diff --git a/pkg/engine/utils.go b/pkg/engine/utils.go
index 0e792ace04..063f299999 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/utils.go
@@ -256,15 +256,15 @@ func matchSubjects(ruleSubjects []rbacv1.Subject, userInfo authenticationv1.User
 }
 
 //MatchesResourceDescription checks if the resource matches resource description of the rule or not
-func MatchesResourceDescription(resourceRef unstructured.Unstructured, ruleRef kyverno.Rule, admissionInfoRef kyverno.RequestInfo, dynamicConfig []string, namespaceLabels map[string]string) error {
+func MatchesResourceDescription(resourceRef unstructured.Unstructured, ruleRef *kyverno.Rule, admissionInfoRef kyverno.RequestInfo, dynamicConfig []string, namespaceLabels map[string]string) error {
 
-	rule := *ruleRef.DeepCopy()
+	rule := ruleRef.DeepCopy()
 	resource := *resourceRef.DeepCopy()
 	admissionInfo := *admissionInfoRef.DeepCopy()
 
 	var reasonsForFailure []error
 	if len(rule.MatchResources.Any) > 0 {
-		// inlcude object if ANY of the criterias match
+		// include object if ANY of the criteria match
 		// so if one matches then break from loop
 		oneMatched := false
 		for _, rmr := range rule.MatchResources.Any {
diff --git a/pkg/engine/validation.go b/pkg/engine/validation.go
index 844acb72a6..de16f651cb 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/validation.go
@@ -92,7 +92,8 @@ func validateResource(log logr.Logger, ctx *PolicyContext) *response.EngineRespo
 	ctx.JSONContext.Checkpoint()
 	defer ctx.JSONContext.Restore()
 
-	for _, rule := range ctx.Policy.Spec.Rules {
+	for i := range ctx.Policy.Spec.Rules {
+		rule := &ctx.Policy.Spec.Rules[i]
 		if !rule.HasValidate() {
 			continue
 		}
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ func validateResource(log logr.Logger, ctx *PolicyContext) *response.EngineRespo
 		ctx.JSONContext.Reset()
 		startTime := time.Now()
 
-		ruleResp := processValidationRule(log, ctx, &rule)
+		ruleResp := processValidationRule(log, ctx, rule)
 		if ruleResp != nil {
 			addRuleResponse(log, resp, ruleResp, startTime)
 		}
@@ -417,7 +418,7 @@ func isEmptyUnstructured(u *unstructured.Unstructured) bool {
 }
 
 // matches checks if either the new or old resource satisfies the filter conditions defined in the rule
-func matches(logger logr.Logger, rule kyverno.Rule, ctx *PolicyContext) bool {
+func matches(logger logr.Logger, rule *kyverno.Rule, ctx *PolicyContext) bool {
 	err := MatchesResourceDescription(ctx.NewResource, rule, ctx.AdmissionInfo, ctx.ExcludeGroupRole, ctx.NamespaceLabels)
 	if err == nil {
 		return true