diff --git a/src/main/java/com/github/mc1arke/sonarqube/plugin/scanner/BranchConfigurationFactory.java b/src/main/java/com/github/mc1arke/sonarqube/plugin/scanner/BranchConfigurationFactory.java
index d5ce9868..e73a4428 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/github/mc1arke/sonarqube/plugin/scanner/BranchConfigurationFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/github/mc1arke/sonarqube/plugin/scanner/BranchConfigurationFactory.java
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public BranchConfiguration createBranchConfiguration(String branchName, ProjectB
 
     public BranchConfiguration createPullRequestConfiguration(String pullRequestKey, String pullRequestBranch, String pullRequestBase, ProjectBranches branches) {
         String targetBranch = Optional.ofNullable(pullRequestBase).orElse(branches.defaultBranchName());
-        String referenceBranch = findReferenceBranch(targetBranch, branches);
+        String referenceBranch = findReferenceBranch(Optional.ofNullable(branches.get(targetBranch)).map(BranchInfo::name).orElse(branches.defaultBranchName()), branches);
         return new CommunityBranchConfiguration(pullRequestBranch, BranchType.PULL_REQUEST, referenceBranch, targetBranch, pullRequestKey);
     }
 
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ private static String findReferenceBranch(String targetBranch, ProjectBranches b
             throw MessageException.of(String.format("The branch '%s' of type %s does not have a target", target.name(), target.type()));
         }
 
-        return findReferenceBranch(targetBranchTarget, branches);
+        return Optional.ofNullable(branches.get(targetBranchTarget)).map(BranchInfo::name)
+                .orElseThrow(() -> MessageException.of(String.format("The branch '%s' of type %s has a target '%s' which does not exist", target.name(), target.type(), targetBranchTarget)));
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/github/mc1arke/sonarqube/plugin/scanner/BranchConfigurationFactoryTest.java b/src/test/java/com/github/mc1arke/sonarqube/plugin/scanner/BranchConfigurationFactoryTest.java
index 465dbf6a..165e0a87 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/github/mc1arke/sonarqube/plugin/scanner/BranchConfigurationFactoryTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/github/mc1arke/sonarqube/plugin/scanner/BranchConfigurationFactoryTest.java
@@ -118,6 +118,20 @@ void shouldReturnPullRequestWithTargetOfDefaultBranchIfTargetNotSpecifiedAndDefa
         assertThat(actual).usingRecursiveComparison().isEqualTo(new CommunityBranchConfiguration("source", BranchType.PULL_REQUEST, "defaultBranch", "defaultBranch", "key"));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void shouldReturnPullRequestWithTargetOfDefaultBranchIfTargetDoesNotExistAndDefaultExists() {
+        ProjectBranches projectBranches = mock();
+        when(projectBranches.isEmpty()).thenReturn(false);
+        when(projectBranches.defaultBranchName()).thenReturn("defaultBranch");
+        BranchInfo branchInfo = new BranchInfo("defaultBranch", BranchType.BRANCH, true, null);
+        when(projectBranches.get("defaultBranch")).thenReturn(branchInfo);
+
+        BranchConfigurationFactory underTest = new BranchConfigurationFactory();
+        BranchConfiguration actual = underTest.createPullRequestConfiguration("key", "source", "missing", projectBranches);
+
+        assertThat(actual).usingRecursiveComparison().isEqualTo(new CommunityBranchConfiguration("source", BranchType.PULL_REQUEST, "defaultBranch", "missing", "key"));
+    }
+
     @Test
     void shouldReturnPullRequestWithTargetOfTargetAsReferenceIfTargetBranchExists() {
         ProjectBranches projectBranches = mock(ProjectBranches.class);