diff --git a/pkg/controller/podunavailablebudget/pub_pod_event_handler.go b/pkg/controller/podunavailablebudget/pub_pod_event_handler.go
index d4a6b2c64c..f0e83162bb 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/podunavailablebudget/pub_pod_event_handler.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/podunavailablebudget/pub_pod_event_handler.go
@@ -100,8 +100,6 @@ func GetPubForPod(c client.Client, pod *corev1.Pod) (*policyv1alpha1.PodUnavaila
 	workload, err := controllerfinder.Finder.GetScaleAndSelectorForRef(ref.APIVersion, ref.Kind, pod.Namespace, ref.Name, "")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
-	} else if workload == nil {
-		return nil, nil
 	}
 	pubList := &policyv1alpha1.PodUnavailableBudgetList{}
 	if err = c.List(context.TODO(), pubList, &client.ListOptions{Namespace: pod.Namespace}, utilclient.DisableDeepCopy); err != nil {
@@ -110,7 +108,7 @@ func GetPubForPod(c client.Client, pod *corev1.Pod) (*policyv1alpha1.PodUnavaila
 	for i := range pubList.Items {
 		pub := &pubList.Items[i]
 		// if targetReference isn't nil, priority to take effect
-		if pub.Spec.TargetReference != nil {
+		if pub.Spec.TargetReference != nil && workload != nil {
 			// belongs the same workload
 			if pubcontrol.IsReferenceEqual(&policyv1alpha1.TargetReference{
 				APIVersion: workload.APIVersion,