diff --git a/pkg/core/object/fmt.go b/pkg/core/object/fmt.go
index 5fabb085d..931e65be2 100644
--- a/pkg/core/object/fmt.go
+++ b/pkg/core/object/fmt.go
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ func NewFormatValidator() *FormatValidator {
 
 // Validate validates object format.
 //
+// Does not validate payload checksum and content.
+//
 // Returns nil error if object has valid structure.
 func (v *FormatValidator) Validate(obj *Object) error {
 	if obj == nil {
@@ -35,10 +37,6 @@ func (v *FormatValidator) Validate(obj *Object) error {
 		return errNilCID
 	}
 
-	if err := v.validateContent(obj.GetType(), obj.GetPayload()); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "(%T) incorrect content", v)
-	}
-
 	if err := v.validateSignatureKey(obj); err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "(%T) could not validate signature key", v)
 	}
@@ -88,7 +86,8 @@ func (v *FormatValidator) checkOwnerKey(id *owner.ID, key []byte) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (v *FormatValidator) validateContent(t object.Type, payload []byte) error {
+// ValidateContent validates payload content according to object type.
+func (v *FormatValidator) ValidateContent(t object.Type, payload []byte) error {
 	switch t {
 	case object.TypeTombstone:
 		if len(payload) == 0 {
diff --git a/pkg/core/object/fmt_test.go b/pkg/core/object/fmt_test.go
index 1266cff88..06b638784 100644
--- a/pkg/core/object/fmt_test.go
+++ b/pkg/core/object/fmt_test.go
@@ -105,24 +105,14 @@ func TestFormatValidator_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	t.Run("tombstone content", func(t *testing.T) {
-		obj := blankValidObject(t, ownerKey)
-
-		obj.SetType(object.TypeTombstone)
-
-		require.NoError(t, object.SetIDWithSignature(ownerKey, obj.SDK()))
-
-		require.Error(t, v.Validate(obj.Object()))
+		require.Error(t, v.ValidateContent(object.TypeTombstone, nil))
 
 		addr := object.NewAddress()
 
 		data, err := addr.ToV2().StableMarshal(nil)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
-		obj.SetPayload(data)
-
-		require.NoError(t, object.SetIDWithSignature(ownerKey, obj.SDK()))
-
-		require.Error(t, v.Validate(obj.Object()))
+		require.Error(t, v.ValidateContent(object.TypeTombstone, data))
 
 		addr.SetContainerID(testContainerID(t))
 		addr.SetObjectID(testObjectID(t))
@@ -130,10 +120,6 @@ func TestFormatValidator_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 		data, err = addr.ToV2().StableMarshal(nil)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
-		obj.SetPayload(data)
-
-		require.NoError(t, object.SetIDWithSignature(ownerKey, obj.SDK()))
-
-		require.NoError(t, v.Validate(obj.Object()))
+		require.NoError(t, v.ValidateContent(object.TypeTombstone, data))
 	})
 }