diff --git a/pkg/apis/build/v1beta1/buildrun_conversion.go b/pkg/apis/build/v1beta1/buildrun_conversion.go
index bdde2a86b..26bd9dfca 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/build/v1beta1/buildrun_conversion.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/build/v1beta1/buildrun_conversion.go
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@ func (src *BuildRun) ConvertTo(ctx context.Context, obj *unstructured.Unstructur
 			return err
 		}
 		alphaBuildRun.Spec.BuildSpec = &newBuildSpec
-	} else {
+	} else if src.Spec.Build.Name != nil {
 		alphaBuildRun.Spec.BuildRef = &v1alpha1.BuildRef{
-			Name: src.Spec.Build.Name,
+			Name: *src.Spec.Build.Name,
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ func (dest *BuildRunSpec) ConvertFrom(orig *v1alpha1.BuildRunSpec) error {
 		}
 	}
 	if orig.BuildRef != nil {
-		dest.Build.Name = orig.BuildRef.Name
+		dest.Build.Name = &orig.BuildRef.Name
 	}
 
 	// only interested on spec.sources as long as an item of the list
diff --git a/pkg/apis/build/v1beta1/buildrun_types.go b/pkg/apis/build/v1beta1/buildrun_types.go
index 087ae7e8d..87eed134f 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/build/v1beta1/buildrun_types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/build/v1beta1/buildrun_types.go
@@ -29,15 +29,15 @@ type ReferencedBuild struct {
 	// Name of the referent; More info: http://kubernetes.io/docs/user-guide/identifiers#names
 	//
 	// +optional
-	Name string `json:"name,omitempty"`
+	Name *string `json:"name,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // BuildRunSpec defines the desired state of BuildRun
 type BuildRunSpec struct {
 	// Build refers to an embedded build specification
+	// This field is mandatory
 	//
-	// +optional
-	Build *ReferencedBuild `json:"build,omitempty"`
+	Build *ReferencedBuild `json:"build"`
 
 	// Source refers to the location where the source code is,
 	// this could only be a local source
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ func (brs *BuildRunStatus) SetCondition(condition *Condition) {
 // build resource or an embedded build specification
 func (buildrunSpec *BuildRunSpec) BuildName() string {
 	if buildrunSpec.Build != nil {
-		return buildrunSpec.Build.Name
+		return *buildrunSpec.Build.Name
 	}
 
 	// Only BuildRuns with a ReferencedBuild can actually return a proper Build name
diff --git a/pkg/webhook/conversion/converter_test.go b/pkg/webhook/conversion/converter_test.go
index fdb3dfd81..ae9c39193 100644
--- a/pkg/webhook/conversion/converter_test.go
+++ b/pkg/webhook/conversion/converter_test.go
@@ -1078,7 +1078,7 @@ request:
 				},
 				Spec: v1beta1.BuildRunSpec{
 					Build: &v1beta1.ReferencedBuild{
-						Name: "a_build",
+						Name: pointer.String("a_build"),
 					},
 					Source: &v1beta1.BuildRunSource{
 						Type: v1beta1.LocalType,
@@ -1162,7 +1162,7 @@ request:
 				},
 				Spec: v1beta1.BuildRunSpec{
 					Build: &v1beta1.ReferencedBuild{
-						Name: "a_build",
+						Name: pointer.String("a_build"),
 					},
 					ServiceAccount: &sa,
 					Timeout: &v1.Duration{
diff --git a/test/e2e/v1beta1/common_suite_test.go b/test/e2e/v1beta1/common_suite_test.go
index 2cb4c1638..24b396d08 100644
--- a/test/e2e/v1beta1/common_suite_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/v1beta1/common_suite_test.go
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ func (b *buildRunPrototype) ForBuild(build *buildv1beta1.Build) *buildRunPrototy
 	if b.buildRun.Spec.Build == nil {
 		b.buildRun.Spec.Build = &buildv1beta1.ReferencedBuild{}
 	}
-	b.buildRun.Spec.Build.Name = build.Name
+	b.buildRun.Spec.Build.Name = &build.Name
 	b.buildRun.ObjectMeta.Namespace = build.Namespace
 	return b
 }
diff --git a/test/e2e/v1beta1/validators_test.go b/test/e2e/v1beta1/validators_test.go
index 34cc8e99d..46eb6f9a8 100644
--- a/test/e2e/v1beta1/validators_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/v1beta1/validators_test.go
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ func buildRunTestData(ns string, identifier string, filePath string) (*buildv1be
 
 	buildRun.SetNamespace(ns)
 	buildRun.SetName(identifier)
-	buildRun.Spec.Build.Name = identifier
+	buildRun.Spec.Build.Name = &identifier
 
 	serviceAccountName := os.Getenv(EnvVarServiceAccountName)
 	if serviceAccountName == "generated" {
diff --git a/test/v1beta1_samples/catalog.go b/test/v1beta1_samples/catalog.go
index 029aa2b25..7cf2defe8 100644
--- a/test/v1beta1_samples/catalog.go
+++ b/test/v1beta1_samples/catalog.go
@@ -785,7 +785,7 @@ func (c *Catalog) DefaultBuildRun(buildRunName string, buildName string) *build.
 		},
 		Spec: build.BuildRunSpec{
 			Build: &build.ReferencedBuild{
-				Name: buildName,
+				Name: &buildName,
 			},
 		},
 		Status: build.BuildRunStatus{
@@ -830,7 +830,7 @@ func (c *Catalog) BuildRunWithBuildSnapshot(buildRunName string, buildName strin
 		},
 		Spec: build.BuildRunSpec{
 			Build: &build.ReferencedBuild{
-				Name: buildName,
+				Name: &buildName,
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -855,7 +855,7 @@ func (c *Catalog) BuildRunWithExistingOwnerReferences(buildRunName string, build
 		},
 		Spec: build.BuildRunSpec{
 			Build: &build.ReferencedBuild{
-				Name: buildName,
+				Name: &buildName,
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -871,7 +871,7 @@ func (c *Catalog) BuildRunWithFakeNamespace(buildRunName string, buildName strin
 		},
 		Spec: build.BuildRunSpec{
 			Build: &build.ReferencedBuild{
-				Name: buildName,
+				Name: &buildName,
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -960,7 +960,7 @@ func (c *Catalog) BuildRunWithSA(buildRunName string, buildName string, saName s
 		},
 		Spec: build.BuildRunSpec{
 			Build: &build.ReferencedBuild{
-				Name: buildName,
+				Name: &buildName,
 			},
 			ServiceAccount: &saName,
 		},
@@ -976,7 +976,7 @@ func (c *Catalog) BuildRunWithoutSA(buildRunName string, buildName string) *buil
 		},
 		Spec: build.BuildRunSpec{
 			Build: &build.ReferencedBuild{
-				Name: buildName,
+				Name: &buildName,
 			},
 			ServiceAccount: nil,
 		},
@@ -992,7 +992,7 @@ func (c *Catalog) BuildRunWithSAGenerate(buildRunName string, buildName string)
 		},
 		Spec: build.BuildRunSpec{
 			Build: &build.ReferencedBuild{
-				Name: buildName,
+				Name: &buildName,
 			},
 			ServiceAccount: pointer.String(".generate"),
 		},
@@ -1054,7 +1054,7 @@ func (c *Catalog) LoadBRWithNameAndRef(name string, buildName string, d []byte)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	b.Name = name
-	b.Spec.Build.Name = buildName
+	b.Spec.Build.Name = &buildName
 	return b, nil
 }