diff --git a/src/app/ReadClient.cpp b/src/app/ReadClient.cpp
index 6ff7801934d0dd..6a0c50702b2bcd 100644
--- a/src/app/ReadClient.cpp
+++ b/src/app/ReadClient.cpp
@@ -840,11 +840,16 @@ CHIP_ERROR ReadClient::SendAutoResubscribeRequest(ReadPrepareParams && aReadPrep
     return err;
 }
 
-CHIP_ERROR ReadClient::SendSubscribeRequest(ReadPrepareParams & aReadPrepareParams)
+CHIP_ERROR ReadClient::SendSubscribeRequest(const ReadPrepareParams & aReadPrepareParams)
 {
-    CHIP_ERROR err = CHIP_NO_ERROR;
+    VerifyOrReturnError(aReadPrepareParams.mMinIntervalFloorSeconds <= aReadPrepareParams.mMaxIntervalCeilingSeconds,
+                        CHIP_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+    return SendSubscribeRequestImpl(aReadPrepareParams);
+}
 
-    VerifyOrReturnError(ClientState::Idle == mState, err = CHIP_ERROR_INCORRECT_STATE);
+CHIP_ERROR ReadClient::SendSubscribeRequestImpl(const ReadPrepareParams & aReadPrepareParams)
+{
+    VerifyOrReturnError(ClientState::Idle == mState, CHIP_ERROR_INCORRECT_STATE);
 
     // Todo: Remove the below, Update span in ReadPrepareParams
     Span<AttributePathParams> attributePaths(aReadPrepareParams.mpAttributePathParamsList,
@@ -853,9 +858,6 @@ CHIP_ERROR ReadClient::SendSubscribeRequest(ReadPrepareParams & aReadPreparePara
     Span<DataVersionFilter> dataVersionFilters(aReadPrepareParams.mpDataVersionFilterList,
                                                aReadPrepareParams.mDataVersionFilterListSize);
 
-    VerifyOrReturnError(aReadPrepareParams.mMinIntervalFloorSeconds <= aReadPrepareParams.mMaxIntervalCeilingSeconds,
-                        err = CHIP_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
-
     System::PacketBufferHandle msgBuf;
     System::PacketBufferTLVWriter writer;
     SubscribeRequestMessage::Builder request;
@@ -870,14 +872,14 @@ CHIP_ERROR ReadClient::SendSubscribeRequest(ReadPrepareParams & aReadPreparePara
     if (!attributePaths.empty())
     {
         AttributePathIBs::Builder & attributePathListBuilder = request.CreateAttributeRequests();
-        ReturnErrorOnFailure(err = attributePathListBuilder.GetError());
+        ReturnErrorOnFailure(attributePathListBuilder.GetError());
         ReturnErrorOnFailure(GenerateAttributePaths(attributePathListBuilder, attributePaths));
     }
 
     if (!eventPaths.empty())
     {
         EventPathIBs::Builder & eventPathListBuilder = request.CreateEventRequests();
-        ReturnErrorOnFailure(err = eventPathListBuilder.GetError());
+        ReturnErrorOnFailure(eventPathListBuilder.GetError());
         ReturnErrorOnFailure(GenerateEventPaths(eventPathListBuilder, eventPaths));
 
         Optional<EventNumber> eventMin;
@@ -885,12 +887,12 @@ CHIP_ERROR ReadClient::SendSubscribeRequest(ReadPrepareParams & aReadPreparePara
         if (eventMin.HasValue())
         {
             EventFilterIBs::Builder & eventFilters = request.CreateEventFilters();
-            ReturnErrorOnFailure(err = request.GetError());
+            ReturnErrorOnFailure(request.GetError());
             ReturnErrorOnFailure(eventFilters.GenerateEventFilter(eventMin.Value()));
         }
     }
 
-    ReturnErrorOnFailure(err = request.IsFabricFiltered(aReadPrepareParams.mIsFabricFiltered).GetError());
+    ReturnErrorOnFailure(request.IsFabricFiltered(aReadPrepareParams.mIsFabricFiltered).GetError());
 
     bool encodedDataVersionList = false;
     TLV::TLVWriter backup;
@@ -912,13 +914,13 @@ CHIP_ERROR ReadClient::SendSubscribeRequest(ReadPrepareParams & aReadPreparePara
         request.Rollback(backup);
     }
 
