diff --git a/apollo-router-core/src/query_planner/mod.rs b/apollo-router-core/src/query_planner/mod.rs
index a7d6eaa040..79cfe7633c 100644
--- a/apollo-router-core/src/query_planner/mod.rs
+++ b/apollo-router-core/src/query_planner/mod.rs
@@ -241,9 +241,9 @@ impl PlanNode {
         let required = self.variable_usage().collect::<HashSet<_>>();
         let provided = request
             .variables
-            .as_ref()
-            .map(|v| v.keys().map(|x| x.as_str()).collect::<HashSet<_>>())
-            .unwrap_or_default();
+            .keys()
+            .map(|x| x.as_str())
+            .collect::<HashSet<_>>();
         required
             .difference(&provided)
             .map(|x| FetchError::ValidationMissingVariable {
@@ -295,11 +295,10 @@ impl FetchNode {
 
             let mut variables = Object::with_capacity(1 + variable_usages.len());
             variables.extend(variable_usages.iter().filter_map(|key| {
-                request.variables.as_ref().map(|v| {
-                    v.get(key)
-                        .map(|value| (key.clone(), value.clone()))
-                        .unwrap_or_default()
-                })
+                request
+                    .variables
+                    .get(key)
+                    .map(|value| (key.clone(), value.clone()))
             }));
 
             {
@@ -318,7 +317,7 @@ impl FetchNode {
                 .stream(
                     Request::builder()
                         .query(operation)
-                        .variables(Some(Arc::new(variables)))
+                        .variables(Arc::new(variables))
                         .build(),
                 )
                 .await
@@ -390,9 +389,8 @@ impl FetchNode {
                     .filter_map(|key| {
                         request
                             .variables
-                            .as_ref()
-                            .map(|v| v.get(key).map(|value| (key.clone(), value.clone())))
-                            .unwrap_or_default()
+                            .get(key)
+                            .map(|value| (key.clone(), value.clone()))
                     })
                     .collect::<Object>(),
             );
diff --git a/apollo-router-core/src/request.rs b/apollo-router-core/src/request.rs
index 51952a446a..5778794ed5 100644
--- a/apollo-router-core/src/request.rs
+++ b/apollo-router-core/src/request.rs
@@ -20,9 +20,13 @@ pub struct Request {
     pub operation_name: Option<String>,
 
     /// The optional variables in the form of a json object.
-    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none", default)]
+    #[serde(
+        skip_serializing_if = "Object::is_empty",
+        default,
+        deserialize_with = "deserialize_null_default"
+    )]
     #[builder(default)]
-    pub variables: Option<Arc<Object>>,
+    pub variables: Arc<Object>,
 
     ///  extensions.
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Object::is_empty", default)]
@@ -30,6 +34,16 @@ pub struct Request {
     pub extensions: Object,
 }
 
+// NOTE: this deserialize helper is used to transform `null` to Default::default()
+fn deserialize_null_default<'de, D, T: Default + Deserialize<'de>>(
+    deserializer: D,
+) -> Result<T, D::Error>
+where
+    D: serde::Deserializer<'de>,
+{
+    <Option<T>>::deserialize(deserializer).map(|x| x.unwrap_or_default())
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;