diff --git a/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_nodes.cc b/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_nodes.cc
index 6ea47881982..7740fe891e3 100644
--- a/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_nodes.cc
+++ b/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_nodes.cc
@@ -1049,17 +1049,6 @@ static void check_property_socket_sync(const Object *ob, ModifierData *md)
       continue;
     }
   }
-
-  bool has_geometry_output = false;
-  LISTBASE_FOREACH (const bNodeSocket *, socket, &nmd->node_group->outputs) {
-    if (socket->type == SOCK_GEOMETRY) {
-      has_geometry_output = true;
-    }
-  }
-
-  if (!has_geometry_output) {
-    BKE_modifier_set_error(ob, md, "Node group must have a geometry output");
-  }
 }
 
 static void modifyGeometry(ModifierData *md,
@@ -1078,6 +1067,7 @@ static void modifyGeometry(ModifierData *md,
 
   if (tree.has_link_cycles()) {
     BKE_modifier_set_error(ctx->object, md, "Node group has cycles");
+    geometry_set.clear();
     return;
   }
 
@@ -1085,17 +1075,23 @@ static void modifyGeometry(ModifierData *md,
   Span<const NodeRef *> input_nodes = root_tree_ref.nodes_by_type("NodeGroupInput");
   Span<const NodeRef *> output_nodes = root_tree_ref.nodes_by_type("NodeGroupOutput");
   if (output_nodes.size() != 1) {
+    BKE_modifier_set_error(ctx->object, md, "Node group must have a single output node");
+    geometry_set.clear();
     return;
   }
 
   const NodeRef &output_node = *output_nodes[0];
   Span<const InputSocketRef *> group_outputs = output_node.inputs().drop_back(1);
   if (group_outputs.is_empty()) {
+    BKE_modifier_set_error(ctx->object, md, "Node group must have an output socket");
+    geometry_set.clear();
     return;
   }
 
   const InputSocketRef *first_output_socket = group_outputs[0];
   if (first_output_socket->idname() != "NodeSocketGeometry") {
+    BKE_modifier_set_error(ctx->object, md, "Node group's first output must be a geometry");
+    geometry_set.clear();
     return;
   }