diff --git a/prow/config/config.go b/prow/config/config.go
index 3ea727f94620..023474330562 100644
--- a/prow/config/config.go
+++ b/prow/config/config.go
@@ -1081,7 +1081,7 @@ func validateJobBase(v JobBase, jobType prowapi.ProwJobType, podNamespace string
 	if err := validateAgent(v, podNamespace); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := validatePodSpec(jobType, v.Spec); err != nil {
+	if err := validatePodSpec(jobType, v.Decorate, v.Spec); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	if err := ValidatePipelineRunSpec(jobType, v.ExtraRefs, v.PipelineRunSpec); err != nil {
@@ -1644,28 +1644,36 @@ func ValidatePipelineRunSpec(jobType prowapi.ProwJobType, extraRefs []prowapi.Re
 	return nil
 }
 
-func validatePodSpec(jobType prowapi.ProwJobType, spec *v1.PodSpec) error {
+func validatePodSpec(jobType prowapi.ProwJobType, decorated bool, spec *v1.PodSpec) error {
 	if spec == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	if len(spec.InitContainers) != 0 {
-		return errors.New("pod spec may not use init containers")
+	if len(spec.InitContainers) != 0 && decorated {
+		return errors.New("pod spec may not use init containers when decorate is true")
 	}
 
-	if n := len(spec.Containers); n != 1 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("pod spec must specify exactly 1 container, found: %d", n)
+	if n := len(spec.Containers); n != 1 && decorated {
+		return fmt.Errorf("pod spec must specify exactly 1 container when decorate is true, found: %d", n)
+	} else if n == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("pod spec must specify at leaset 1 container, found: %d", n)
 	}
 
-	for _, env := range spec.Containers[0].Env {
-		for _, prowEnv := range downwardapi.EnvForType(jobType) {
-			if env.Name == prowEnv {
-				// TODO(fejta): consider allowing this
-				return fmt.Errorf("env %s is reserved", env.Name)
+	for _, container := range spec.Containers {
+		for _, env := range container.Env {
+			for _, prowEnv := range downwardapi.EnvForType(jobType) {
+				if env.Name == prowEnv {
+					// TODO(fejta): consider allowing this
+					return fmt.Errorf("env %s is reserved", env.Name)
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
+	if !decorated {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	for _, mount := range spec.Containers[0].VolumeMounts {
 		for _, prowMount := range decorate.VolumeMounts() {
 			if mount.Name == prowMount {
diff --git a/prow/config/config_test.go b/prow/config/config_test.go
index a4e3b2483f15..7d2a22bcc259 100644
--- a/prow/config/config_test.go
+++ b/prow/config/config_test.go
@@ -542,11 +542,12 @@ func TestValidatePodSpec(t *testing.T) {
 	postEnv := sets.NewString(downwardapi.EnvForType(prowapi.PostsubmitJob)...)
 	preEnv := sets.NewString(downwardapi.EnvForType(prowapi.PresubmitJob)...)
 	cases := []struct {
-		name    string
-		jobType prowapi.ProwJobType
-		spec    func(s *v1.PodSpec)
-		noSpec  bool
-		pass    bool
+		name     string
+		decorate bool
+		jobType  prowapi.ProwJobType
+		spec     func(s *v1.PodSpec)
+		noSpec   bool
+		pass     bool
 	}{
 		{
 			name:   "allow nil spec",
@@ -558,13 +559,24 @@ func TestValidatePodSpec(t *testing.T) {
 			pass: true,
 		},
 		{
-			name: "reject init containers",
+			name:     "reject init containers",
+			decorate: true,
 			spec: func(s *v1.PodSpec) {
 				s.InitContainers = []v1.Container{
 					{},
 				}
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name:     "allow init containers if not decorated",
+			decorate: false,
+			spec: func(s *v1.PodSpec) {
+				s.InitContainers = []v1.Container{
+					{},
+				}
+			},
+			pass: true,
+		},
 		{
 			name: "reject 0 containers",
 			spec: func(s *v1.PodSpec) {
@@ -572,11 +584,20 @@ func TestValidatePodSpec(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			name: "reject 2 containers",
+			name:     "reject 2 containers",
+			decorate: true,
 			spec: func(s *v1.PodSpec) {
 				s.Containers = append(s.Containers, v1.Container{})
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name:     "allow 2 containers if not decorated",
+			decorate: false,
+			spec: func(s *v1.PodSpec) {
+				s.Containers = append(s.Containers, v1.Container{})
+			},
+			pass: true,
+		},
 		{
 			name:    "reject reserved presubmit env",
 			jobType: prowapi.PresubmitJob,
@@ -620,7 +641,8 @@ func TestValidatePodSpec(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			name: "reject reserved mount name",
+			name:     "reject reserved mount name",
+			decorate: true,
 			spec: func(s *v1.PodSpec) {
 				s.Containers[0].VolumeMounts = append(s.Containers[0].VolumeMounts, v1.VolumeMount{
 					Name:      decorate.VolumeMounts()[0],
@@ -629,7 +651,8 @@ func TestValidatePodSpec(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			name: "reject reserved mount path",
+			name:     "reject reserved mount path",
+			decorate: true,
 			spec: func(s *v1.PodSpec) {
 				s.Containers[0].VolumeMounts = append(s.Containers[0].VolumeMounts, v1.VolumeMount{
 					Name:      "fun",
@@ -638,7 +661,8 @@ func TestValidatePodSpec(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			name: "reject conflicting mount paths (decorate in user)",
+			name:     "reject conflicting mount paths (decorate in user)",
+			decorate: true,
 			spec: func(s *v1.PodSpec) {
 				s.Containers[0].VolumeMounts = append(s.Containers[0].VolumeMounts, v1.VolumeMount{
 					Name:      "foo",
@@ -647,7 +671,8 @@ func TestValidatePodSpec(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			name: "reject conflicting mount paths (user in decorate)",
+			name:     "reject conflicting mount paths (user in decorate)",
+			decorate: true,
 			spec: func(s *v1.PodSpec) {
 				s.Containers[0].VolumeMounts = append(s.Containers[0].VolumeMounts, v1.VolumeMount{
 					Name:      "foo",
@@ -656,7 +681,8 @@ func TestValidatePodSpec(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			name: "reject reserved volume",
+			name:     "reject reserved volume",
+			decorate: true,
 			spec: func(s *v1.PodSpec) {
 				s.Volumes = append(s.Volumes, v1.Volume{Name: decorate.VolumeMounts()[0]})
 			},
@@ -681,7 +707,7 @@ func TestValidatePodSpec(t *testing.T) {
 			} else if tc.spec != nil {
 				tc.spec(current)
 			}
-			switch err := validatePodSpec(jt, current); {
+			switch err := validatePodSpec(jt, tc.decorate, current); {
 			case err == nil && !tc.pass:
 				t.Error("validation failed to raise an error")
 			case err != nil && tc.pass: