diff --git a/pkg/chains/formats/slsa/v1/pipelinerun/pipelinerun.go b/pkg/chains/formats/slsa/v1/pipelinerun/pipelinerun.go
index 62690efb7c..2fdbb08e25 100644
--- a/pkg/chains/formats/slsa/v1/pipelinerun/pipelinerun.go
+++ b/pkg/chains/formats/slsa/v1/pipelinerun/pipelinerun.go
@@ -118,11 +118,15 @@ func buildConfig(ctx context.Context, pro *objects.PipelineRunObjectV1Beta1) Bui
 			}
 
 			steps := []attest.StepAttestation{}
+			if tr.Status.TaskSpec == nil || tr.Status.Steps == nil {
+				logger.Errorf("Nil TaskSpec or Steps in task run %s", tr.Name)
+				continue // Skip this task run if any part is nil
+			}
 			// tr.Status.TaskSpec.Steps and tr.Status.Steps should be sime size
-			if tr.Status.TaskSpec == nil || len(tr.Status.TaskSpec.Steps) != len(tr.Status.Steps) {
+			if len(tr.Status.TaskSpec.Steps) != len(tr.Status.Steps) {
 				logger.Errorf("Mismatch in number of steps for task run %s. TaskSpec steps: %d, Status steps: %d",
 					tr.Name, len(tr.Status.TaskSpec.Steps), len(tr.Status.Steps))
-				continue // Skip this task run entirely
+				continue
 			}
 
 			// Validate and process steps