diff --git a/sklearn/datasets/_base.py b/sklearn/datasets/_base.py
index bcd163caf738d..c910d1c04e217 100644
--- a/sklearn/datasets/_base.py
+++ b/sklearn/datasets/_base.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 from ..utils import check_random_state
 from ..utils import check_pandas_support
 from ..utils.fixes import _open_binary, _open_text, _read_text, _contents
-from ..utils._param_validation import validate_params, Interval
+from ..utils._param_validation import validate_params, Interval, StrOptions
 
 import numpy as np
 
@@ -1252,6 +1252,11 @@ def load_sample_images():
     return Bunch(images=images, filenames=filenames, DESCR=descr)
 
 
+@validate_params(
+    {
+        "image_name": [StrOptions({"china.jpg", "flower.jpg"})],
+    }
+)
 def load_sample_image(image_name):
     """Load the numpy array of a single sample image.
 
diff --git a/sklearn/datasets/tests/test_base.py b/sklearn/datasets/tests/test_base.py
index d810e99db5878..9394b33f88f57 100644
--- a/sklearn/datasets/tests/test_base.py
+++ b/sklearn/datasets/tests/test_base.py
@@ -221,12 +221,6 @@ def test_load_sample_image():
         warnings.warn("Could not load sample images, PIL is not available.")
 
 
-def test_load_missing_sample_image_error():
-    pytest.importorskip("PIL")
-    with pytest.raises(AttributeError):
-        load_sample_image("blop.jpg")
-
-
 def test_load_diabetes_raw():
     """Test to check that we load a scaled version by default but that we can
     get an unscaled version when setting `scaled=False`."""
diff --git a/sklearn/tests/test_public_functions.py b/sklearn/tests/test_public_functions.py
index 2bb6846dc4cbf..0d57ff7963ab3 100644
--- a/sklearn/tests/test_public_functions.py
+++ b/sklearn/tests/test_public_functions.py
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ def _check_function_param_validation(
     "sklearn.datasets.load_digits",
     "sklearn.datasets.load_iris",
     "sklearn.datasets.load_linnerud",
+    "sklearn.datasets.load_sample_image",
     "sklearn.datasets.load_svmlight_file",
     "sklearn.datasets.load_svmlight_files",
     "sklearn.datasets.load_wine",