diff --git a/tensorflow/python/kernel_tests/summary_ops_test.py b/tensorflow/python/kernel_tests/summary_ops_test.py
index d5cd9d7bf43..12d2a03ea77 100644
--- a/tensorflow/python/kernel_tests/summary_ops_test.py
+++ b/tensorflow/python/kernel_tests/summary_ops_test.py
@@ -179,6 +179,14 @@ class SummaryOpsCoreTest(test_util.TensorFlowTestCase):
       with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, 'No step set'):
         summary_ops.write('tag', 42)
 
+  @test_util.also_run_as_tf_function
+  def testWrite_noStep_okayIfNotRecordingSummaries(self):
+    logdir = self.get_temp_dir()
+    with summary_ops.create_file_writer(logdir).as_default():
+      with summary_ops.record_if(False):
+        # Use assertAllEqual instead of assertFalse since it works in a defun.
+        self.assertAllEqual(False, summary_ops.write('tag', 42))
+
   def testWrite_usingDefaultStep(self):
     logdir = self.get_temp_dir()
     try:
diff --git a/tensorflow/python/ops/summary_ops_v2.py b/tensorflow/python/ops/summary_ops_v2.py
index a334f95b9fe..f1630b6a248 100644
--- a/tensorflow/python/ops/summary_ops_v2.py
+++ b/tensorflow/python/ops/summary_ops_v2.py
@@ -697,9 +697,6 @@ def write(tag, tensor, step=None, metadata=None, name=None):
       return constant_op.constant(False)
     if step is None:
       step = get_step()
-      if step is None:
-        raise ValueError("No step set via 'step' argument or "
-                         "tf.summary.experimental.set_step()")
     if metadata is None:
       serialized_metadata = b""
     elif hasattr(metadata, "SerializeToString"):
@@ -709,6 +706,10 @@ def write(tag, tensor, step=None, metadata=None, name=None):
 
     def record():
       """Record the actual summary and return True."""
+      if step is None:
+        raise ValueError("No step set via 'step' argument or "
+                         "tf.summary.experimental.set_step()")
+
       # Note the identity to move the tensor to the CPU.
       with ops.device("cpu:0"):
         summary_tensor = tensor() if callable(tensor) else array_ops.identity(