diff --git a/src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp b/src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp
index 221ed281a41..16d3ca60c1d 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp
@@ -1061,7 +1061,7 @@ bool QgsMapLayer::importNamedStyle( QDomDocument &myDocument, QString &myErrorMe
     {
       QgsVectorLayer *vl = qobject_cast<QgsVectorLayer *>( this );
       QgsWkbTypes::GeometryType importLayerGeometryType = static_cast<QgsWkbTypes::GeometryType>( myRoot.firstChildElement( QStringLiteral( "layerGeometryType" ) ).text().toInt() );
-      if ( vl->geometryType() != importLayerGeometryType )
+      if ( importLayerGeometryType != QgsWkbTypes::GeometryType::UnknownGeometry && vl->geometryType() != importLayerGeometryType )
       {
         myErrorMessage = tr( "Cannot apply style with symbology to layer with a different geometry type" );
         return false;
diff --git a/src/core/qgsvectorlayer.cpp b/src/core/qgsvectorlayer.cpp
index 9536bff7a32..cdd6e0ae796 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsvectorlayer.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsvectorlayer.cpp
@@ -2800,7 +2800,10 @@ bool QgsVectorLayer::writeStyle( QDomNode &node, QDomDocument &doc, QString &err
 
   emit writeCustomSymbology( mapLayerNode, doc, errorMessage );
 
-  if ( isSpatial() )
+  // we must try to write the renderer if our geometry type is unknown
+  // as this allows the renderer to be correctly restored even for layers
+  // with broken sources
+  if ( isSpatial() || mWkbType == QgsWkbTypes::Unknown )
   {
     if ( categories.testFlag( Symbology ) )
     {