diff --git a/pkg/executor/kopia/kopiabackup.go b/pkg/executor/kopia/kopiabackup.go
index e73ba47c7..83355e131 100644
--- a/pkg/executor/kopia/kopiabackup.go
+++ b/pkg/executor/kopia/kopiabackup.go
@@ -636,7 +636,7 @@ func isRepositoryExists(repository *executor.Repository) (bool, error) {
 		exists, repoExistsError = bucket.Exists(context.TODO(), kopiaRepositoryFile)
 		if repoExistsError != nil {
 			status := &executor.Status{
-				LastKnownError: err,
+				LastKnownError: repoExistsError,
 			}
 			if err = executor.WriteVolumeBackupStatus(status, volumeBackupName, bkpNamespace); err != nil {
 				errMsg := fmt.Sprintf("failed to write a VolumeBackup status: %v", err)