diff --git a/src/diffusers/models/transformers/transformer_ernie_image.py b/src/diffusers/models/transformers/transformer_ernie_image.py
index abb79b527589..d4315d40ebf5 100644
--- a/src/diffusers/models/transformers/transformer_ernie_image.py
+++ b/src/diffusers/models/transformers/transformer_ernie_image.py
@@ -408,15 +408,15 @@ def forward(
         )
         rotary_pos_emb = self.pos_embed(torch.cat([image_ids, text_ids], dim=1))
 
-        # Attention mask: True = valid (attend), False = padding (mask out), matches sdpa bool convention
-        valid_text = (
-            torch.arange(Tmax, device=device).view(1, Tmax) < text_lens.view(B, 1)
-            if Tmax > 0
-            else torch.zeros((B, 0), device=device, dtype=torch.bool)
-        )
-        attention_mask = torch.cat([torch.ones((B, N_img), device=device, dtype=torch.bool), valid_text], dim=1)[
-            :, None, None, :
-        ]
+        # Only build the mask when there's real padding. flash-attn 2 rejects
+        # any non-None attn_mask, so we leave it None for unpadded inputs.
+        if Tmax > 0 and bool((text_lens < Tmax).any()):
+            valid_text = torch.arange(Tmax, device=device).view(1, Tmax) < text_lens.view(B, 1)
+            attention_mask = torch.cat([torch.ones((B, N_img), device=device, dtype=torch.bool), valid_text], dim=1)[
+                :, None, None, :
+            ]
+        else:
+            attention_mask = None
 
         # AdaLN
         sample = self.time_proj(timestep)
diff --git a/tests/models/transformers/test_models_transformer_ernie_image.py b/tests/models/transformers/test_models_transformer_ernie_image.py
index bff0894df08b..8f085efc59dd 100644
--- a/tests/models/transformers/test_models_transformer_ernie_image.py
+++ b/tests/models/transformers/test_models_transformer_ernie_image.py
@@ -101,7 +101,23 @@ def get_dummy_inputs(self, height: int = 16, width: int = 16, batch_size: int =
 
 
 class TestErnieImageTransformer(ErnieImageTransformerTesterConfig, ModelTesterMixin):
-    pass
+    def test_attention_mask_is_none_when_text_is_unpadded(self):
+        # Regression for #13801: unpadded text should produce attn_mask=None.
+        from unittest import mock
+
+        from diffusers.models.transformers import transformer_ernie_image as t
+
+        model = self.model_class(**self.get_init_dict()).to(torch_device).eval()
+        captured = []
+
+        def spy(query, *a, attn_mask=None, **k):
+            captured.append(attn_mask)
+            return torch.zeros_like(query)
+
+        with torch.no_grad(), mock.patch.object(t, "dispatch_attention_fn", side_effect=spy):
+            model(**self.get_dummy_inputs())
+
+        assert captured and all(m is None for m in captured)
 
 
 class TestErnieImageTransformerTraining(ErnieImageTransformerTesterConfig, TrainingTesterMixin):