diff --git a/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/commands/create/exception/command_test.go b/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/commands/create/exception/command_test.go
index 96ef4b4b68..e177c733d9 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/commands/create/exception/command_test.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/commands/create/exception/command_test.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ apiVersion: kyverno.io/v2beta1
 kind: PolicyException
 metadata:
   name: test
-  namespace: 
+  namespace: default
 spec:
   background: true
   match:
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ apiVersion: kyverno.io/v2beta1
 kind: PolicyException
 metadata:
   name: test
-  namespace: 
+  namespace: default
 spec:
   background: true
   match:
diff --git a/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/commands/create/templates/exception.yaml b/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/commands/create/templates/exception.yaml
index a410ba0abf..bdb65cc3a0 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/commands/create/templates/exception.yaml
+++ b/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/commands/create/templates/exception.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ apiVersion: kyverno.io/v2beta1
 kind: PolicyException
 metadata:
   name: {{ .Name }}
-  namespace: {{ .Namespace }}
+  namespace: {{ or .Namespace "default" }}
 spec:
   background: {{ .Background }}
   match: