diff --git a/pkg/services/object/acl/eacl/validator.go b/pkg/services/object/acl/eacl/validator.go
index 187d49785..9ad18319e 100644
--- a/pkg/services/object/acl/eacl/validator.go
+++ b/pkg/services/object/acl/eacl/validator.go
@@ -159,10 +159,13 @@ func matchFilters(hdrSrc TypedHeaderSource, filters []*eacl.Filter) int {
 func targetMatches(unit *ValidationUnit, record *eacl.Record) bool {
 	for _, target := range record.Targets() {
 		// check public key match
-		for _, key := range target.BinaryKeys() {
-			if bytes.Equal(key, unit.key) {
-				return true
+		if pubs := target.BinaryKeys(); len(pubs) != 0 {
+			for _, key := range pubs {
+				if bytes.Equal(key, unit.key) {
+					return true
+				}
 			}
+			continue
 		}
 
 		// check target group match
diff --git a/pkg/services/object/acl/eacl/validator_test.go b/pkg/services/object/acl/eacl/validator_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7add95a20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/services/object/acl/eacl/validator_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package eacl
+
+import (
+	"math/rand"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go/pkg/acl/eacl"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestTargetMatches(t *testing.T) {
+	pubs := make([][]byte, 3)
+	for i := range pubs {
+		pubs[i] = make([]byte, 33)
+		pubs[i][0] = 0x02
+
+		_, err := rand.Read(pubs[i][1:])
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+	}
+
+	tgt1 := eacl.NewTarget()
+	tgt1.SetBinaryKeys(pubs[0:2])
+	tgt1.SetRole(eacl.RoleUser)
+
+	tgt2 := eacl.NewTarget()
+	tgt2.SetRole(eacl.RoleOthers)
+
+	r := eacl.NewRecord()
+	r.SetTargets(tgt1, tgt2)
+
+	u := newValidationUnit(eacl.RoleUser, pubs[0])
+	require.True(t, targetMatches(u, r))
+
+	u = newValidationUnit(eacl.RoleUser, pubs[2])
+	require.False(t, targetMatches(u, r))
+
+	u = newValidationUnit(eacl.RoleUnknown, pubs[1])
+	require.True(t, targetMatches(u, r))
+
+	u = newValidationUnit(eacl.RoleOthers, pubs[2])
+	require.True(t, targetMatches(u, r))
+
+	u = newValidationUnit(eacl.RoleSystem, pubs[2])
+	require.False(t, targetMatches(u, r))
+}
+
+func newValidationUnit(role eacl.Role, key []byte) *ValidationUnit {
+	return &ValidationUnit{
+		role: role,
+		key:  key,
+	}
+}