diff --git a/src/axolotl/utils/config/models/input/v0_4_1/__init__.py b/src/axolotl/utils/config/models/input/v0_4_1/__init__.py
index 56307da0b8..ad332da2da 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/utils/config/models/input/v0_4_1/__init__.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/utils/config/models/input/v0_4_1/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 """
 Module for pydantic models for configuration
 """
+
 # pylint: disable=too-many-lines
 
 import logging
@@ -655,6 +656,20 @@ def check_sample_packing_w_xformers(cls, data):
 
         return data
 
+    @model_validator(mode="before")
+    @classmethod
+    def check_sample_packing_wo_flash(cls, data):
+        if (
+            data.get("sample_packing")
+            and not data.get("flash_attention")
+            and not data.get("sdp_attention")
+        ):
+            raise ValueError(
+                "sample_packing requires flash_attention or sdp_attention to be set to true"
+            )
+
+        return data
+
     @model_validator(mode="before")
     @classmethod
     def check_sample_packing_w_rl(cls, data):
diff --git a/tests/test_validation.py b/tests/test_validation.py
index 7a8d80cb75..4865712c47 100644
--- a/tests/test_validation.py
+++ b/tests/test_validation.py
@@ -600,6 +600,7 @@ def test_packing(self, minimal_cfg):
                 {
                     "sample_packing": True,
                     "pad_to_sequence_len": None,
+                    "flash_attention": True,
                 }
             )
             | minimal_cfg
@@ -901,6 +902,7 @@ def test_eval_table_size_conflict_eval_packing(self, minimal_cfg):
                 {
                     "sample_packing": True,
                     "eval_table_size": 100,
+                    "flash_attention": True,
                 }
             )
             | minimal_cfg
@@ -916,6 +918,7 @@ def test_eval_table_size_conflict_eval_packing(self, minimal_cfg):
                 {
                     "sample_packing": True,
                     "eval_sample_packing": False,
+                    "flash_attention": True,
                 }
             )
             | minimal_cfg
@@ -928,6 +931,7 @@ def test_eval_table_size_conflict_eval_packing(self, minimal_cfg):
                 {
                     "sample_packing": False,
                     "eval_table_size": 100,
+                    "flash_attention": True,
                 }
             )
             | minimal_cfg
@@ -941,6 +945,7 @@ def test_eval_table_size_conflict_eval_packing(self, minimal_cfg):
                     "sample_packing": True,
                     "eval_table_size": 100,
                     "eval_sample_packing": False,
+                    "flash_attention": True,
                 }
             )
             | minimal_cfg