diff --git a/crates/bevy_pbr/src/light/mod.rs b/crates/bevy_pbr/src/light/mod.rs
index 00bf0fa81d3a13..2c96b407eb984f 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_pbr/src/light/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_pbr/src/light/mod.rs
@@ -1222,7 +1222,7 @@ pub(crate) fn assign_lights_to_clusters(
         let view_inv_scale = camera_transform.compute_transform().scale.recip();
         let view_inv_scale_max = view_inv_scale.abs().max_element();
         let inverse_view_transform = view_transform.inverse();
-        let is_orthographic = camera.projection_matrix().w_axis.w == 1.0;
+        let is_orthographic = camera.projection_matrix_unchecked().w_axis.w == 1.0;
 
         let far_z = match config.far_z_mode() {
             ClusterFarZMode::MaxLightRange => {
@@ -1248,7 +1248,8 @@ pub(crate) fn assign_lights_to_clusters(
                 // 3,2 = r * far and 2,2 = r where r = 1.0 / (far - near)
                 // rearranging r = 1.0 / (far - near), r * (far - near) = 1.0, r * far - 1.0 = r * near, near = (r * far - 1.0) / r
                 // = (3,2 - 1.0) / 2,2
-                (camera.projection_matrix().w_axis.z - 1.0) / camera.projection_matrix().z_axis.z
+                (camera.projection_matrix_unchecked().w_axis.z - 1.0)
+                    / camera.projection_matrix_unchecked().z_axis.z
             }
             (false, 1) => config.first_slice_depth().max(far_z),
             _ => config.first_slice_depth(),
@@ -1280,7 +1281,7 @@ pub(crate) fn assign_lights_to_clusters(
                 let (light_aabb_min, light_aabb_max) = cluster_space_light_aabb(
                     inverse_view_transform,
                     view_inv_scale,
-                    camera.projection_matrix(),
+                    camera.projection_matrix_unchecked(),
                     &light_sphere,
                 );
 
@@ -1346,7 +1347,7 @@ pub(crate) fn assign_lights_to_clusters(
             clusters.dimensions.x * clusters.dimensions.y * clusters.dimensions.z <= 4096
         );
 
-        let inverse_projection = camera.projection_matrix().inverse();
+        let inverse_projection = camera.projection_matrix_unchecked().inverse();
 
         for lights in &mut clusters.lights {
             lights.entities.clear();
@@ -1443,7 +1444,7 @@ pub(crate) fn assign_lights_to_clusters(
                     cluster_space_light_aabb(
                         inverse_view_transform,
                         view_inv_scale,
-                        camera.projection_matrix(),
+                        camera.projection_matrix_unchecked(),
                         &light_sphere,
                     );
 
@@ -1486,7 +1487,7 @@ pub(crate) fn assign_lights_to_clusters(
                     )
                 });
                 let light_center_clip =
-                    camera.projection_matrix() * view_light_sphere.center.extend(1.0);
+                    camera.projection_matrix_unchecked() * view_light_sphere.center.extend(1.0);
                 let light_center_ndc = light_center_clip.xyz() / light_center_clip.w;
                 let cluster_coordinates = ndc_position_to_cluster(
                     clusters.dimensions,
diff --git a/crates/bevy_pbr/src/prepass/mod.rs b/crates/bevy_pbr/src/prepass/mod.rs
index 7a1b831f8ec154..7c9b7e262c7b00 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_pbr/src/prepass/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_pbr/src/prepass/mod.rs
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ pub fn update_previous_view_data(
         let inverse_view = camera_transform.compute_matrix().inverse();
         commands.entity(entity).try_insert(PreviousViewData {
             inverse_view,
-            view_proj: camera.projection_matrix() * inverse_view,
+            view_proj: camera.projection_matrix_unchecked() * inverse_view,
         });
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/bevy_render/src/camera/camera.rs b/crates/bevy_render/src/camera/camera.rs
index 0904105b2ea52a..1d348b9c441736 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_render/src/camera/camera.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_render/src/camera/camera.rs
@@ -349,12 +349,12 @@ impl Camera {
 
     /// The projection matrix computed using this camera's [`CameraProjection`].
     #[inline]
-    pub fn projection_matrix(&self) -> Mat4 {
+    pub fn projection_matrix_unchecked(&self) -> Mat4 {
         self.computed.projection_matrix.unwrap_or_default()
     }
 
     #[inline]
-    fn checked_projection_matrix(&self) -> Result<Mat4, BadProjectionMatrixError> {
+    fn projection_matrix(&self) -> Result<Mat4, BadProjectionMatrixError> {
         let projection_matrix = self
             .computed
             .projection_matrix
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ impl Camera {
         let camera_transform_matrix = Self::finite_camera_transform_matrix(camera_transform)
             .map_err(ViewportToWorldError::CameraTransformNotFinite)?;
         let projection_matrix = self
-            .checked_projection_matrix()
+            .projection_matrix()
             .map_err(ViewportToWorldError::ProjectionMatrixNotFinite)?;
 
         let ndc_to_world = camera_transform_matrix * projection_matrix.inverse();
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ impl Camera {
             .map_err(WorldToNdcError::CameraTransformNotFinite)?;
 
         let projection_matrix = self
-            .checked_projection_matrix()
+            .projection_matrix()
             .map_err(WorldToNdcError::ProjectionMatrixNotFinite)?;
 
         // Build a transformation matrix to convert from world space to NDC using camera data
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ impl Camera {
             .map_err(NdcToWorldError::CameraTransformNotFinite)?;
 
         let projection_matrix = self
-            .checked_projection_matrix()
+            .projection_matrix()
             .map_err(NdcToWorldError::ProjectionMatrixNotFinite)?;
 
         // Build a transformation matrix to convert from NDC to world space using camera data
@@ -1037,7 +1037,7 @@ pub fn extract_cameras(
                         .unwrap_or_else(|| Exposure::default().exposure()),
                 },
                 ExtractedView {
-                    projection: camera.projection_matrix(),
+                    projection: camera.projection_matrix_unchecked(),
                     transform: *transform,
                     view_projection: None,
                     hdr: camera.hdr,