diff --git a/test/src/unit-request-handlers.cc b/test/src/unit-request-handlers.cc
index 5480e86b0f43..a7f890d2988e 100644
--- a/test/src/unit-request-handlers.cc
+++ b/test/src/unit-request-handlers.cc
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "test/support/src/helpers.h"
 #include "test/support/src/mem_helpers.h"
 #include "test/support/tdb_catch.h"
+#include "tiledb/api/c_api/array_schema_evolution/array_schema_evolution_api_internal.h"
 #include "tiledb/api/c_api/buffer/buffer_api_internal.h"
 #include "tiledb/api/c_api/context/context_api_internal.h"
 #include "tiledb/api/c_api/string/string_api_internal.h"
diff --git a/tiledb/api/c_api/array/array_api.cc b/tiledb/api/c_api/array/array_api.cc
index 653acf844759..8796ddb2c681 100644
--- a/tiledb/api/c_api/array/array_api.cc
+++ b/tiledb/api/c_api/array/array_api.cc
@@ -71,8 +71,6 @@ capi_return_t tiledb_array_schema_load(
     tiledb_ctx_t* ctx,
     const char* array_uri,
     tiledb_array_schema_t** array_schema) {
-  // Create array schema
-  ensure_context_is_valid(ctx);
   ensure_output_pointer_is_valid(array_schema);
 
   // Use a default constructed config to load the schema with default options.
@@ -87,8 +85,7 @@ capi_return_t tiledb_array_schema_load_with_config(
     tiledb_config_t* config,
     const char* array_uri,
     tiledb_array_schema_t** array_schema) {
-  ensure_context_is_valid(ctx);
-  ensure_config_is_valid(config);
+  ensure_config_is_valid_if_present(config);
   ensure_output_pointer_is_valid(array_schema);
 
   // Use passed config or context config to load the schema with set options.
diff --git a/tiledb/api/c_api/array/test/unit_capi_array.cc b/tiledb/api/c_api/array/test/unit_capi_array.cc
index 82e241fee398..c335ab86379b 100644
--- a/tiledb/api/c_api/array/test/unit_capi_array.cc
+++ b/tiledb/api/c_api/array/test/unit_capi_array.cc
@@ -66,6 +66,42 @@ TEST_CASE(
   CHECK(schema == nullptr);
 }
 
+TEST_CASE(
+    "C API: tiledb_array_schema_load_with_config argument validation",
+    "[capi][array]") {
+  capi_return_t rc;
+  ordinary_context ctx{};
+  tiledb_config_t* config{};
+  tiledb_array_schema_t* schema{};
+  /*
+   * No "success" section here; too much overhead to set up.
+   */
+  SECTION("null context") {
+    rc = tiledb_array_schema_load_with_config(
+        nullptr, config, TEST_URI, &schema);
+    REQUIRE(tiledb_status(rc) == TILEDB_INVALID_CONTEXT);
+  }
+  SECTION("null config") {
+    // Note: a null config is actually valid and will use the context's config.
+    // This test case merely fails without the proper overhead setup.
+    rc = tiledb_array_schema_load_with_config(
+        ctx.context, nullptr, TEST_URI, &schema);
+    REQUIRE(tiledb_status(rc) == TILEDB_ERR);
+  }
+  SECTION("null uri") {
+    rc = tiledb_array_schema_load_with_config(
+        ctx.context, config, nullptr, &schema);
+    REQUIRE(tiledb_status(rc) == TILEDB_ERR);
+  }
+  SECTION("null schema") {
+    rc = tiledb_array_schema_load_with_config(
+        ctx.context, config, TEST_URI, nullptr);
+    REQUIRE(tiledb_status(rc) == TILEDB_ERR);
+  }
+  REQUIRE_NOTHROW(tiledb_array_schema_free(&schema));
+  CHECK(schema == nullptr);
+}
+
 TEST_CASE("C API: tiledb_array_alloc argument validation", "[capi][array]") {
   capi_return_t rc;
   ordinary_context ctx{};