diff --git a/pkg/controller/controller.go b/pkg/controller/controller.go
index e48d48da9..8bb087ad8 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/controller.go
@@ -791,11 +791,6 @@ func verifyAndGetSecretNameAndNamespaceTemplate(secret secretParamsMap, storageC
 // - the resolved name is not a valid secret name
 // - the resolved namespace is not a valid namespace name
 func getSecretReference(secretParams secretParamsMap, storageClassParams map[string]string, pvName string, pvc *v1.PersistentVolumeClaim) (*v1.SecretReference, error) {
-	// Ensure that no unsupported SC parameters are passed in.
-	if err := validateStorageClassParameters(storageClassParams); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
 	nameTemplate, namespaceTemplate, err := verifyAndGetSecretNameAndNamespaceTemplate(secretParams, storageClassParams)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get name and namespace template from params: %v", err)
@@ -854,6 +849,11 @@ func getSecretReference(secretParams secretParamsMap, storageClassParams map[str
 }
 
 func resolveTemplate(template string, params map[string]string) (string, error) {
+	// Ensure that no unsupported SC parameters are passed in.
+	if err := validateStorageClassParameters(params); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
 	missingParams := sets.NewString()
 	resolved := os.Expand(template, func(k string) string {
 		v, ok := params[k]