diff --git a/internal/builder/builder.go b/internal/builder/builder.go
index f6d9851ec8..6bd459e33f 100644
--- a/internal/builder/builder.go
+++ b/internal/builder/builder.go
@@ -236,9 +236,19 @@ func (b *Builder) Stack() StackMetadata {
 	return b.metadata.Stack
 }
 
-// RunImages returns the run image metadata
+// RunImages returns all run image metadata
 func (b *Builder) RunImages() []RunImageMetadata {
-	return b.metadata.RunImages
+	return append(b.metadata.RunImages, b.Stack().RunImage)
+}
+
+// DefaultRunImage returns the default run image metadata
+func (b *Builder) DefaultRunImage() RunImageMetadata {
+	// run.images are ensured in builder.ValidateConfig()
+	// per the spec, we use the first one as the default
+	if len(b.metadata.RunImages) == 0 {
+		return b.Stack().RunImage
+	}
+	return b.metadata.RunImages[0]
 }
 
 // Mixins returns the mixins of the builder
diff --git a/pkg/client/build.go b/pkg/client/build.go
index 1c1b06989f..5134c29985 100644
--- a/pkg/client/build.go
+++ b/pkg/client/build.go
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ func (c *Client) Build(ctx context.Context, opts BuildOptions) error {
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "invalid builder %s", style.Symbol(opts.Builder))
 	}
 
-	runImageName := c.resolveRunImage(opts.RunImage, imgRegistry, builderRef.Context().RegistryStr(), bldr.Stack(), opts.AdditionalMirrors, opts.Publish)
+	runImageName := c.resolveRunImage(opts.RunImage, imgRegistry, builderRef.Context().RegistryStr(), bldr.DefaultRunImage(), opts.AdditionalMirrors, opts.Publish)
 
 	fetchOptions := image.FetchOptions{Daemon: !opts.Publish, PullPolicy: opts.PullPolicy}
 	if opts.Layout() {
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ func (c *Client) getBuilder(img imgutil.Image) (*builder.Builder, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if bldr.Stack().RunImage.Image == "" {
+	if bldr.Stack().RunImage.Image == "" && len(bldr.RunImages()) == 0 {
 		return nil, errors.New("builder metadata is missing run-image")
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/client/common.go b/pkg/client/common.go
index b526edd95c..d6b4901cda 100644
--- a/pkg/client/common.go
+++ b/pkg/client/common.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func (c *Client) parseTagReference(imageName string) (name.Reference, error) {
 	return ref, nil
 }
 
-func (c *Client) resolveRunImage(runImage, imgRegistry, bldrRegistry string, stackInfo builder.StackMetadata, additionalMirrors map[string][]string, publish bool) string {
+func (c *Client) resolveRunImage(runImage, imgRegistry, bldrRegistry string, runImageMetadata builder.RunImageMetadata, additionalMirrors map[string][]string, publish bool) string {
 	if runImage != "" {
 		c.logger.Debugf("Using provided run-image %s", style.Symbol(runImage))
 		return runImage
@@ -41,15 +41,15 @@ func (c *Client) resolveRunImage(runImage, imgRegistry, bldrRegistry string, sta
 
 	runImageName := getBestRunMirror(
 		preferredRegistry,
-		stackInfo.RunImage.Image,
-		stackInfo.RunImage.Mirrors,
-		additionalMirrors[stackInfo.RunImage.Image],
+		runImageMetadata.Image,
+		runImageMetadata.Mirrors,
+		additionalMirrors[runImageMetadata.Image],
 	)
 
 	switch {
-	case runImageName == stackInfo.RunImage.Image:
+	case runImageName == runImageMetadata.Image:
 		c.logger.Debugf("Selected run image %s", style.Symbol(runImageName))
-	case contains(stackInfo.RunImage.Mirrors, runImageName):
+	case contains(runImageMetadata.Mirrors, runImageName):
 		c.logger.Debugf("Selected run image mirror %s", style.Symbol(runImageName))
 	default:
 		c.logger.Debugf("Selected run image mirror %s from local config", style.Symbol(runImageName))
diff --git a/pkg/client/common_test.go b/pkg/client/common_test.go
index 732c324b73..c52b1a37ac 100644
--- a/pkg/client/common_test.go
+++ b/pkg/client/common_test.go
@@ -59,14 +59,14 @@ func testCommon(t *testing.T, when spec.G, it spec.S) {
 		when("passed specific run image", func() {
 			it("selects that run image", func() {
 				runImgFlag := "flag/passed-run-image"
-				runImageName := subject.resolveRunImage(runImgFlag, defaultRegistry, "", stackInfo, nil, false)
+				runImageName := subject.resolveRunImage(runImgFlag, defaultRegistry, "", stackInfo.RunImage, nil, false)
 				assert.Equal(runImageName, runImgFlag)
 			})
 		})
 
