diff --git a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1alpha1/pipeline_defaults.go b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1alpha1/pipeline_defaults.go
index aee026aaac8..f51d8701e8e 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1alpha1/pipeline_defaults.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1alpha1/pipeline_defaults.go
@@ -30,8 +30,10 @@ func (p *Pipeline) SetDefaults(ctx context.Context) {
 
 func (ps *PipelineSpec) SetDefaults(ctx context.Context) {
 	for _, pt := range ps.Tasks {
-		if pt.TaskRef.Kind == "" {
-			pt.TaskRef.Kind = NamespacedTaskKind
+		if pt.TaskRef != nil {
+			if pt.TaskRef.Kind == "" {
+				pt.TaskRef.Kind = NamespacedTaskKind
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	for i := range ps.Params {
diff --git a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1alpha2/pipeline_defaults.go b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1alpha2/pipeline_defaults.go
index 9d61991f1ff..341863f54e9 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1alpha2/pipeline_defaults.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1alpha2/pipeline_defaults.go
@@ -30,8 +30,10 @@ func (p *Pipeline) SetDefaults(ctx context.Context) {
 
 func (ps *PipelineSpec) SetDefaults(ctx context.Context) {
 	for _, pt := range ps.Tasks {
-		if pt.TaskRef.Kind == "" {
-			pt.TaskRef.Kind = NamespacedTaskKind
+		if pt.TaskRef != nil {
+			if pt.TaskRef.Kind == "" {
+				pt.TaskRef.Kind = NamespacedTaskKind
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	for i := range ps.Params {