diff --git a/weblate/trans/forms.py b/weblate/trans/forms.py
index 68b882a01a73..d3e00b2bbe40 100644
--- a/weblate/trans/forms.py
+++ b/weblate/trans/forms.py
@@ -1653,15 +1653,6 @@ def clean(self) -> None:
         if self.hide_restricted:
             data["restricted"] = self.instance.restricted
 
-        if (
-            self.instance
-            and self.instance.key_filter
-            and not self.instance.file_format_cls.monolingual
-        ):
-            raise ValidationError(
-                gettext("To use the key filter, the file format must be monolingual.")
-            )
-
 
 class ComponentCreateForm(SettingsBaseForm, ComponentDocsMixin, ComponentAntispamMixin):
     """Component creation form."""
diff --git a/weblate/trans/models/component.py b/weblate/trans/models/component.py
index 5dd1b7e50fbe..cf009444f018 100644
--- a/weblate/trans/models/component.py
+++ b/weblate/trans/models/component.py
@@ -830,7 +830,7 @@ def save(self, *args, **kwargs) -> None:
         create = True
 
         # Sets the key_filter to blank if the file format is bilingual
-        if self.key_filter and not self.file_format_cls.monolingual:
+        if self.key_filter and not self.has_template():
             self.key_filter = ""
 
         if self.id:
@@ -3106,6 +3106,11 @@ def clean(self) -> None:
                 {"suggestion_autoaccept": msg, "suggestion_voting": msg}
             )
 
+        if self.key_filter and not self.has_template():
+            raise ValidationError(
+                gettext("To use the key filter, the file format must be monolingual.")
+            )
+
     def get_template_filename(self):
         """Create absolute filename for template."""
         return os.path.join(self.full_path, self.template)
diff --git a/weblate/trans/tests/test_component.py b/weblate/trans/tests/test_component.py
index 042c88ce3cc1..076cbdd5d861 100644
--- a/weblate/trans/tests/test_component.py
+++ b/weblate/trans/tests/test_component.py
@@ -1064,7 +1064,7 @@ class ComponentKeyFilterTest(ViewTestCase):
     """Test the key filtering implementation in Component."""
 
     def create_component(self):
-        return self.create_android(key_filter=r"^tr")
+        return self.create_android(key_filter="^tr")
 
     def test_get_key_filter_re(self) -> None:
         self.assertEqual(self.component.key_filter_re.pattern, "^tr")
@@ -1076,7 +1076,7 @@ def test_get_filtered_result(self) -> None:
         self.assertEqual(units.all()[0].context, "try")
 
     def test_change_key_filter(self) -> None:
-        self.component.key_filter = r"^th"
+        self.component.key_filter = "^th"
         self.component.save()
         self.assertEqual(self.component.key_filter_re.pattern, "^th")
         translations = self.component.translation_set.all()
@@ -1096,11 +1096,16 @@ def test_change_key_filter(self) -> None:
     def test_bilingual_component(self):
         project = self.component.project
         component = self.create_po(
-            name="Bilingual Test", project=project, key_filter=r"^tr"
-        )
-        self.assertRaisesMessage(
-            ValidationError,
-            "To use the key filter, the file format must be monolingual.",
+            name="Bilingual Test", project=project, key_filter="^tr"
         )
+        # Save should remove it
         self.assertEqual(component.key_filter, "")
         self.assertEqual(component.key_filter_re.pattern, "")
+
+        # Verify validation will reject it
+        component.key_filter = "^tr"
+        with self.assertRaisesMessage(
+            ValidationError,
+            "To use the key filter, the file format must be monolingual.",
+        ):
+            component.clean()