diff --git a/webhook/resources/backupbackingimage/validator.go b/webhook/resources/backupbackingimage/validator.go
index 8d9cabbd8e..492c1c4153 100644
--- a/webhook/resources/backupbackingimage/validator.go
+++ b/webhook/resources/backupbackingimage/validator.go
@@ -45,11 +45,11 @@ func (bbi *backupBackingImageValidator) Create(request *admission.Request, newOb
 	backingImageName := backupBackingImage.Spec.BackingImage
 
 	backingImage, err := bbi.ds.GetBackingImageRO(backingImageName)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != nil && !datastore.ErrorIsNotFound(err) {
 		return werror.NewInvalidError(fmt.Sprintf("failed to get the backing image %v for backup: %v", backingImageName, err), "")
 	}
 	// TODO: support backup for v2 data engine in the future
-	if types.IsDataEngineV2(backingImage.Spec.DataEngine) {
+	if backingImage != nil && types.IsDataEngineV2(backingImage.Spec.DataEngine) {
 		return werror.NewInvalidError(fmt.Sprintf("backing image %v uses v2 data engine which doesn't support backup operations", backingImageName), "")
 	}