b/pkg/webhooks/pytorch/pytorchjob_webhook.go
@@ -93,13 +93,19 @@ func validatePyTorchJob(oldJob, newJob *trainingoperator.PyTorchJob) (admission.
 func validateSpec(spec trainingoperator.PyTorchJobSpec) (admission.Warnings, field.ErrorList) {
 	var allErrs field.ErrorList
 	var warnings admission.Warnings
-
-	if spec.ElasticPolicy != nil && spec.ElasticPolicy.NProcPerNode != nil {
-		elasticNProcPerNodePath := specPath.Child("elasticPolicy").Child("nProcPerNode")
-		nprocPerNodePath := specPath.Child("nprocPerNode")
-		warnings = append(warnings, fmt.Sprintf("%s is deprecated, use %s instead", elasticNProcPerNodePath.String(), nprocPerNodePath.String()))
-		if spec.NprocPerNode != nil {
-			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Forbidden(elasticNProcPerNodePath, fmt.Sprintf("must not be used with %s", nprocPerNodePath)))
+	if spec.ElasticPolicy != nil {
+		workerReplicaSpec, ok := spec.PyTorchReplicaSpecs[trainingoperator.PyTorchJobReplicaTypeWorker]
+		if !ok || (workerReplicaSpec.Replicas != nil && int(*workerReplicaSpec.Replicas) < 1) {
+			workerPath := specPath.Child("pytorchReplicaSpecs").Child("Worker")
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(workerPath, "at least one worker must be configured if elastic policy is used"))
+		}
+		if spec.ElasticPolicy.NProcPerNode != nil {
+			elasticNProcPerNodePath := specPath.Child("elasticPolicy").Child("nProcPerNode")
+			nprocPerNodePath := specPath.Child("nprocPerNode")
+			warnings = append(warnings, fmt.Sprintf("%s is deprecated, use %s instead", elasticNProcPerNodePath.String(), nprocPerNodePath.String()))
+			if spec.NprocPerNode != nil {
+				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Forbidden(elasticNProcPerNodePath, fmt.Sprintf("must not be used with %s", nprocPerNodePath)))
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	allErrs = append(allErrs, validatePyTorchReplicaSpecs(spec.PyTorchReplicaSpecs)...)
diff --git a/pkg/webhooks/pytorch/pytorchjob_webhook_test.go b/pkg/webhooks/pytorch/pytorchjob_webhook_test.go
index 7757e36b3e..ac457c808b 100644
--- a/pkg/webhooks/pytorch/pytorchjob_webhook_test.go
+++ b/pkg/webhooks/pytorch/pytorchjob_webhook_test.go
@@ -88,6 +88,9 @@ func TestValidateV1PyTorchJob(t *testing.T) {
 					RunPolicy: trainingoperator.RunPolicy{
 						ManagedBy: ptr.To(trainingoperator.KubeflowJobsController),
 					},
+					ElasticPolicy: &trainingoperator.ElasticPolicy{
+						RDZVBackend: ptr.To(trainingoperator.BackendC10D),
+					},
 					PyTorchReplicaSpecs: validPyTorchReplicaSpecs,
 				},
 			},
@@ -247,6 +250,19 @@ func TestValidateV1PyTorchJob(t *testing.T) {
 								},
 							},
 						},
+						trainingoperator.PyTorchJobReplicaTypeWorker: {
+							Replicas: ptr.To[int32](1),
+							Template: corev1.PodTemplateSpec{
+								Spec: corev1.PodSpec{
+									Containers: []corev1.Container{
+										{
+											Name:  "pytorch",
+											Image: "gcr.io/kubeflow-ci/pytorch-dist-mnist_test:1.0",
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -279,6 +295,19 @@ func TestValidateV1PyTorchJob(t *testing.T) {
 								},
 							},
 						},
+						trainingoperator.PyTorchJobReplicaTypeWorker: {
+							Replicas: ptr.To[int32](1),
+							Template: corev1.PodTemplateSpec{
+								Spec: corev1.PodSpec{
+									Containers: []corev1.Container{
+										{
+											Name:  "pytorch",
+											Image: "gcr.io/kubeflow-ci/pytorch-dist-mnist_test:1.0",
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -335,6 +364,62 @@ func TestValidateV1PyTorchJob(t *testing.T) {
 				field.Invalid(field.NewPath("spec", "runPolicy", "managedBy"), trainingoperator.MultiKueueController, apivalidation.FieldImmutableErrorMsg),
 			},
 		},
+		"attempt to configure elasticPolicy when no worker is configured": {
+			pytorchJob: &trainingoperator.PyTorchJob{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name: "test",
+				},
+				Spec: trainingoperator.PyTorchJobSpec{
+					ElasticPolicy: &trainingoperator.ElasticPolicy{},
+					PyTorchReplicaSpecs: map[trainingoperator.ReplicaType]*trainingoperator.ReplicaSpec{
+						trainingoperator.PyTorchJobReplicaTypeMaster: {
+							Replicas: ptr.To[int32](1),
+							Template: corev1.PodTemplateSpec{
+								Spec: corev1.PodSpec{
+									Containers: []corev1.Container{
+										{
+											Name:  "pytorch",
+											Image: "gcr.io/kubeflow-ci/pytorch-dist-mnist_test:1.0",
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			wantErr: field.ErrorList{
+				field.Required(field.NewPath("spec", "pytorchReplicaSpecs", "Worker"), "at least one worker must be configured if elastic policy is used"),
+			},
+		},
+		"attempt to configure elasticPolicy when worker replicas is 0": {
+			pytorchJob: &trainingoperator.PyTorchJob{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name: "test",
+				},
+				Spec: trainingoperator.PyTorchJobSpec{
+					ElasticPolicy: &trainingoperator.ElasticPolicy{},
+					PyTorchReplicaSpecs: map[trainingoperator.ReplicaType]*trainingoperator.ReplicaSpec{
+						trainingoperator.PyTorchJobReplicaTypeWorker: {
+							Replicas: ptr.To[int32](0),
+							Template: corev1.PodTemplateSpec{
+								Spec: corev1.PodSpec{
+									Containers: []corev1.Container{
+										{
+											Name:  "pytorch",
+											Image: "gcr.io/kubeflow-ci/pytorch-dist-mnist_test:1.0",
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			wantErr: field.ErrorList{
+				field.Required(field.NewPath("spec", "pytorchReplicaSpecs", "Worker"), "at least one worker must be configured if elastic policy is used"),
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for name, tc := range testCases {