diff --git a/backend/src/ee/routes/v1/project-template-router.ts b/backend/src/ee/routes/v1/project-template-router.ts
index c157b628b..81fd79c82 100644
--- a/backend/src/ee/routes/v1/project-template-router.ts
+++ b/backend/src/ee/routes/v1/project-template-router.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ const ProjectTemplateEnvironmentsSchema = z
     position: z.number().min(1)
   })
   .array()
-  .min(1)
   .superRefine((environments, ctx) => {
     if (Buffer.byteLength(JSON.stringify(environments)) > MAX_JSON_SIZE_LIMIT_IN_BYTES)
       ctx.addIssue({ code: z.ZodIssueCode.custom, message: "Size limit exceeded" });
@@ -198,7 +197,7 @@ export const registerProjectTemplateRouter = async (server: FastifyZodProvider)
         description: z.string().max(256).trim().optional().describe(ProjectTemplates.CREATE.description),
         roles: ProjectTemplateRolesSchema.default([]).describe(ProjectTemplates.CREATE.roles),
         type: z.nativeEnum(ProjectType).describe(ProjectTemplates.CREATE.type),
-        environments: ProjectTemplateEnvironmentsSchema.describe(ProjectTemplates.CREATE.environments).optional()
+        environments: ProjectTemplateEnvironmentsSchema.nullish().describe(ProjectTemplates.CREATE.environments)
       }),
       response: {
         200: z.object({
@@ -243,7 +242,7 @@ export const registerProjectTemplateRouter = async (server: FastifyZodProvider)
           .describe(ProjectTemplates.UPDATE.name),
         description: z.string().max(256).trim().optional().describe(ProjectTemplates.UPDATE.description),
         roles: ProjectTemplateRolesSchema.optional().describe(ProjectTemplates.UPDATE.roles),
-        environments: ProjectTemplateEnvironmentsSchema.optional().describe(ProjectTemplates.UPDATE.environments)
+        environments: ProjectTemplateEnvironmentsSchema.nullish().describe(ProjectTemplates.UPDATE.environments)
       }),
       response: {
         200: z.object({
diff --git a/backend/src/ee/services/project-template/project-template-service.ts b/backend/src/ee/services/project-template/project-template-service.ts
index 5a9f04d8d..1ba21873a 100644
--- a/backend/src/ee/services/project-template/project-template-service.ts
+++ b/backend/src/ee/services/project-template/project-template-service.ts
@@ -189,11 +189,15 @@ export const projectTemplateServiceFactory = ({
         message: `A project template with the name "${params.name}" already exists.`
       });
 
+    const projectTemplateEnvironments =
+      type === ProjectType.SecretManager && environments === undefined
+        ? ProjectTemplateDefaultEnvironments
+        : environments;
+
     const projectTemplate = await projectTemplateDAL.create({
       ...params,
       roles: JSON.stringify(roles.map((role) => ({ ...role, permissions: packRules(role.permissions) }))),
-      environments:
-        type === ProjectType.SecretManager ? JSON.stringify(environments ?? ProjectTemplateDefaultEnvironments) : null,
+      environments: JSON.stringify(projectTemplateEnvironments),
       orgId: actor.orgId,
       type
     });