diff --git a/cmd/kinflate/testdata/simple/out/expected.yaml b/cmd/kinflate/testdata/simple/out/expected.yaml
index 4941f740f..5f79971c6 100644
--- a/cmd/kinflate/testdata/simple/out/expected.yaml
+++ b/cmd/kinflate/testdata/simple/out/expected.yaml
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ spec:
         ports:
         - containerPort: 80
       - envFrom:
+        - configMapRef:
+            name: someConfigMap
         - configMapRef:
             name: test-infra-app-env-hf26mf2f2f
         - secretRef:
diff --git a/pkg/kinflate/examples/simple/instances/exampleinstance/deployment/deployment.yaml b/pkg/kinflate/examples/simple/instances/exampleinstance/deployment/deployment.yaml
index 4d9e12af2..5a481a080 100644
--- a/pkg/kinflate/examples/simple/instances/exampleinstance/deployment/deployment.yaml
+++ b/pkg/kinflate/examples/simple/instances/exampleinstance/deployment/deployment.yaml
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ spec:
       - name: busybox
         image: busybox
         envFrom:
+        - configMapRef:
+            name: someConfigMap
         - configMapRef:
             name: app-env
         - secretRef:
diff --git a/pkg/kinflate/util/namereference.go b/pkg/kinflate/util/namereference.go
index 6febdc797..e6714ca01 100644
--- a/pkg/kinflate/util/namereference.go
+++ b/pkg/kinflate/util/namereference.go
@@ -61,12 +61,6 @@ func (o *NameReferenceTransformer) Transform(
 				}
 				err := mutateField(objMap, path.Path, path.CreateIfNotPresent,
 					o.updateNameReference(referencePathConfig.referencedGVK, m))
-				// Ignore the error when we can't find the GVKN that is being
-				// referenced, because the missing GVKN may be not included in
-				// this manifest and will be created later.
-				if IsNoMatchingGVKNError(err) {
-					continue
-				}
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
@@ -116,7 +110,6 @@ func (o *NameReferenceTransformer) updateNameReference(
 				return obj.GetName(), nil
 			}
 		}
-		return nil, NewNoMatchingGVKNError(
-			fmt.Sprintf("no matching for GroupVersionKind %v and Name %v", GVK, s))
+		return in, nil
 	}
 }