diff --git a/mlir/include/mlir/Dialect/Transform/IR/TransformOps.td b/mlir/include/mlir/Dialect/Transform/IR/TransformOps.td
--- a/mlir/include/mlir/Dialect/Transform/IR/TransformOps.td
+++ b/mlir/include/mlir/Dialect/Transform/IR/TransformOps.td
@@ -187,8 +187,7 @@
     default type converter specify their own type converter.)
 
     The `legal_ops`, `illegal_ops`, `legal_dialects`, `illegal_dialects`
-    attributes specify the conversion target. At least one of those four
-    attributes must be specified.
+    attributes specify the conversion target.
 
     This transform consumes the `target` handle and modifies the payload. It
     does not produce any handles.
diff --git a/mlir/lib/Dialect/Transform/IR/TransformOps.cpp b/mlir/lib/Dialect/Transform/IR/TransformOps.cpp
--- a/mlir/lib/Dialect/Transform/IR/TransformOps.cpp
+++ b/mlir/lib/Dialect/Transform/IR/TransformOps.cpp
@@ -612,9 +612,6 @@
       }
     }
   }
-  if (!getLegalOps() && !getIllegalOps() && !getLegalDialects() &&
-      !getIllegalDialects())
-    return emitOpError() << "conversion target is not specified";
   return success();
 }
 
diff --git a/mlir/test/Dialect/Transform/test-pattern-application.mlir b/mlir/test/Dialect/Transform/test-pattern-application.mlir
--- a/mlir/test/Dialect/Transform/test-pattern-application.mlir
+++ b/mlir/test/Dialect/Transform/test-pattern-application.mlir
@@ -307,19 +307,6 @@
 
 // -----
 
-transform.sequence failures(propagate) {
-^bb1(%arg1: !transform.any_op):
-  %0 = transform.structured.match ops{["func.func"]} in %arg1 : (!transform.any_op) -> !transform.any_op
-  // expected-error @below{{conversion target is not specified}}
-  transform.apply_conversion_patterns to %0 {
-    transform.apply_conversion_patterns.transform.test_conversion_patterns
-  } with type_converter {
-    transform.apply_conversion_patterns.transform.test_type_converter
-  } : !transform.any_op
-}
-
-// -----
-
 transform.sequence failures(propagate) {
 ^bb1(%arg1: !transform.any_op):
   %0 = transform.structured.match ops{["func.func"]} in %arg1 : (!transform.any_op) -> !transform.any_op