diff --git a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/pipeline_validation.go b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/pipeline_validation.go
index 3a8a4a0184a..3f3ecd57e20 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/pipeline_validation.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/pipeline_validation.go
@@ -47,7 +47,12 @@ func (p *Pipeline) SupportedVerbs() []admissionregistrationv1.OperationType {
 func (p *Pipeline) Validate(ctx context.Context) *apis.FieldError {
 	errs := validate.ObjectMetadata(p.GetObjectMeta()).ViaField("metadata")
 	ctx = config.SkipValidationDueToPropagatedParametersAndWorkspaces(ctx, false)
-	return errs.Also(p.Spec.Validate(apis.WithinSpec(ctx)).ViaField("spec"))
+	errs = errs.Also(p.Spec.Validate(apis.WithinSpec(ctx)).ViaField("spec"))
+	// Validate beta fields when a Pipeline is defined, but not as part of validating a Pipeline spec.
+	// This prevents validation from failing when a Pipeline is converted to a different API version.
+	// See https://github.com/tektoncd/pipeline/issues/6616 for more information.
+	errs = errs.Also(p.Spec.validateBetaFields(ctx))
+	return errs
 }
 
 // Validate checks that taskNames in the Pipeline are valid and that the graph
@@ -66,7 +71,6 @@ func (ps *PipelineSpec) Validate(ctx context.Context) (errs *apis.FieldError) {
 	errs = errs.Also(validatePipelineContextVariables(ps.Tasks).ViaField("tasks"))
 	errs = errs.Also(validatePipelineContextVariables(ps.Finally).ViaField("finally"))
 	errs = errs.Also(validateExecutionStatusVariables(ps.Tasks, ps.Finally))
-	errs = errs.Also(ps.validateBetaFields(ctx))
 	// Validate the pipeline's workspaces.
 	errs = errs.Also(validatePipelineWorkspacesDeclarations(ps.Workspaces))
 	// Validate the pipeline's results
@@ -135,6 +139,8 @@ func (pt *PipelineTask) validateBetaFields(ctx context.Context) *apis.FieldError
 		if len(pt.TaskRef.Params) > 0 {
 			errs = errs.Also(version.ValidateEnabledAPIFields(ctx, "taskref.params", config.BetaAPIFields))
 		}
+	} else if pt.TaskSpec != nil {
+		errs = errs.Also(pt.TaskSpec.validateBetaFields(ctx))
 	}
 	return errs
 }
diff --git a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/pipeline_validation_test.go b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/pipeline_validation_test.go
index d132360e8e1..a58230f5d63 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/pipeline_validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/pipeline_validation_test.go
@@ -3560,12 +3560,13 @@ func TestPipelineWithBetaFields(t *testing.T) {
 	}}
 	for _, tt := range tts {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			if err := tt.spec.Validate(context.Background()); err == nil {
+			pipeline := Pipeline{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"}, Spec: tt.spec}
+			if err := pipeline.Validate(context.Background()); err == nil {
 				t.Errorf("no error when using beta field when `enable-api-fields` is stable")
 			}
 
 			ctx := config.EnableBetaAPIFields(context.Background())
-			if err := tt.spec.Validate(ctx); err != nil {
+			if err := pipeline.Validate(ctx); err != nil {
 				t.Errorf("unexpected error when using beta field: %s", err)
 			}
 		})
diff --git a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/task_validation.go b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/task_validation.go
index 761f9991632..d59518531c9 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/task_validation.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/task_validation.go
@@ -63,7 +63,12 @@ var objectVariableNameFormatRegex = regexp.MustCompile(objectVariableNameFormat)
 func (t *Task) Validate(ctx context.Context) *apis.FieldError {
 	errs := validate.ObjectMetadata(t.GetObjectMeta()).ViaField("metadata")
 	ctx = config.SkipValidationDueToPropagatedParametersAndWorkspaces(ctx, false)
-	return errs.Also(t.Spec.Validate(apis.WithinSpec(ctx)).ViaField("spec"))
+	errs = errs.Also(t.Spec.Validate(apis.WithinSpec(ctx)).ViaField("spec"))
+	// Validate beta fields when a Task is defined, but not as part of validating a Task spec.
+	// This prevents validation from failing when a Task is converted to a different API version.
+	// See https://github.com/tektoncd/pipeline/issues/6616 for more information.
+	errs = errs.Also(t.Spec.validateBetaFields(ctx))
+	return errs
 }
 
 // Validate implements apis.Validatable
@@ -95,7 +100,6 @@ func (ts *TaskSpec) Validate(ctx context.Context) (errs *apis.FieldError) {
 	errs = errs.Also(validateSidecarNames(ts.Sidecars))
 	errs = errs.Also(ValidateParameterTypes(ctx, ts.Params).ViaField("params"))
 	errs = errs.Also(ValidateParameterVariables(ctx, ts.Steps, ts.Params))
-	errs = errs.Also(ts.validateBetaFields(ctx))
 	errs = errs.Also(validateTaskContextVariables(ctx, ts.Steps))
 	errs = errs.Also(validateTaskResultsVariables(ctx, ts.Steps, ts.Results))
 	errs = errs.Also(validateResults(ctx, ts.Results).ViaField("results"))
diff --git a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/task_validation_test.go b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/task_validation_test.go
index 5930f601529..b85749c82ce 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/task_validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1/task_validation_test.go
@@ -1931,12 +1931,13 @@ func TestTaskSpecBetaFields(t *testing.T) {
 	}}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			if err := tt.spec.Validate(context.Background()); err == nil {
+			task := v1.Task{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"}, Spec: tt.spec}
+			if err := task.Validate(context.Background()); err == nil {
 				t.Errorf("no error when using beta field when `enable-api-fields` is stable")
 			}
 
 			ctx := config.EnableBetaAPIFields(context.Background())
-			if err := tt.spec.Validate(ctx); err != nil {
+			if err := task.Validate(ctx); err != nil {
 				t.Errorf("unexpected error when using beta field: %s", err)
 			}
 		})