diff --git a/swh/deposit/tests/api/test_checks.py b/swh/deposit/tests/api/test_checks.py
--- a/swh/deposit/tests/api/test_checks.py
+++ b/swh/deposit/tests/api/test_checks.py
@@ -67,7 +67,21 @@
             <entry {XMLNS}>
                 <url>some url</url>
                 <codemeta:name>bar</codemeta:name>
-                <codemeta:author>no one</codemeta:author>
+                <codemeta:author>
+                    <codemeta:name>no one</codemeta:name>
+                </codemeta:author>
+                {PROVENANCE_XML}
+            </entry>
+            """,
+        ),
+        (
+            f"""\
+            <entry {XMLNS}>
+                <url>some url</url>
+                <codemeta:name>bar</codemeta:name>
+                <codemeta:author>
+                    <schema:unknown-tag>should allow anything here</schema:unknown-tag>
+                </codemeta:author>
                 {PROVENANCE_XML}
             </entry>
             """,
@@ -304,6 +318,22 @@
                 },
             ],
         ),
+        (
+            f"""\
+            <entry {XMLNS}>
+                <url>some url</url>
+                <codemeta:name>bar</codemeta:name>
+                <codemeta:author>no one</codemeta:author>
+                {PROVENANCE_XML}
+            </entry>
+            """,
+            [
+                {
+                    "summary": ".*Reason: character data between child elements.*",
+                    "fields": ["codemeta:author"],
+                },
+            ],
+        ),
         (
             f"""\
             <entry {XMLNS}>
diff --git a/swh/deposit/xsd/codemeta.xsd b/swh/deposit/xsd/codemeta.xsd
--- a/swh/deposit/xsd/codemeta.xsd
+++ b/swh/deposit/xsd/codemeta.xsd
@@ -17,5 +17,18 @@
     <xsd:union memberTypes="xsd:date xsd:dateTime"/>
   </xsd:simpleType>
 
+  <xsd:element name="author" type="codemeta:PersonOrOrganization">
+  </xsd:element>
+  <xsd:element name="contributor" type="codemeta:PersonOrOrganization">
+  </xsd:element>
+
+  <xsd:complexType name="PersonOrOrganization">
+    <!-- Allows anything, but at least <codemeta:name> should be present -->
+    <xsd:choice maxOccurs="unbounded">
+      <xsd:element ref="codemeta:name" />
+      <xsd:any processContents="lax" />
+    </xsd:choice>
+  </xsd:complexType>
+
   <xsd:element name="name" type="xsd:string" />
 </xsd:schema>