diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm.go b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm.go
index a4b825a8aa3..bce2e824d5c 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm.go
@@ -401,18 +401,23 @@ func (h *HelmDeployer) deleteRelease(ctx context.Context, out io.Writer, r lates
 
 func (h *HelmDeployer) joinTagsToBuildResult(builds []build.Artifact, params map[string]string) (map[string]build.Artifact, error) {
 	imageToBuildResult := map[string]build.Artifact{}
-	for _, build := range builds {
-		imageToBuildResult[build.ImageName] = build
+	for _, b := range builds {
+		imageToBuildResult[b.ImageName] = b
 	}
 
 	paramToBuildResult := map[string]build.Artifact{}
 	for param, imageName := range params {
 		newImageName := util.SubstituteDefaultRepoIntoImage(h.defaultRepo, imageName)
-		build, ok := imageToBuildResult[newImageName]
+		b, ok := imageToBuildResult[newImageName]
 		if !ok {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("no build present for %s", imageName)
+			if len(builds) == 0 {
+				logrus.Debugf("no build artifacts present. Assuming skaffold deploy. Continuing with %s", imageName)
+				b = build.Artifact{ImageName: imageName, Tag: imageName}
+			} else {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("no build present for %s", imageName)
+			}
 		}
-		paramToBuildResult[param] = build
+		paramToBuildResult[param] = b
 	}
 	return paramToBuildResult, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm_test.go b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm_test.go
index 37c36d1bf5f..b5cf380ece0 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm_test.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm_test.go
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ spec:
       containers:
         - name: skaffold-helm
           image: gcr.io/nick-cloudbuild/skaffold-helm:f759510436c8fd6f7ffa13dd9e9d85e64bec8d2bfd12c5aa3fb9af1288eccdab
-          imagePullPolicy: 
+          imagePullPolicy:
           command: ["/bin/bash", "-c", "--" ]
           args: ["while true; do sleep 30; done;"]
           resources:
@@ -301,7 +301,13 @@ func TestHelmDeploy(t *testing.T) {
 			builds:      testBuilds,
 		},
 		{
-			description: "deploy error unmatched parameter",
+			description: "deploy should not error for unmatched parameter when no builds present",
+			cmd:         &MockHelm{t: t},
+			runContext:  makeRunContext(testDeployConfigParameterUnmatched, false),
+			builds:      nil,
+		},
+		{
+			description: "deploy should error for unmatched parameter when builds present",
 			cmd:         &MockHelm{t: t},
 			runContext:  makeRunContext(testDeployConfigParameterUnmatched, false),
 			builds:      testBuilds,