diff --git a/pkg/controller/scheduler_daemonset_fixture_test.go b/pkg/controller/scheduler_daemonset_fixture_test.go
index 7b7cfb7d..354874f5 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/scheduler_daemonset_fixture_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/scheduler_daemonset_fixture_test.go
@@ -356,6 +356,10 @@ func newDaemonSetTestCanaryAB() *flaggerv1.Canary {
 							Min: toFloatPtr(0),
 							Max: toFloatPtr(500000),
 						},
+						TemplateRef: &flaggerv1.CrossNamespaceObjectReference{
+							Name:      "envoy",
+							Namespace: "default",
+						},
 						Interval: "1m",
 						Query:    "fake",
 					},
diff --git a/pkg/controller/scheduler_deployment_fixture_test.go b/pkg/controller/scheduler_deployment_fixture_test.go
index c08c4541..4ad0ad6e 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/scheduler_deployment_fixture_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/scheduler_deployment_fixture_test.go
@@ -396,6 +396,10 @@ func newDeploymentTestCanaryAB() *flaggerv1.Canary {
 							Min: toFloatPtr(0),
 							Max: toFloatPtr(500000),
 						},
+						TemplateRef: &flaggerv1.CrossNamespaceObjectReference{
+							Name:      "envoy",
+							Namespace: "default",
+						},
 						Interval: "1m",
 						Query:    "fake",
 					},
diff --git a/pkg/controller/scheduler_metrics.go b/pkg/controller/scheduler_metrics.go
index 960db811..6d2d3c82 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/scheduler_metrics.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/scheduler_metrics.go
@@ -306,6 +306,9 @@ func (c *Controller) runMetricChecks(canary *flaggerv1.Canary) bool {
 					canary.Name, canary.Namespace, metric.Name, val, metric.Threshold)
 				return false
 			}
+		} else if metric.Name != "request-success-rate" && metric.Name != "request-duration" {
+			c.recordEventErrorf(canary, "Metric query failed for no usable metrics template were configured")
+			return false
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/scheduler_metrics_test.go b/pkg/controller/scheduler_metrics_test.go
index 0f70c17e..13ebcb59 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/scheduler_metrics_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/scheduler_metrics_test.go
@@ -107,4 +107,36 @@ func TestController_runMetricChecks(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		assert.Equal(t, true, ctrl.runMetricChecks(canary))
 	})
+
+	t.Run("undefined metric", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ctrl := newDeploymentFixture(nil).ctrl
+		analysis := &flaggerv1.CanaryAnalysis{Metrics: []flaggerv1.CanaryMetric{{
+			Name: "undefined metric",
+			ThresholdRange: &flaggerv1.CanaryThresholdRange{
+				Min: toFloatPtr(0),
+				Max: toFloatPtr(100),
+			},
+		}}}
+		canary := &flaggerv1.Canary{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Namespace: "default"},
+			Spec:       flaggerv1.CanarySpec{Analysis: analysis},
+		}
+		assert.Equal(t, false, ctrl.runMetricChecks(canary))
+	})
+
+	t.Run("builtinMetric", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ctrl := newDeploymentFixture(nil).ctrl
+		analysis := &flaggerv1.CanaryAnalysis{Metrics: []flaggerv1.CanaryMetric{{
+			Name: "request-success-rate",
+			ThresholdRange: &flaggerv1.CanaryThresholdRange{
+				Min: toFloatPtr(0),
+				Max: toFloatPtr(100),
+			},
+		}}}
+		canary := &flaggerv1.Canary{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Namespace: "default"},
+			Spec:       flaggerv1.CanarySpec{Analysis: analysis},
+		}
+		assert.Equal(t, true, ctrl.runMetricChecks(canary))
+	})
 }