-    ReturnErrorOnFailure(err = request.EndOfSubscribeRequestMessage().GetError());
+    ReturnErrorOnFailure(request.EndOfSubscribeRequestMessage().GetError());
     ReturnErrorOnFailure(writer.Finalize(&msgBuf));
 
     VerifyOrReturnError(aReadPrepareParams.mSessionHolder, CHIP_ERROR_MISSING_SECURE_SESSION);
 
     mpExchangeCtx = mpExchangeMgr->NewContext(aReadPrepareParams.mSessionHolder.Get().Value(), this);
-    VerifyOrReturnError(mpExchangeCtx != nullptr, err = CHIP_ERROR_NO_MEMORY);
+    VerifyOrReturnError(mpExchangeCtx != nullptr, CHIP_ERROR_NO_MEMORY);
     mpExchangeCtx->SetResponseTimeout(kImMessageTimeout);
 
     ReturnErrorOnFailure(mpExchangeCtx->SendMessage(Protocols::InteractionModel::MsgType::SubscribeRequest, std::move(msgBuf),
diff --git a/src/app/ReadClient.h b/src/app/ReadClient.h
index 68b2f63b1ab815..65f0e808e43c61 100644
--- a/src/app/ReadClient.h
+++ b/src/app/ReadClient.h
@@ -302,6 +302,16 @@ class ReadClient : public Messaging::ExchangeDelegate
     // that's the only case when the consumer moved a ReadParams into the client.
     CHIP_ERROR SendAutoResubscribeRequest(ReadPrepareParams && aReadPrepareParams);
 
+    // Like SendSubscribeRequest, but allows sending certain forms of invalid
+    // subscribe requests that servers are expected to reject, for testing
+    // purposes.  Should only be called from tests.
+#if CONFIG_IM_BUILD_FOR_UNIT_TEST
+    CHIP_ERROR SendSubscribeRequestWithoutValidation(const ReadPrepareParams & aReadPrepareParams)
+    {
+        return SendSubscribeRequestImpl(aReadPrepareParams);
+    }
+#endif // CONFIG_IM_BUILD_FOR_UNIT_TEST
+
 private:
     friend class TestReadInteraction;
     friend class InteractionModelEngine;
@@ -358,7 +368,10 @@ class ReadClient : public Messaging::ExchangeDelegate
     bool ResubscribeIfNeeded();
     // Specialized request-sending functions.
     CHIP_ERROR SendReadRequest(ReadPrepareParams & aReadPrepareParams);
-    CHIP_ERROR SendSubscribeRequest(ReadPrepareParams & aSubscribePrepareParams);
+    // SendSubscribeRequest performs som validation on aSubscribePrepareParams
+    // and then calls SendSubscribeRequestImpl.
+    CHIP_ERROR SendSubscribeRequest(const ReadPrepareParams & aSubscribePrepareParams);
+    CHIP_ERROR SendSubscribeRequestImpl(const ReadPrepareParams & aSubscribePrepareParams);
     void UpdateDataVersionFilters(const ConcreteDataAttributePath & aPath);
     static void OnResubscribeTimerCallback(System::Layer * apSystemLayer, void * apAppState);
 
diff --git a/src/app/tests/suites/commands/interaction_model/InteractionModel.cpp b/src/app/tests/suites/commands/interaction_model/InteractionModel.cpp
index f52e5ae5261a90..2d144ab7f58add 100644
--- a/src/app/tests/suites/commands/interaction_model/InteractionModel.cpp
+++ b/src/app/tests/suites/commands/interaction_model/InteractionModel.cpp
@@ -300,7 +300,16 @@ CHIP_ERROR InteractionModelReports::ReportAttribute(DeviceProxy * device, std::v
 
     auto client = std::make_unique<ReadClient>(InteractionModelEngine::GetInstance(), device->GetExchangeManager(),
                                                mBufferedReadAdapter, interactionType);
-    ReturnErrorOnFailure(client->SendRequest(params));
+    if (interactionType == ReadClient::InteractionType::Read)
+    {
+        ReturnErrorOnFailure(client->SendRequest(params));
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        // We want to allow certain kinds of spec-invalid subscriptions so we
+        // can test how the server reacts to them.
+        ReturnErrorOnFailure(client->SendSubscribeRequestWithoutValidation(params));
+    }
     mReadClients.push_back(std::move(client));
     return CHIP_NO_ERROR;
 }