diff --git a/docs/buildrun.md b/docs/buildrun.md
index 3e0bc1c5eb..d1d8c3e1aa 100644
--- a/docs/buildrun.md
+++ b/docs/buildrun.md
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ The following table illustrates the different states a BuildRun can have under i
 | False    | Failed                       | Yes | The BuildRun failed in one of the steps. |
 | False    | BuildRunTimeout              | Yes | The BuildRun timed out. |
 | False    | UnknownStrategyKind          | Yes | The Build specified strategy Kind is unknown. (_options: ClusterBuildStrategy or BuildStrategy_) |
-| False    | StrategyKindIsMissing        | Yes | The Build strategy Kind was not specified. (_options: ClusterBuildStrategy or BuildStrategy_) |
 | False    | ClusterBuildStrategyNotFound | Yes | The referenced cluster strategy was not found in the cluster. |
 | False    | BuildStrategyNotFound        | Yes | The referenced namespaced strategy was not found in the cluster. |
 | False    | SetOwnerReferenceFailed      | Yes | Setting ownerreferences from the BuildRun to the related TaskRun failed.  |
diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/buildrun/buildrun.go b/pkg/reconciler/buildrun/buildrun.go
index 23033723d4..a2b2cc2c52 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/buildrun/buildrun.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/buildrun/buildrun.go
@@ -369,14 +369,19 @@ func (r *ReconcileBuildRun) VerifyRequestName(ctx context.Context, request recon
 }
 
 func (r *ReconcileBuildRun) getReferencedStrategy(ctx context.Context, build *buildv1alpha1.Build, buildRun *buildv1alpha1.BuildRun) (strategy buildv1alpha1.BuilderStrategy, err error) {
-	if build.Spec.StrategyRef.Kind == nil {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("illegal state, strategy kind is unset")
 
-		if updateErr := resources.UpdateConditionWithFalseStatus(ctx, r.client, buildRun, fmt.Errorf("undefined strategy Kind").Error(), resources.ConditionStrategyKindIsMissing); updateErr != nil {
-			return nil, resources.HandleError("failed to get referenced strategy", err, updateErr)
+	if build.Spec.StrategyRef.Kind == nil {
+		// If the strategy Kind is not specified, we default to a namespaced-scope strategy
+		ctxlog.Info(ctx, "missing strategy Kind, defaulting to a namespaced-scope one", buildRun.Name, build.Name, namespace)
+		strategy, err = resources.RetrieveBuildStrategy(ctx, r.client, build)
+		if err != nil {
+			if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
+				if updateErr := resources.UpdateConditionWithFalseStatus(ctx, r.client, buildRun, err.Error(), resources.BuildStrategyNotFound); updateErr != nil {
+					return nil, resources.HandleError("failed to get referenced strategy", err, updateErr)
+				}
+			}
 		}
-
-		return nil, err
+		return strategy, err
 	}
 
 	switch *build.Spec.StrategyRef.Kind {
diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/buildrun/buildrun_test.go b/pkg/reconciler/buildrun/buildrun_test.go
index bfee9b3198..a0bfedfb3f 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/buildrun/buildrun_test.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/buildrun/buildrun_test.go
@@ -759,7 +759,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Reconcile BuildRun", func() {
 				Expect(client.StatusCallCount()).To(Equal(2))
 			})
 
-			It("fails on a TaskRun creation due to undefined buildStrategy kind", func() {
+			It("fails on a TaskRun creation due to an undefined default strategy kind", func() {
 				// use a Build object that does not defines the strategy Kind field
 				buildSample = ctl.BuildWithoutStrategyKind(buildName, strategyName)
 
@@ -773,12 +773,13 @@ var _ = Describe("Reconcile BuildRun", func() {
 
 				// Stub that asserts the BuildRun status fields when
 				// Status updates for a BuildRun take place
+				// We fail here because the default strategy was not found
 				statusCall := ctl.StubBuildRunStatus(
-					"undefined strategy Kind",
+					fmt.Sprintf(" \"%v\" not found", strategyName),
 					emptyTaskRunName,
 					build.Condition{
 						Type:   build.Succeeded,
-						Reason: "StrategyKindIsMissing",
+						Reason: "BuildStrategyNotFound",
 						Status: corev1.ConditionFalse,
 					},
 					corev1.ConditionFalse,
@@ -790,7 +791,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Reconcile BuildRun", func() {
 				// we mark the BuildRun as Failed and do not reconcile again
 				_, err := reconciler.Reconcile(buildRunRequest)
 				Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
-				Expect(client.GetCallCount()).To(Equal(4))
+				Expect(client.GetCallCount()).To(Equal(5))
 				Expect(client.StatusCallCount()).To(Equal(2))
 			})