diff --git a/pkg/controller/build/build_controller.go b/pkg/controller/build/build_controller.go
index cafa5d1b02..2a71660eae 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/build/build_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/build/build_controller.go
@@ -339,10 +339,10 @@ func (r *ReconcileBuild) validateBuildRunOwnerReferences(ctx context.Context, b
 				if err = r.client.Update(ctx, &buildRun); err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
-				ctxlog.Info(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("succesfully updated BuildRun %s", buildRun.Name), namespace, buildRun.Namespace, name, buildRun.Name)
+				ctxlog.Info(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("successfully updated BuildRun %s", buildRun.Name), namespace, buildRun.Namespace, name, buildRun.Name)
 			}
 		}
-	case "false":
+	case "", "false":
 		// if the buildRun have an ownerreference to the Build, lets remove it
 		for _, buildRun := range buildRunList.Items {
 			if index := r.validateBuildOwnerReference(buildRun.OwnerReferences, b); index != -1 {
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ func (r *ReconcileBuild) validateBuildRunOwnerReferences(ctx context.Context, b
 				if err := r.client.Update(ctx, &buildRun); err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
-				ctxlog.Info(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("succesfully updated BuildRun %s", buildRun.Name), namespace, buildRun.Namespace, name, buildRun.Name)
+				ctxlog.Info(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("successfully updated BuildRun %s", buildRun.Name), namespace, buildRun.Namespace, name, buildRun.Name)
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/test/integration/build_to_buildruns_test.go b/test/integration/build_to_buildruns_test.go
index e7d9d99aee..bbeb743945 100644
--- a/test/integration/build_to_buildruns_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/build_to_buildruns_test.go
@@ -6,11 +6,13 @@ package integration_test
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
 
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 
 	"github.com/shipwright-io/build/pkg/apis/build/v1alpha1"
 	"github.com/shipwright-io/build/test"
@@ -369,6 +371,35 @@ var _ = Describe("Integration tests Build and BuildRuns", func() {
 			Expect(err).To(BeNil())
 			Expect(ownerReferenceNames(br.OwnerReferences)).ShouldNot(ContainElement(buildObject.Name))
 
+		})
+		It("does not deletes the buildrun if the annotation is removed", func() {
+
+			Expect(tb.CreateBuild(buildObject)).To(BeNil())
+
+			autoDeleteBuildRun, err := tb.Catalog.LoadBRWithNameAndRef(
+				BUILDRUN+tb.Namespace,
+				BUILD+tb.Namespace,
+				[]byte(test.MinimalBuildRun),
+			)
+			Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+
+			Expect(tb.CreateBR(autoDeleteBuildRun)).To(BeNil())
+
+			_, err = tb.GetBRTillStartTime(autoDeleteBuildRun.Name)
+			Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+
+			// we remove the annotation so automatic delete does not take place, "/" is escaped by "~1" in a JSON pointer
+			data := []byte(fmt.Sprintf(`[{"op":"remove","path":"/metadata/annotations/%s"}]`, strings.ReplaceAll(v1alpha1.AnnotationBuildRunDeletion, "/", "~1")))
+			_, err = tb.PatchBuildWithPatchType(BUILD+tb.Namespace, data, types.JSONPatchType)
+			Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+
+			err = tb.DeleteBuild(BUILD + tb.Namespace)
+			Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+
+			br, err := tb.GetBR(BUILDRUN + tb.Namespace)
+			Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+			Expect(ownerReferenceNames(br.OwnerReferences)).ShouldNot(ContainElement(buildObject.Name))
+
 		})
 		It("does delete the buildrun after several modifications of the annotation", func() {
 
diff --git a/test/integration/utils/builds.go b/test/integration/utils/builds.go
index 1eb72f6eb0..4c14ea9e26 100644
--- a/test/integration/utils/builds.go
+++ b/test/integration/utils/builds.go
@@ -38,10 +38,15 @@ func (t *TestBuild) GetBuild(name string) (*v1alpha1.Build, error) {
 		Get(name, metav1.GetOptions{})
 }
 
-// PatchBuild patches an existing Build
+// PatchBuild patches an existing Build using the merge patch type
 func (t *TestBuild) PatchBuild(buildName string, data []byte) (*v1alpha1.Build, error) {
+	return t.PatchBuildWithPatchType(buildName, data, types.MergePatchType)
+}
+
+// PatchBuildWithPatchType patches an existing Build and allows specifying the patch type
+func (t *TestBuild) PatchBuildWithPatchType(buildName string, data []byte, pt types.PatchType) (*v1alpha1.Build, error) {
 	bInterface := t.BuildClientSet.BuildV1alpha1().Builds(t.Namespace)
-	b, err := bInterface.Patch(buildName, types.MergePatchType, data)
+	b, err := bInterface.Patch(buildName, pt, data)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}