 		when("publish is true", func() {
 			it("defaults to run-image in registry publishing to", func() {
-				runImageName := subject.resolveRunImage("", gcrRegistry, defaultRegistry, stackInfo, nil, true)
+				runImageName := subject.resolveRunImage("", gcrRegistry, defaultRegistry, stackInfo.RunImage, nil, true)
 				assert.Equal(runImageName, gcrRunMirror)
 			})
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func testCommon(t *testing.T, when spec.G, it spec.S) {
 				configMirrors := map[string][]string{
 					runImageName: {defaultRegistry + "/unique-run-img"},
 				}
-				runImageName := subject.resolveRunImage("", defaultRegistry, "", stackInfo, configMirrors, true)
+				runImageName := subject.resolveRunImage("", defaultRegistry, "", stackInfo.RunImage, configMirrors, true)
 				assert.NotEqual(runImageName, defaultMirror)
 				assert.Equal(runImageName, defaultRegistry+"/unique-run-img")
 			})
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ func testCommon(t *testing.T, when spec.G, it spec.S) {
 				configMirrors := map[string][]string{
 					runImageName: {defaultRegistry + "/unique-run-img"},
 				}
-				runImageName := subject.resolveRunImage("", "test.registry.io", "", stackInfo, configMirrors, true)
+				runImageName := subject.resolveRunImage("", "test.registry.io", "", stackInfo.RunImage, configMirrors, true)
 				assert.NotEqual(runImageName, defaultMirror)
 				assert.Equal(runImageName, defaultRegistry+"/unique-run-img")
 			})
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func testCommon(t *testing.T, when spec.G, it spec.S) {
 		// If publish is false, we are using the local daemon, and want to match to the builder registry
 		when("publish is false", func() {
 			it("defaults to run-image in registry publishing to", func() {
-				runImageName := subject.resolveRunImage("", gcrRegistry, defaultRegistry, stackInfo, nil, false)
+				runImageName := subject.resolveRunImage("", gcrRegistry, defaultRegistry, stackInfo.RunImage, nil, false)
 				assert.Equal(runImageName, defaultMirror)
 				assert.NotEqual(runImageName, gcrRunMirror)
 			})
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func testCommon(t *testing.T, when spec.G, it spec.S) {
 				configMirrors := map[string][]string{
 					runImageName: {defaultRegistry + "/unique-run-img"},
 				}
-				runImageName := subject.resolveRunImage("", gcrRegistry, defaultRegistry, stackInfo, configMirrors, false)
+				runImageName := subject.resolveRunImage("", gcrRegistry, defaultRegistry, stackInfo.RunImage, configMirrors, false)
 				assert.NotEqual(runImageName, defaultMirror)
 				assert.Equal(runImageName, defaultRegistry+"/unique-run-img")
 			})
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func testCommon(t *testing.T, when spec.G, it spec.S) {
 				configMirrors := map[string][]string{
 					runImageName: {defaultRegistry + "/unique-run-img"},
 				}
-				runImageName := subject.resolveRunImage("", defaultRegistry, "test.registry.io", stackInfo, configMirrors, false)
+				runImageName := subject.resolveRunImage("", defaultRegistry, "test.registry.io", stackInfo.RunImage, configMirrors, false)
 				assert.NotEqual(runImageName, defaultMirror)
 				assert.Equal(runImageName, defaultRegistry+"/unique-run-img")
 			})
diff --git a/pkg/client/rebase.go b/pkg/client/rebase.go
index 03dbebbe41..8035f997e7 100644
--- a/pkg/client/rebase.go
+++ b/pkg/client/rebase.go
@@ -70,11 +70,9 @@ func (c *Client) Rebase(ctx context.Context, opts RebaseOptions) error {
 		opts.RunImage,
 		imageRef.Context().RegistryStr(),
 		"",
-		builder.StackMetadata{
-			RunImage: builder.RunImageMetadata{
-				Image:   md.Stack.RunImage.Image,
-				Mirrors: md.Stack.RunImage.Mirrors,
-			},
+		builder.RunImageMetadata{
+			Image:   md.Stack.RunImage.Image,
+			Mirrors: md.Stack.RunImage.Mirrors,
 		},
 		opts.AdditionalMirrors,
 		opts.Publish)