diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/build/build_test.go b/pkg/reconciler/build/build_test.go
index 06070d4ccb..83d9308f04 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/build/build_test.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/build/build_test.go
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Reconcile Build", func() {
 
 		Context("when spec strategy kind is unknown", func() {
 			JustBeforeEach(func() {
-				buildStrategyKind := build.BuildStrategyKind("abc")
+				buildStrategyKind := buildapi.BuildStrategyKind("abc")
 				buildStrategyName = "xyz"
 				buildName = "build-name"
 				buildSample = ctl.BuildWithNilBuildStrategyKind(buildName, namespace, buildStrategyName)
@@ -321,10 +321,10 @@ var _ = Describe("Reconcile Build", func() {
 
 			It("should fail validation and update the status to indicate that the strategy kind is unknown", func() {
 				statusWriter.UpdateCalls(func(ctx context.Context, o crc.Object, sruo ...crc.SubResourceUpdateOption) error {
-					Expect(o).To(BeAssignableToTypeOf(&build.Build{}))
-					b := o.(*build.Build)
+					Expect(o).To(BeAssignableToTypeOf(&buildapi.Build{}))
+					b := o.(*buildapi.Build)
 					Expect(b.Status.Reason).ToNot(BeNil())
-					Expect(*b.Status.Reason).To(Equal(build.UnknownBuildStrategyKind))
+					Expect(*b.Status.Reason).To(Equal(buildapi.UnknownBuildStrategyKind))
 					return nil
 				})
 
diff --git a/pkg/validate/strategies.go b/pkg/validate/strategies.go
index a4fb505c67..3e03325a35 100644
--- a/pkg/validate/strategies.go
+++ b/pkg/validate/strategies.go
@@ -32,63 +32,63 @@ func NewStrategies(client client.Client, build *buildapi.Build) *Strategy {
 // that the referenced strategy exists. This applies to both
 // namespaced or cluster scoped strategies
 func (s Strategy) ValidatePath(ctx context.Context) error {
-	var (
-		builderStrategy buildapi.BuilderStrategy
-		strategyExists  bool
-		err             error
-	)
-
-	if s.Build.Spec.Strategy.Kind != nil {
-		switch *s.Build.Spec.Strategy.Kind {
-		case buildapi.NamespacedBuildStrategyKind:
-			buildStrategy := &buildapi.BuildStrategy{}
-			strategyExists, err = s.validateBuildStrategy(ctx, s.Build.Spec.Strategy.Name, buildStrategy)
-			builderStrategy = buildStrategy
-		case buildapi.ClusterBuildStrategyKind:
-			clusterBuildStrategy := &buildapi.ClusterBuildStrategy{}
-			strategyExists, err = s.validateClusterBuildStrategy(ctx, s.Build.Spec.Strategy.Name, clusterBuildStrategy)
-			builderStrategy = clusterBuildStrategy
-		default:
-			return fmt.Errorf("unknown strategy kind: %v", *s.Build.Spec.Strategy.Kind)
-		}
-	} else {
-		ctxlog.Info(ctx, "buildStrategy kind is nil, use default NamespacedBuildStrategyKind", namespace, s.Build.Namespace, name, s.Build.Name)
-		buildStrategy := &buildapi.BuildStrategy{}
-		strategyExists, err = s.validateBuildStrategy(ctx, s.Build.Spec.Strategy.Name, buildStrategy)
-		builderStrategy = buildStrategy
-	}
-
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+	switch s.kind(ctx) {
+	case buildapi.NamespacedBuildStrategyKind:
+		return s.validateBuildStrategy(ctx, s.Build.Spec.Strategy.Name)
+
+	case buildapi.ClusterBuildStrategyKind:
+		return s.validateClusterBuildStrategy(ctx, s.Build.Spec.Strategy.Name)
+
+	default:
+		s.Build.Status.Reason = buildapi.BuildReasonPtr(buildapi.UnknownBuildStrategyKind)
+		s.Build.Status.Message = pointer.String(fmt.Sprintf("unknown strategy kind %s used, must be one of %s, or %s",
+			*s.Build.Spec.Strategy.Kind,
+			buildapi.NamespacedBuildStrategyKind,
+			buildapi.ClusterBuildStrategyKind))
+		return nil
 	}
+}
 
-	if strategyExists {
-		s.validateBuildParams(builderStrategy.GetParameters())
-		s.validateBuildVolumes(builderStrategy.GetVolumes())
+func (s Strategy) kind(ctx context.Context) buildapi.BuildStrategyKind {
+	if s.Build.Spec.Strategy.Kind == nil {
+		ctxlog.Info(ctx, "buildStrategy kind is nil, use default NamespacedBuildStrategyKind", namespace, s.Build.Namespace, name, s.Build.Name)
+		return buildapi.NamespacedBuildStrategyKind
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	return *s.Build.Spec.Strategy.Kind
 }
 
-func (s Strategy) validateBuildStrategy(ctx context.Context, strategyName string, buildStrategy *buildapi.BuildStrategy) (bool, error) {
-	if err := s.Client.Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{Name: strategyName, Namespace: s.Build.Namespace}, buildStrategy); err != nil && !apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
-		return false, err
-	} else if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
+func (s Strategy) validateBuildStrategy(ctx context.Context, strategyName string) error {
+	buildStrategy := &buildapi.BuildStrategy{}
+	err := s.Client.Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{Name: strategyName, Namespace: s.Build.Namespace}, buildStrategy)
+	if err == nil {
+		s.validateBuildParams(buildStrategy.GetParameters())
+		s.validateBuildVolumes(buildStrategy.GetVolumes())
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
 		s.Build.Status.Reason = buildapi.BuildReasonPtr(buildapi.BuildStrategyNotFound)
-		s.Build.Status.Message = pointer.String(fmt.Sprintf("buildStrategy %s does not exist in namespace %s", s.Build.Spec.Strategy.Name, s.Build.Namespace))
-		return false, nil
+		s.Build.Status.Message = pointer.String(fmt.Sprintf("buildStrategy %s does not exist in namespace %s", strategyName, s.Build.Namespace))
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	return err
 }
 
-func (s Strategy) validateClusterBuildStrategy(ctx context.Context, strategyName string, clusterBuildStrategy *buildapi.ClusterBuildStrategy) (bool, error) {
-	if err := s.Client.Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{Name: strategyName}, clusterBuildStrategy); err != nil && !apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
-		return false, err
-	} else if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
+func (s Strategy) validateClusterBuildStrategy(ctx context.Context, strategyName string) error {
+	clusterBuildStrategy := &buildapi.ClusterBuildStrategy{}
+	err := s.Client.Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{Name: strategyName}, clusterBuildStrategy)
+	if err == nil {
+		s.validateBuildParams(clusterBuildStrategy.GetParameters())
+		s.validateBuildVolumes(clusterBuildStrategy.GetVolumes())
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
 		s.Build.Status.Reason = buildapi.BuildReasonPtr(buildapi.ClusterBuildStrategyNotFound)
-		s.Build.Status.Message = pointer.String(fmt.Sprintf("clusterBuildStrategy %s does not exist", s.Build.Spec.Strategy.Name))
-		return false, nil
+		s.Build.Status.Message = pointer.String(fmt.Sprintf("clusterBuildStrategy %s does not exist", strategyName))
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	return err