diff --git a/include/takane/spatial_experiment.hpp b/include/takane/spatial_experiment.hpp
index 74efe7d..a45e059 100644
--- a/include/takane/spatial_experiment.hpp
+++ b/include/takane/spatial_experiment.hpp
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ inline void validate_image(const std::filesystem::path& path, size_t i, const st
 
 inline void validate_images(const std::filesystem::path& path, size_t ncols, Options& options, const ritsuko::Version& version) {
     auto image_dir = path / "images";
-    if (!std::filesystem::exists(image_dir)) {
+    if (!std::filesystem::exists(image_dir) && version.ge(1, 2, 0)) {
         // No images at all, which is permitted.
         return;
     }
diff --git a/tests/src/spatial_experiment.cpp b/tests/src/spatial_experiment.cpp
index 243143d..39e25b2 100644
--- a/tests/src/spatial_experiment.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/spatial_experiment.cpp
@@ -144,8 +144,20 @@ TEST_F(SpatialExperimentTest, NoImages) {
     options.num_samples = 3;
     options.num_images_per_sample = 0;
     spatial_experiment::mock(dir, options);
+
     std::filesystem::remove_all(dir / "images");
     EXPECT_FALSE(std::filesystem::exists(dir / "images"));
+
+    // Bumping the version to support no images/ subdirectory.
+    {
+        auto opath = dir / "OBJECT";
+        auto parsed = millijson::parse_file(opath.c_str());
+        auto& remap = reinterpret_cast<millijson::Object*>(parsed.get())->values;
+        remap["type"] = std::shared_ptr<millijson::Base>(new millijson::String("spatial_experiment"));
+        spatial_experiment::add_object_metadata(parsed.get(), "1.2");
+        json_utils::dump(parsed.get(), opath);
+    }
+
     test_validate(dir); 
 }