diff --git a/pkg/engine/handlers/validation/validate_cel.go b/pkg/engine/handlers/validation/validate_cel.go
index aac07dca10..aec490062d 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/handlers/validation/validate_cel.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/handlers/validation/validate_cel.go
@@ -130,12 +130,20 @@ func (h validateCELHandler) Process(
 	if gvk.Kind == "Namespace" && gvk.Version == "v1" && gvk.Group == "" {
 		namespaceName = ""
 	}
-	if namespaceName != "" && h.client != nil {
-		namespace, err = h.client.GetNamespace(ctx, namespaceName, metav1.GetOptions{})
-		if err != nil {
-			return resource, handlers.WithResponses(
-				engineapi.RuleError(rule.Name, engineapi.Validation, "Error getting the resource's namespace", err),
-			)
+	if namespaceName != "" {
+		if h.client != nil {
+			namespace, err = h.client.GetNamespace(ctx, namespaceName, metav1.GetOptions{})
+			if err != nil {
+				return resource, handlers.WithResponses(
+					engineapi.RuleError(rule.Name, engineapi.Validation, "Error getting the resource's namespace", err),
+				)
+			}
+		} else {
+			namespace = &corev1.Namespace{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name: namespaceName,
+				},
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/cli/test/check-deployment-namespace-cel/kyverno-test.yaml b/test/cli/test/check-deployment-namespace-cel/kyverno-test.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..768a43e32b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cli/test/check-deployment-namespace-cel/kyverno-test.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+apiVersion: cli.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Test
+metadata:
+  name: kyverno-test.yaml
+policies:
+- policy.yaml
+resources:
+- resources.yaml
+results:
+- kind: Deployment
+  policy: disallow-default-namespace
+  resources:
+  - bad-deployment
+  result: fail
+  rule: validate-deployment-namespace
+- kind: Deployment
+  policy: disallow-default-namespace
+  resources:
+  - good-deployment
+  result: pass
+  rule: validate-deployment-namespace
diff --git a/test/cli/test/check-deployment-namespace-cel/policy.yaml b/test/cli/test/check-deployment-namespace-cel/policy.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d50a913abd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cli/test/check-deployment-namespace-cel/policy.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+apiVersion: kyverno.io/v1
+kind: ClusterPolicy
+metadata:
+  name: disallow-default-namespace
+spec:
+  validationFailureAction: Audit
+  background: true
+  rules:
+  - name: validate-deployment-namespace
+    match:
+      any:
+      - resources:
+          kinds:
+          - Deployment
+    validate:
+      cel:
+        expressions:
+          - expression: "namespaceObject.metadata.name != 'default'"
+            message: "Using 'default' namespace is not allowed for deployments."
diff --git a/test/cli/test/check-deployment-namespace-cel/resources.yaml b/test/cli/test/check-deployment-namespace-cel/resources.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6a0dc66170
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cli/test/check-deployment-namespace-cel/resources.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: Deployment
+metadata:
+  name: bad-deployment
+  namespace: default
+  labels:
+    app: busybox
+spec:
+  replicas: 2
+  selector:
+    matchLabels:
+      app: busybox
+  template:
+    metadata:
+      labels:
+        app: busybox
+    spec:
+      containers:
+      - name: busybox
+        image: busybox:latest
+---
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: Deployment
+metadata:
+  name: good-deployment
+  namespace: staging
+  labels:
+    app: busybox
+spec:
+  replicas: 2
+  selector:
+    matchLabels:
+      app: busybox
+  template:
+    metadata:
+      labels:
+        app: busybox
+    spec:
+      containers:
+      - name: busybox
+        image: busybox:latest