diff --git a/src/provider/cloud-element-templates/cmd/ChangeElementTemplateHandler.js b/src/provider/cloud-element-templates/cmd/ChangeElementTemplateHandler.js
index 7c89f70ea..37ea70fb4 100644
--- a/src/provider/cloud-element-templates/cmd/ChangeElementTemplateHandler.js
+++ b/src/provider/cloud-element-templates/cmd/ChangeElementTemplateHandler.js
@@ -352,8 +352,9 @@ export default class ChangeElementTemplateHandler {
         }
       }
 
-      // (3) add new inputs and outputs (unless optional)
-      else if (shouldUpdate(newPropertyValue, newProperty)) {
+      // (3) add new inputs and outputs (unless optional or undefined value)
+      else if (newPropertyValue && shouldUpdate(newPropertyValue, newProperty)) {
+
         if (newBindingType === 'zeebe:input') {
           propertyName = 'inputParameters';
 
diff --git a/test/spec/provider/cloud-element-templates/ElementTemplateConditionChecker.spec.js b/test/spec/provider/cloud-element-templates/ElementTemplateConditionChecker.spec.js
index 76d6ff61b..285961eff 100644
--- a/test/spec/provider/cloud-element-templates/ElementTemplateConditionChecker.spec.js
+++ b/test/spec/provider/cloud-element-templates/ElementTemplateConditionChecker.spec.js
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ describe('provider/cloud-element-templates - ElementTemplatesConditionChecker',
         });
 
         // then
-        expectOutputTarget(businessObject, '');
+        expectOutputTarget(businessObject, 'nameProp=foo');
 
         // when
         modeling.updateProperties(element, {
diff --git a/test/spec/provider/cloud-element-templates/cmd/ChangeElementTemplateHandler.spec.js b/test/spec/provider/cloud-element-templates/cmd/ChangeElementTemplateHandler.spec.js
index c20ab5eed..2463762b9 100644
--- a/test/spec/provider/cloud-element-templates/cmd/ChangeElementTemplateHandler.spec.js
+++ b/test/spec/provider/cloud-element-templates/cmd/ChangeElementTemplateHandler.spec.js
@@ -1982,7 +1982,7 @@ describe('cloud-element-templates - ChangeElementTemplateHandler', function() {
       beforeEach(bootstrap(require('./task.bpmn').default));
 
 
-      it('should create - optional -> non optional', inject(function(elementRegistry) {
+      it('should create - optional -> non optional (value)', inject(function(elementRegistry) {
 
         // given
         const task = elementRegistry.get('Task_1');
@@ -2006,12 +2006,14 @@ describe('cloud-element-templates - ChangeElementTemplateHandler', function() {
 
         const newTemplate = createTemplate([
           {
+            value: 'input-1-new-value',
             binding: {
               type: 'zeebe:input',
               name: 'input-1-target'
             }
           },
           {
+            value: 'output-1-new-value',
             binding: {
               type: 'zeebe:output',
               source: 'output-1-source'
@@ -2040,7 +2042,7 @@ describe('cloud-element-templates - ChangeElementTemplateHandler', function() {
         expect(ioMapping.get('zeebe:inputParameters')).to.jsonEqual([
           {
             $type: 'zeebe:Input',
-            source: undefined,
+            source: 'input-1-new-value',
             target: 'input-1-target',
           }
         ]);
@@ -2055,6 +2057,63 @@ describe('cloud-element-templates - ChangeElementTemplateHandler', function() {
       }));
 
 
+      it('should create - optional -> non optional (no value)', inject(function(elementRegistry) {
+
+        // given
+        const task = elementRegistry.get('Task_1');
+
+        const oldTemplate = createTemplate([
+          {
+            optional: true,
+            binding: {
+              type: 'zeebe:input',
+              name: 'input-1-target'
+            }
+          },
+          {
+            optional: true,
+            binding: {
+              type: 'zeebe:output',
+              source: 'output-1-source'
+            }
+          }
+        ]);
+
+        const newTemplate = createTemplate([
+          {
+            binding: {
+              type: 'zeebe:input',
+              name: 'input-1-target'
+            }
+          },
+          {
+            binding: {
+              type: 'zeebe:output',
+              source: 'output-1-source'
+            }
+          }
+        ]);
+
+        changeTemplate('Task_1', oldTemplate);
+
+        let ioMapping = findExtension(task, 'zeebe:IoMapping');
+
+        // assume
+        expect(ioMapping.get('zeebe:inputParameters')).to.be.empty;
+        expect(ioMapping.get('zeebe:outputParameters')).to.be.empty;
+
+        // when
+        changeTemplate(task, newTemplate, oldTemplate);
+
+        // then
+        ioMapping = findExtension(task, 'zeebe:IoMapping');
+
+        expect(ioMapping).to.exist;
+        expect(ioMapping.get('zeebe:inputParameters')).to.have.length(0);
+        expect(ioMapping.get('zeebe:outputParameters')).to.have.length(0);
+      }));
+
+
       it('should remove - non optional -> optional (empty value)', inject(function(elementRegistry) {
 
         // given
diff --git a/test/spec/provider/cloud-element-templates/fixtures/condition.json b/test/spec/provider/cloud-element-templates/fixtures/condition.json
index 780449954..92a71646f 100644
--- a/test/spec/provider/cloud-element-templates/fixtures/condition.json
+++ b/test/spec/provider/cloud-element-templates/fixtures/condition.json
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
     },
     {
       "label": "zeebe:input",
-      "value": "",
+      "value": "nameProp=foo",
       "type": "String",
       "binding": {
         "type": "zeebe:input",
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
     },
     {
       "label": "zeebe:output",
-      "value": "",
+      "value": "nameProp=foo",
       "type": "String",
       "binding": {
         "type": "zeebe:output",