diff --git a/Validation/RecoTrack/plugins/MultiTrackValidator.cc b/Validation/RecoTrack/plugins/MultiTrackValidator.cc
index 9d1e404908fee..032c9db10362d 100644
--- a/Validation/RecoTrack/plugins/MultiTrackValidator.cc
+++ b/Validation/RecoTrack/plugins/MultiTrackValidator.cc
@@ -972,6 +972,8 @@ void MultiTrackValidator::dqmAnalyze(const edm::Event& event,
         int nSimLayers = nLayers_tPCeff[tpr];
         int nSimPixelLayers = nPixelLayers_tPCeff[tpr];
         int nSimStripMonoAndStereoLayers = nStripMonoAndStereoLayers_tPCeff[tpr];
+        if (nSimPixelLayers < 3)
+          continue;
         histoProducerAlgo_->fill_recoAssociated_simTrack_histos(histograms.histoProducerAlgo,
                                                                 w,
                                                                 tp,