diff --git a/pkg/validation/projects.go b/pkg/validation/projects.go
index 61e098fd5..ea4e8880d 100644
--- a/pkg/validation/projects.go
+++ b/pkg/validation/projects.go
@@ -21,15 +21,18 @@ func ValidateStarterProjects(starterProjects []v1alpha2.StarterProject) error {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		if len(gitSource.Remotes) == 0 {
+		switch len(gitSource.Remotes) {
+		case 0:
 			errString += fmt.Sprintf("\nstarterProject %s should have at least one remote", starterProject.Name)
-		} else if len(gitSource.Remotes) > 1 {
-			errString += fmt.Sprintf("\nstarterProject %s should have one remote only", starterProject.Name)
-		} else if gitSource.CheckoutFrom.Remote != "" {
-			err := validateRemoteMap(gitSource.Remotes, gitSource.CheckoutFrom.Remote, starterProject.Name)
-			if err != nil {
-				errString += fmt.Sprintf("\n%s", err.Error())
+		case 1:
+			if gitSource.CheckoutFrom != nil && gitSource.CheckoutFrom.Remote != "" {
+				err := validateRemoteMap(gitSource.Remotes, gitSource.CheckoutFrom.Remote, starterProject.Name)
+				if err != nil {
+					errString += fmt.Sprintf("\n%s", err.Error())
+				}
 			}
+		default: // len(gitSource.Remotes) >= 2
+			errString += fmt.Sprintf("\nstarterProject %s should have one remote only", starterProject.Name)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -56,11 +59,21 @@ func ValidateProjects(projects []v1alpha2.Project) error {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		if len(gitSource.Remotes) == 0 {
+		switch len(gitSource.Remotes) {
+		case 0:
 			errString += fmt.Sprintf("\nprojects %s should have at least one remote", project.Name)
-		} else if len(gitSource.Remotes) > 1 || gitSource.CheckoutFrom.Remote != "" {
-			err := validateRemoteMap(gitSource.Remotes, gitSource.CheckoutFrom.Remote, project.Name)
-			if err != nil {
+		case 1:
+			if gitSource.CheckoutFrom != nil && gitSource.CheckoutFrom.Remote != "" {
+				if err := validateRemoteMap(gitSource.Remotes, gitSource.CheckoutFrom.Remote, project.Name); err != nil {
+					errString += fmt.Sprintf("\n%s", err.Error())
+				}
+			}
+		default: // len(gitSource.Remotes) >= 2
+			if gitSource.CheckoutFrom == nil || gitSource.CheckoutFrom.Remote == "" {
+				errString += fmt.Sprintf("\nproject %s has more than one remote defined, but has no checkoutfrom remote defined", project.Name)
+				continue
+			}
+			if err := validateRemoteMap(gitSource.Remotes, gitSource.CheckoutFrom.Remote, project.Name); err != nil {
 				errString += fmt.Sprintf("\n%s", err.Error())
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/validation/projects_test.go b/pkg/validation/projects_test.go
index 07a60cece..c32853e71 100644
--- a/pkg/validation/projects_test.go
+++ b/pkg/validation/projects_test.go
@@ -7,64 +7,56 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
-func generateDummyGitStarterProject(name, checkoutRemote string, remotes map[string]string) v1alpha2.StarterProject {
+func generateDummyGitStarterProject(name string, checkoutRemote *v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom, remotes map[string]string) v1alpha2.StarterProject {
 	return v1alpha2.StarterProject{
 		Name: name,
 		ProjectSource: v1alpha2.ProjectSource{
 			Git: &v1alpha2.GitProjectSource{
 				GitLikeProjectSource: v1alpha2.GitLikeProjectSource{
-					Remotes: remotes,
-					CheckoutFrom: &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{
-						Remote: checkoutRemote,
-					},
+					Remotes:      remotes,
+					CheckoutFrom: checkoutRemote,
 				},
 			},
 		},
 	}
 }
 
