return rte_flow_error_set(error, ENOTSUP,
                                          RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_ITEM, item,
                                          "multiple L2 layers not supported");
+       if (tunnel && (item_flags & MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_INNER_L3))
+               return rte_flow_error_set(error, EINVAL,
+                                         RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_ITEM, item,
+                                         "inner L2 layer should not "
+                                         "follow inner L3 layers");
        if (!mask)
                mask = &rte_flow_item_eth_mask;
        ret = mlx5_flow_item_acceptable(item, (const uint8_t *)mask,
        const uint64_t vlanm = tunnel ? MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_INNER_VLAN :
                                        MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_VLAN;
 
+       const uint64_t l2m = tunnel ? MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_INNER_L2 :
+                                     MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_L2;
        if (item_flags & vlanm)
                return rte_flow_error_set(error, EINVAL,
                                          RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_ITEM, item,
                return rte_flow_error_set(error, EINVAL,
                                          RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_ITEM, item,
                                          "L2 layer cannot follow L3/L4 layer");
+       else if ((item_flags & l2m) == 0)
+               return rte_flow_error_set(error, EINVAL,
+                                         RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_ITEM, item,
+                                         "no L2 layer before VLAN");
        if (!mask)
                mask = &rte_flow_item_vlan_mask;
        ret = mlx5_flow_item_acceptable(item, (const uint8_t *)mask,
                return rte_flow_error_set(error, EINVAL,
                                          RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_ITEM, item,
                                          "L3 cannot follow an NVGRE layer.");
+       else if (!tunnel && !(item_flags & MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_L2))
+               return rte_flow_error_set(error, EINVAL,
+                                         RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_ITEM, item,
+                                         "no L2 layer before IPV4");
        if (!mask)
                mask = &rte_flow_item_ipv4_mask;
        else if (mask->hdr.next_proto_id != 0 &&
                return rte_flow_error_set(error, EINVAL,
                                          RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_ITEM, item,
                                          "L3 cannot follow an NVGRE layer.");
+       else if (!tunnel && !(item_flags & MLX5_FLOW_LAYER_OUTER_L2))
+               return rte_flow_error_set(error, EINVAL,
+                                         RTE_FLOW_ERROR_TYPE_ITEM, item,
+                                         "no L2 layer before IPV6");
        if (!mask)
                mask = &rte_flow_item_ipv6_mask;
        ret = mlx5_flow_item_acceptable(item, (const uint8_t *)mask,