diff --git a/components/image-builder-mk3/pkg/orchestrator/orchestrator.go b/components/image-builder-mk3/pkg/orchestrator/orchestrator.go
index 3ad7bc8e6bba2a..ef0e6d70a061bf 100644
--- a/components/image-builder-mk3/pkg/orchestrator/orchestrator.go
+++ b/components/image-builder-mk3/pkg/orchestrator/orchestrator.go
@@ -340,7 +340,9 @@ func (o *Orchestrator) Build(req *protocol.BuildRequest, resp protocol.ImageBuil
 	var additionalAuth []byte
 	if err == nil {
 		res := make(auth.ImageBuildAuth)
-		res[reference.Domain(wsref)] = registry.AuthConfig(*wsrefAuth)
+		if wsrefAuth != nil {
+			res[reference.Domain(wsref)] = registry.AuthConfig(*wsrefAuth)
+		}
 		workspaceAuth, err = json.Marshal(map[string]auth.ImageBuildAuth{"auths": res})
 		if err != nil {
 			return xerrors.Errorf("cannot marshal additional auth: %w", err)