-func generateDummyGithubStarterProject(name, checkoutRemote string, remotes map[string]string) v1alpha2.StarterProject {
+func generateDummyGithubStarterProject(name string, checkoutRemote *v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom, remotes map[string]string) v1alpha2.StarterProject {
 	return v1alpha2.StarterProject{
 		Name: name,
 		ProjectSource: v1alpha2.ProjectSource{
 			Github: &v1alpha2.GithubProjectSource{
 				GitLikeProjectSource: v1alpha2.GitLikeProjectSource{
-					Remotes: remotes,
-					CheckoutFrom: &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{
-						Remote: checkoutRemote,
-					},
+					Remotes:      remotes,
+					CheckoutFrom: checkoutRemote,
 				},
 			},
 		},
 	}
 }
 
-func generateDummyGitProject(name, checkoutRemote string, remotes map[string]string) v1alpha2.Project {
+func generateDummyGitProject(name string, checkoutRemote *v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom, remotes map[string]string) v1alpha2.Project {
 	return v1alpha2.Project{
 		Name: name,
 		ProjectSource: v1alpha2.ProjectSource{
 			Git: &v1alpha2.GitProjectSource{
 				GitLikeProjectSource: v1alpha2.GitLikeProjectSource{
-					Remotes: remotes,
-					CheckoutFrom: &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{
-						Remote: checkoutRemote,
-					},
+					Remotes:      remotes,
+					CheckoutFrom: checkoutRemote,
 				},
 			},
 		},
 	}
 }
 
-func generateDummyGithubProject(name, checkoutRemote string, remotes map[string]string) v1alpha2.Project {
+func generateDummyGithubProject(name string, checkoutRemote *v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom, remotes map[string]string) v1alpha2.Project {
 	return v1alpha2.Project{
 		Name: name,
 		ProjectSource: v1alpha2.ProjectSource{
 			Github: &v1alpha2.GithubProjectSource{
 				GitLikeProjectSource: v1alpha2.GitLikeProjectSource{
-					Remotes: remotes,
-					CheckoutFrom: &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{
-						Remote: checkoutRemote,
-					},
+					Remotes:      remotes,
+					CheckoutFrom: checkoutRemote,
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -85,35 +77,41 @@ func TestValidateStarterProjects(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "Valid Starter Project",
 			starterProjects: []v1alpha2.StarterProject{
-				generateDummyGitStarterProject("project1", "origin", map[string]string{"origin": "originremote"}),
-				generateDummyGitStarterProject("project2", "origin", map[string]string{"origin": "originremote2"}),
+				generateDummyGitStarterProject("project1", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: "origin"}, map[string]string{"origin": "originremote"}),
+				generateDummyGitStarterProject("project2", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: "origin"}, map[string]string{"origin": "originremote2"}),
 			},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Invalid Starter Project",
 			starterProjects: []v1alpha2.StarterProject{
-				generateDummyGithubStarterProject("project1", "origin", map[string]string{"origin": "originremote", "test": "testremote"}),
+				generateDummyGithubStarterProject("project1", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: "origin"}, map[string]string{"origin": "originremote", "test": "testremote"}),
 			},
 			wantErr: &oneRemoteErr,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Invalid Starter Project with wrong checkout",
 			starterProjects: []v1alpha2.StarterProject{
-				generateDummyGithubStarterProject("project1", "origin", map[string]string{"test": "testremote"}),
+				generateDummyGithubStarterProject("project1", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: "origin"}, map[string]string{"test": "testremote"}),
 			},
 			wantErr: &wrongCheckoutErr,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Valid Starter Project with empty checkout remote",
 			starterProjects: []v1alpha2.StarterProject{
-				generateDummyGitStarterProject("project1", "", map[string]string{"origin": "originremote"}),
+				generateDummyGitStarterProject("project1", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: ""}, map[string]string{"origin": "originremote"}),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Valid Starter Project with no checkout remote",
+			starterProjects: []v1alpha2.StarterProject{
+				generateDummyGitStarterProject("project1", nil, map[string]string{"origin": "originremote"}),
 			},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Invalid Starter Project with empty remotes",
 			starterProjects: []v1alpha2.StarterProject{
-				generateDummyGithubStarterProject("project1", "origin", map[string]string{}),
-				generateDummyGithubStarterProject("project3", "origin", map[string]string{"origin": "originremote", "test": "testremote"}),
+				generateDummyGithubStarterProject("project1", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: "origin"}, map[string]string{}),
+				generateDummyGithubStarterProject("project3", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: "origin"}, map[string]string{"origin": "originremote", "test": "testremote"}),
 			},
 			wantErr: &atleastOneRemoteErr,
 		},
@@ -135,6 +133,7 @@ func TestValidateProjects(t *testing.T) {
 
