diff --git a/pkg/cmd/tknpac/create/repository.go b/pkg/cmd/tknpac/create/repository.go
index 49f642b20d..8bf4deddb7 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/tknpac/create/repository.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/tknpac/create/repository.go
@@ -153,10 +153,30 @@ func (r *RepoOptions) Create(ctx context.Context) (string, string, error) {
 	return repoName, repoNamespace, err
 }
 
+// checkSystemNamespace errors for openshift-pipelines, tekton-pipelines, and openshift-* namespaces;
+// warns for kube-* and tekton-* prefixes.
+func checkSystemNamespace(ns string, opts *RepoOptions) error {
+	if ns == "openshift-pipelines" || ns == "tekton-pipelines" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("namespace %s is not supported as a target for repositories", ns)
+	}
+	if strings.HasPrefix(ns, "openshift-") {
+		return fmt.Errorf("cannot create a repository in namespace %s as system namespaces are not supported", ns)
+	}
+	if strings.HasPrefix(ns, "kube-") {
+		fmt.Fprintf(opts.IoStreams.Out, "%s Warning: namespace %s has prefix kube- which is a system namespace\n",
+			opts.IoStreams.ColorScheme().WarningIcon(), ns)
+	}
+	if strings.HasPrefix(ns, "tekton-") {
+		fmt.Fprintf(opts.IoStreams.Out, "%s Warning: namespace %s has prefix tekton- which is a system namespace\n",
+			opts.IoStreams.ColorScheme().WarningIcon(), ns)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // getOrCreateNamespace ask and create namespace or use the default one.
 func getOrCreateNamespace(ctx context.Context, opts *RepoOptions) error {
 	if opts.Repository.Namespace != "" {
-		return nil
+		return checkSystemNamespace(opts.Repository.Namespace, opts)
 	}
 
 	// by default, use the current namespace unless it's default or
@@ -179,6 +199,9 @@ func getOrCreateNamespace(ctx context.Context, opts *RepoOptions) error {
 	if chosenNS == "" {
 		chosenNS = autoNS
 	}
+	if err := checkSystemNamespace(chosenNS, opts); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	// check if the namespace exists if it does just exit
 	_, err := opts.Run.Clients.Kube.CoreV1().Namespaces().Get(ctx, chosenNS, metav1.GetOptions{})
 	if err == nil {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/tknpac/create/repository_test.go b/pkg/cmd/tknpac/create/repository_test.go
index e0f9b420a7..983bee97c6 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/tknpac/create/repository_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/tknpac/create/repository_test.go
@@ -187,6 +187,93 @@ func TestGetNamespace(t *testing.T) {
 				Kube: &info.KubeOpts{},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "error on openshift-pipelines namespace via prompt",
+			askStubs: func(as *prompt.AskStubber) {
+				as.StubOne("openshift-pipelines")
+			},
+			wantErrStr: "namespace openshift-pipelines is not supported as a target for repositories",
+			runInfo: info.Info{
+				Kube: &info.KubeOpts{},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "error on tekton-pipelines namespace via prompt",
+			askStubs: func(as *prompt.AskStubber) {
+				as.StubOne("tekton-pipelines")
+			},
+			wantErrStr: "namespace tekton-pipelines is not supported as a target for repositories",
+			runInfo: info.Info{
+				Kube: &info.KubeOpts{},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "error on openshift system namespace prefix via prompt",
+			askStubs: func(as *prompt.AskStubber) {
+				as.StubOne("openshift-foo")
+			},
+			wantErrStr: "cannot create a repository in namespace openshift-foo as system namespaces are not supported",
+			runInfo: info.Info{
+				Kube: &info.KubeOpts{},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "warn on kube system namespace via prompt",
+			askStubs: func(as *prompt.AskStubber) {
+				as.StubOne("kube-system")
+				as.StubOne(true)
+			},
+			wantStdout: "! Warning: namespace kube-system has prefix kube- which is a system namespace\n! Namespace kube-system is not found",
+			runInfo: info.Info{
+				Kube: &info.KubeOpts{},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "error on openshift-pipelines namespace via flag",
+			repo: apipac.Repository{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Namespace: "openshift-pipelines"},
+			},
+			wantErrStr: "namespace openshift-pipelines is not supported as a target for repositories",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "warn on kube system namespace via flag",
+			repo: apipac.Repository{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Namespace: "kube-system"},
+			},
+			wantStdout: "! Warning: namespace kube-system has prefix kube- which is a system namespace",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "error on tekton-pipelines namespace via flag",
+			repo: apipac.Repository{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Namespace: "tekton-pipelines"},
+			},
+			wantErrStr: "namespace tekton-pipelines is not supported as a target for repositories",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "error on openshift system namespace prefix via flag",
+			repo: apipac.Repository{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Namespace: "openshift-foo"},
+			},
+			wantErrStr: "cannot create a repository in namespace openshift-foo as system namespaces are not supported",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "warn on tekton system namespace prefix via prompt",
+			askStubs: func(as *prompt.AskStubber) {
+				as.StubOne("tekton-foo")
+				as.StubOne(true)
+			},
+			wantStdout: "! Warning: namespace tekton-foo has prefix tekton- which is a system namespace\n! Namespace tekton-foo is not found",
+			runInfo: info.Info{
+				Kube: &info.KubeOpts{},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "warn on tekton system namespace prefix via flag",
+			repo: apipac.Repository{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Namespace: "tekton-foo"},
+			},
+			wantStdout: "! Warning: namespace tekton-foo has prefix tekton- which is a system namespace",
+		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {