diff --git a/+bids/layout.m b/+bids/layout.m
index 04a7d34e..f657fa6a 100644
--- a/+bids/layout.m
+++ b/+bids/layout.m
@@ -567,7 +567,8 @@
 
   % sub and ses part
   pattern = [prefix subject.name '_'];
-  if ~isempty(subject.session)
+  if isempty(schema.content)
+  elseif ~isempty(subject.session)
     pattern = [pattern subject.session '_'];
   end
 
diff --git a/tests/tests_layout/test_layout.m b/tests/tests_layout/test_layout.m
index ec9070f1..ad7fda7a 100644
--- a/tests/tests_layout/test_layout.m
+++ b/tests/tests_layout/test_layout.m
@@ -48,15 +48,6 @@ function test_layout_filter_regex()
 
 end
 
-function test_layout_empty_subject_folder_allowed_when_schemaless()
-
-  verbose = false;
-
-  bids.util.mkdir(fullfile(pwd, 'tmp/sub-01'));
-  bids.layout(fullfile(pwd, 'tmp'), 'use_schema', false, 'verbose', verbose);
-  rmdir(fullfile(pwd, 'tmp'), 's');
-end
-
 function test_layout_smoke_test()
 
   verbose = false;
diff --git a/tests/tests_layout/test_layout_schemaless.m b/tests/tests_layout/test_layout_schemaless.m
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aca7e848
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tests_layout/test_layout_schemaless.m
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+function test_suite = test_layout_schemaless %#ok<*STOUT>
+  try % assignment of 'localfunctions' is necessary in Matlab >= 2016
+    test_functions = localfunctions(); %#ok<*NASGU>
+  catch % no problem; early Matlab versions can use initTestSuite fine
+  end
+  initTestSuite;
+end
+
+function test_layout_no_schema_no_ses_in_filename()
+
+  % filter for speed
+  filter = struct('sub', {{'01'}});
+
+  verbose = false;
+
+  bids_dir = tempname();
+
+  % create dummy file
+  copyfile(fullfile(get_test_data_dir(), 'ds006'), bids_dir);
+  ses_folder = fullfile(bids_dir, 'sub-01', 'ses-post', 'anat');
+  copyfile(fullfile(ses_folder, 'sub-01_ses-post_T1w.nii.gz'), ...
+           fullfile(ses_folder, 'sub-01_T1w.nii.gz'));
+
+  BIDS = bids.layout(bids_dir, ...
+                     'verbose', verbose, ...
+                     'use_schema', true, ...
+                     'filter', filter);
+
+  files = bids.query(BIDS, 'data', 'sub', '01',  'suffix', 'T1w');
+  assert(numel(files) == 2);
+
+  BIDS = bids.layout(bids_dir, ...
+                     'verbose', verbose, ...
+                     'use_schema', false, ...
+                     'filter', filter);
+
+  files = bids.query(BIDS, 'data', 'sub', '01', 'suffix', 'T1w');
+  assert(numel(files) == 3);
+
+end
+
+function test_layout_empty_subject_folder_allowed_when_schemaless()
+
+  verbose = false;
+
+  bids.util.mkdir(fullfile(pwd, 'tmp/sub-01'));
+  bids.layout(fullfile(pwd, 'tmp'), 'use_schema', false, 'verbose', verbose);
+  rmdir(fullfile(pwd, 'tmp'), 's');
+end