 	wrongCheckoutErr := "unable to find the checkout remote .* in the remotes for project.*"
 	atleastOneRemoteErr := "projects .* should have at least one remote"
+	missingCheckOutFromRemoteErr := "project .* has more than one remote defined, but has no checkoutfrom remote defined"
 
 	tests := []struct {
 		name     string
@@ -144,37 +143,44 @@ func TestValidateProjects(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "Valid Project",
 			projects: []v1alpha2.Project{
-				generateDummyGitProject("project1", "origin", map[string]string{"origin": "originremote"}),
-				generateDummyGithubProject("project2", "origin", map[string]string{"origin": "originremote"}),
+				generateDummyGitProject("project1", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: "origin"}, map[string]string{"origin": "originremote"}),
+				generateDummyGithubProject("project2", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: "origin"}, map[string]string{"origin": "originremote"}),
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "Invalid Project with multiple remotes but no checkoutfrom",
+			projects: []v1alpha2.Project{
+				generateDummyGithubProject("project2", nil, map[string]string{"origin": "originremote", "test": "testremote"}),
+			},
+			wantErr: &missingCheckOutFromRemoteErr,
+		},
 		{
 			name: "Invalid Project with multiple remote and empty checkout remote",
 			projects: []v1alpha2.Project{
-				generateDummyGitProject("project2", "origin", map[string]string{"origin": "originremote"}),
-				generateDummyGithubProject("project1", "", map[string]string{"origin": "originremote", "test": "testremote"}),
+				generateDummyGitProject("project2", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: "origin"}, map[string]string{"origin": "originremote"}),
+				generateDummyGithubProject("project1", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: ""}, map[string]string{"origin": "originremote", "test": "testremote"}),
 			},
-			wantErr: &wrongCheckoutErr,
+			wantErr: &missingCheckOutFromRemoteErr,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Invalid Project with wrong checkout",
 			projects: []v1alpha2.Project{
-				generateDummyGithubProject("project1", "origin", map[string]string{"origin": "originremote", "test": "testremote"}),
-				generateDummyGitProject("project2", "origin1", map[string]string{"origin2": "originremote2"}),
+				generateDummyGithubProject("project1", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: "origin1"}, map[string]string{"origin": "originremote", "test": "testremote"}),
+				generateDummyGitProject("project2", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: "origin1"}, map[string]string{"origin2": "originremote2"}),
 			},
 			wantErr: &wrongCheckoutErr,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Valid Project with empty checkout remote",
 			projects: []v1alpha2.Project{
-				generateDummyGitProject("project1", "", map[string]string{"origin": "originremote"}),
+				generateDummyGitProject("project1", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: ""}, map[string]string{"origin": "originremote"}),
 			},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Invalid Project with empty remotes",
 			projects: []v1alpha2.Project{
-				generateDummyGitProject("project1", "origin", map[string]string{}),
-				generateDummyGithubProject("project2", "origins", map[string]string{"origin": "originremote", "test": "testremote"}),
+				generateDummyGitProject("project1", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: "origin"}, map[string]string{}),
+				generateDummyGithubProject("project2", &v1alpha2.CheckoutFrom{Remote: "origins"}, map[string]string{"origin": "originremote", "test": "testremote"}),
 			},
 			wantErr: &atleastOneRemoteErr,
 		},