diff --git a/audio/common/all-versions/test/utility/include/utility/ValidateXml.h b/audio/common/all-versions/test/utility/include/utility/ValidateXml.h
index 95080d1c4e..91adfc12c8 100644
--- a/audio/common/all-versions/test/utility/include/utility/ValidateXml.h
+++ b/audio/common/all-versions/test/utility/include/utility/ValidateXml.h
@@ -45,29 +45,37 @@ namespace utility {
                         xmlFilePath, xsdFilePath)
 
 /** Validate an XML according to an xsd.
- * The XML file must be in at least one of the provided locations.
- * If multiple are found, all are validated.
+ * All file named xmlFileName in each xmlFileLocations folder must be valid if present.
+ * @tparam atLeastOneRequired If true, at least one file has to be found.
+ *                           If false, no found file is a success.
  */
+template <bool atLeastOneRequired = true>
 ::testing::AssertionResult validateXmlMultipleLocations(
     const char* xmlFileNameExpr, const char* xmlFileLocationsExpr, const char* xsdFilePathExpr,
     const char* xmlFileName, std::vector<const char*> xmlFileLocations, const char* xsdFilePath);
 
-/** ASSERT that an XML is valid according to an xsd.
- * The XML file must be in at least one of the provided locations.
- * If multiple are found, all are validated.
- */
-#define ASSERT_ONE_VALID_XML_MULTIPLE_LOCATIONS(xmlFileName, xmlFileLocations, xsdFilePath) \
-    ASSERT_PRED_FORMAT3(                                                                    \
-        ::android::hardware::audio::common::test::utility::validateXmlMultipleLocations,    \
+/** ASSERT that all found XML are valid according to an xsd. */
+#define ASSERT_VALID_XML_MULTIPLE_LOCATIONS(xmlFileName, xmlFileLocations, xsdFilePath)         \
+    ASSERT_PRED_FORMAT3(                                                                        \
+        ::android::hardware::audio::common::test::utility::validateXmlMultipleLocations<false>, \
         xmlFileName, xmlFileLocations, xsdFilePath)
 
-/** EXPECT an XML to be valid according to an xsd.
- * The XML file must be in at least one of the provided locations.
- * If multiple are found, all are validated.
- */
-#define EXPECT_ONE_VALID_XML_MULTIPLE_LOCATIONS(xmlFileName, xmlFileLocations, xsdFilePath) \
-    EXPECT_PRED_FORMAT3(                                                                    \
-        ::android::hardware::audio::common::test::utility::validateXmlMultipleLocations,    \
+/** EXPECT that all found XML are valid according to an xsd. */
+#define EXPECT_VALID_XML_MULTIPLE_LOCATIONS(xmlFileName, xmlFileLocations, xsdFilePath)         \
+    EXPECT_PRED_FORMAT3(                                                                        \
+        ::android::hardware::audio::common::test::utility::validateXmlMultipleLocations<false>, \
+        xmlFileName, xmlFileLocations, xsdFilePath)
+
+/** ASSERT that all found XML are valid according to an xsd. At least one must be found. */
+#define ASSERT_ONE_VALID_XML_MULTIPLE_LOCATIONS(xmlFileName, xmlFileLocations, xsdFilePath)    \
+    ASSERT_PRED_FORMAT3(                                                                       \
+        ::android::hardware::audio::common::test::utility::validateXmlMultipleLocations<true>, \
+        xmlFileName, xmlFileLocations, xsdFilePath)
+
+/** EXPECT that all found XML are valid according to an xsd. At least one must be found. */
+#define EXPECT_ONE_VALID_XML_MULTIPLE_LOCATIONS(xmlFileName, xmlFileLocations, xsdFilePath)    \
+    EXPECT_PRED_FORMAT3(                                                                       \
+        ::android::hardware::audio::common::test::utility::validateXmlMultipleLocations<true>, \
         xmlFileName, xmlFileLocations, xsdFilePath)
 
 }  // namespace utility
diff --git a/audio/common/all-versions/test/utility/src/ValidateXml.cpp b/audio/common/all-versions/test/utility/src/ValidateXml.cpp
index 5030af5067..1a906d668b 100644
--- a/audio/common/all-versions/test/utility/src/ValidateXml.cpp
+++ b/audio/common/all-versions/test/utility/src/ValidateXml.cpp
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ struct Libxml2Global {
     return ::testing::AssertionSuccess();
 }
 
+template <bool atLeastOneRequired>
 ::testing::AssertionResult validateXmlMultipleLocations(
     const char* xmlFileNameExpr, const char* xmlFileLocationsExpr, const char* xsdFilePathExpr,
     const char* xmlFileName, std::vector<const char*> xmlFileLocations, const char* xsdFilePath) {
@@ -150,7 +151,7 @@ struct Libxml2Global {
         }
     }
 
-    if (foundFiles.empty()) {
+    if (atLeastOneRequired && foundFiles.empty()) {
         errors.push_back("No xml file found in provided locations.\n");
     }
 
@@ -160,9 +161,20 @@ struct Libxml2Global {
            << "     While validating all: " << xmlFileNameExpr
            << "\n                 Which is: " << xmlFileName
            << "\n In the following folders: " << xmlFileLocationsExpr
-           << "\n                 Which is: " << ::testing::PrintToString(xmlFileLocations);
+           << "\n                 Which is: " << ::testing::PrintToString(xmlFileLocations)
+           << (atLeastOneRequired ? "Where at least one file must be found."
+                                  : "Where no file might exist.");
 }
 
+template ::testing::AssertionResult validateXmlMultipleLocations<true>(const char*, const char*,
+                                                                       const char*, const char*,
+                                                                       std::vector<const char*>,
+                                                                       const char*);
+template ::testing::AssertionResult validateXmlMultipleLocations<false>(const char*, const char*,
+                                                                        const char*, const char*,
+                                                                        std::vector<const char*>,
+                                                                        const char*);
+
 }  // namespace utility
 }  // namespace test
 }  // namespace common
diff --git a/audio/effect/2.0/vts/functional/ValidateAudioEffectsConfiguration.cpp b/audio/effect/2.0/vts/functional/ValidateAudioEffectsConfiguration.cpp
index d0bc6908d6..bf080d3edc 100644
--- a/audio/effect/2.0/vts/functional/ValidateAudioEffectsConfiguration.cpp
+++ b/audio/effect/2.0/vts/functional/ValidateAudioEffectsConfiguration.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@ TEST(CheckConfig, audioEffectsConfigurationValidation) {
     using namespace android::effectsConfig;
 
     std::vector<const char*> locations(std::begin(DEFAULT_LOCATIONS), std::end(DEFAULT_LOCATIONS));
-    EXPECT_ONE_VALID_XML_MULTIPLE_LOCATIONS(DEFAULT_NAME, locations,
-                                            "/data/local/tmp/audio_effects_conf_V2_0.xsd");
+    EXPECT_VALID_XML_MULTIPLE_LOCATIONS(DEFAULT_NAME, locations,
+                                        "/data/local/tmp/audio_effects_conf_V2_0.xsd");
 }