diff --git a/pkg/cel/policy/policy.go b/pkg/cel/policy/policy.go
index 1136ea5c20..398020c10a 100644
--- a/pkg/cel/policy/policy.go
+++ b/pkg/cel/policy/policy.go
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ func (p *compiledPolicy) evaluateWithData(
 		if outcome, err := utils.ConvertToNative[bool](out); err == nil && !outcome {
 			message := validation.Message
 			if validation.MessageExpression != nil {
-				if out, _, err := validation.MessageExpression.ContextEval(ctx, data); err != nil {
+				if out, _, err := validation.MessageExpression.ContextEval(ctx, dataNew); err != nil {
 					message = fmt.Sprintf("failed to evaluate message expression: %s", err)
 				} else if msg, err := utils.ConvertToNative[string](out); err != nil {
 					message = fmt.Sprintf("failed to convert message expression to string: %s", err)