diff --git a/internal/controller/vrg_kubeobjects.go b/internal/controller/vrg_kubeobjects.go
index 08c2ce091..56763f9de 100644
--- a/internal/controller/vrg_kubeobjects.go
+++ b/internal/controller/vrg_kubeobjects.go
@@ -954,9 +954,10 @@ func convertRecipeHookToCaptureSpec(
 func convertRecipeHookToRecoverSpec(hook Recipe.Hook, suffix string) (*kubeobjects.RecoverSpec, error) {
 	hookSpec := getHookSpecFromHook(hook, suffix)
 
+	// A RecoverSpec with KubeResourcesSpec.IsHook set to true is never sent to
+	// Velero. It will only be used by Ramen to execute the hook.
+	// We don't need a backup name for it.
 	return &kubeobjects.RecoverSpec{
-		// BackupName: arbitrary fixed string to designate that this is will be a Backup, not Restore, object
-		BackupName: ramen.ReservedBackupName,
 		Spec: kubeobjects.Spec{
 			KubeResourcesSpec: kubeobjects.KubeResourcesSpec{
 				IncludedNamespaces: []string{hook.Namespace},
@@ -1036,8 +1037,13 @@ func getOpHookSpec(hook *Recipe.Hook, suffix string) kubeobjects.HookSpec {
 }
 
 func convertRecipeGroupToRecoverSpec(group Recipe.Group) (*kubeobjects.RecoverSpec, error) {
+	backupName := group.Name
+	if group.BackupRef != "" {
+		backupName = group.BackupRef
+	}
+
 	return &kubeobjects.RecoverSpec{
-		BackupName: group.BackupRef,
+		BackupName: backupName,
 		Spec: kubeobjects.Spec{
 			KubeResourcesSpec: kubeobjects.KubeResourcesSpec{
 				IncludedNamespaces: group.IncludedNamespaces,
diff --git a/internal/controller/vrg_kubeobjects_test.go b/internal/controller/vrg_kubeobjects_test.go
index cd2f6e29c..1948f1389 100644
--- a/internal/controller/vrg_kubeobjects_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/vrg_kubeobjects_test.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 
-	ramen "github.com/ramendr/ramen/api/v1alpha1"
 	Recipe "github.com/ramendr/recipe/api/v1alpha1"
 )
 
@@ -100,7 +99,6 @@ var _ = Describe("VRG_KubeObjectProtection", func() {
 
 		It("Hook to RecoverSpec", func() {
 			targetRecoverSpec := &kubeobjects.RecoverSpec{
-				BackupName: ramen.ReservedBackupName,
 				Spec: kubeobjects.Spec{
 					KubeResourcesSpec: kubeobjects.KubeResourcesSpec{
 						IncludedNamespaces: []string{namespaceName},