diff --git a/pype/hosts/maya/expected_files.py b/pype/hosts/maya/expected_files.py
index 174876db4e..9dd10e573e 100644
--- a/pype/hosts/maya/expected_files.py
+++ b/pype/hosts/maya/expected_files.py
@@ -635,15 +635,11 @@ class ExpectedFilesVray(AExpectedFiles):
 
         if ref_aovs:
             vr_aovs = cmds.ls(
-                type=["VRayRenderElement", "VRayRenderElementSet"])
+                type=["VRayRenderElement", "VRayRenderElementSet"]) or []
         else:
-            vr_aovs = [
-                n
-                for n in cmds.ls(
-                    type=["VRayRenderElement", "VRayRenderElementSet"]
-                )
-                if len(n.split(":")) == 1
-            ]
+            vr_aovs = cmds.ls(
+                type=["VRayRenderElement", "VRayRenderElementSet"],
+                referencedNodes=False) or []
 
         for aov in vr_aovs:
             enabled = self.maya_is_true(cmds.getAttr("{}.enabled".format(aov)))
diff --git a/pype/plugins/maya/publish/validate_vray_referenced_aovs.py b/pype/plugins/maya/publish/validate_vray_referenced_aovs.py
index 923cb06263..0c1a5f552a 100644
--- a/pype/plugins/maya/publish/validate_vray_referenced_aovs.py
+++ b/pype/plugins/maya/publish/validate_vray_referenced_aovs.py
@@ -35,12 +35,11 @@ class ValidateVrayReferencedAOVs(pyblish.api.InstancePlugin):
     @classmethod
     def get_invalid(cls, instance):
         """Find referenced AOVs in scene."""
-        # those aovs with namespace prefix are coming from references
-        ref_aovs = [
-            n for n in
-            cmds.ls(type=["VRayRenderElement", "VRayRenderElementSet"])
-            if len(n.split(":")) > 1
-        ]
+
+        if cmds.getAttr("vraySettings.relements_usereferenced") == 0:
+            ref_aovs = cmds.ls(
+                type=["VRayRenderElement", "VRayRenderElementSet"],
+                referencedNodes=True) or []
 
         if ref_aovs:
             cls.log.warning(