diff --git a/base/mqueue/template_event.go b/base/mqueue/template_event.go
index c82d222e7..634b5209c 100644
--- a/base/mqueue/template_event.go
+++ b/base/mqueue/template_event.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ type TemplateResponse struct {
 	UUID            string    `json:"uuid" readonly:"true"`
 	Name            string    `json:"name"`             // Name of the template
 	OrgID           string    `json:"org_id"`           // Organization ID of the owner
-	Description     string    `json:"description"`      // Description of the template
+	Description     *string   `json:"description"`      // Description of the template
 	Arch            string    `json:"arch"`             // Architecture of the template
 	Version         string    `json:"version"`          // Version of the template
 	Date            time.Time `json:"date"`             // Latest date to include snapshots for
diff --git a/listener/template_test.go b/listener/template_test.go
index bb50c99b4..f898cf4cb 100644
--- a/listener/template_test.go
+++ b/listener/template_test.go
@@ -23,11 +23,12 @@ func createTempateMsg(t *testing.T, eventName, orgID string, nTemplates int) mqu
 
 	templates := make([]mqueue.TemplateResponse, nTemplates)
 	for i := 0; i < nTemplates; i++ {
+		description := fmt.Sprintf("Template%d description", i)
 		templates[i] = mqueue.TemplateResponse{
 			UUID:        fmt.Sprintf("77777777-0000-0000-0000-00000000000%1d", i),
 			Name:        fmt.Sprintf("Template%d", i),
 			OrgID:       orgID,
-			Description: fmt.Sprintf("Template%d description", i),
+			Description: &description,
 			Date:        time.Now(),
 		}
 	}
@@ -87,7 +88,8 @@ func TestCreateTemplate(t *testing.T) {
 
 	updateEvent := createTempateMsg(t, "template-updated", "org_1", 2)
 	updateEvent.Data[0].Name = "Updated Template0"
-	updateEvent.Data[1].Description = "Updated Template1 description"
+	description := "Updated Template1 description"
+	updateEvent.Data[1].Description = &description
 	msg, err = json.Marshal(updateEvent)
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
 
@@ -143,3 +145,31 @@ func TestTemplateErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(after))
 	deleteTemplatesInDB(t, after)
 }
+
+func TestTemplateEmptyDescription(t *testing.T) {
+	utils.SkipWithoutDB(t)
+	core.SetupTestEnvironment()
+	configure()
+
+	event := createTempateMsg(t, "template-created", "org_1", 3)
+	empty := ""
+	spaces := "   "
+	event.Data[0].Description = &empty
+	event.Data[1].Description = &spaces
+	event.Data[2].Description = nil
+	msg, err := json.Marshal(event)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+
+	// process message
+	err = TemplatesMessageHandler(mqueue.KafkaMessage{Value: msg})
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+
+	after := testTemplatesInDB(t)
+	assert.Equal(t, 3, len(after))
+	for _, event := range after {
+		assert.Nil(t, event.Description)
+	}
+
+	// cleanup
+	deleteTemplatesInDB(t, after)
+}
diff --git a/listener/templates.go b/listener/templates.go
index d101a3f17..a7aa212b1 100644
--- a/listener/templates.go
+++ b/listener/templates.go
@@ -24,17 +24,14 @@ const (
 )
 
 func TemplatesMessageHandler(m mqueue.KafkaMessage) error {
-	var event mqueue.TemplateEvent
-	utils.LogTrace("kafka message data", string(m.Value))
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(m.Value, &event); err != nil {
-		utils.LogError("msg", string(m.Value), "message is not a valid JSON")
+	eType, event, err := processTemplateEvent(m.Value)
+	if err != nil {
+		utils.LogError("msg", err.Error(), "skipping template event")
 		// Skip invalid messages
 		return nil
 	}
-	eType := strings.TrimPrefix(event.Type, "com.redhat.console.repositories.")
 
 	errs := []error{}
-	var err error
 	for _, template := range event.Data {
 		if enableBypass {
 			utils.LogInfo("template", template.UUID, "Processing bypassed")
@@ -97,7 +94,7 @@ func TemplateUpdate(template mqueue.TemplateResponse) error {
 		UUID:        template.UUID,
 		Name:        template.Name,
 		//Config:      nil,
-		Description: &template.Description,
+		Description: template.Description,
 		Creator:     nil,
 		Published:   &template.Date,
 	}
@@ -109,3 +106,19 @@ func TemplateUpdate(template mqueue.TemplateResponse) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func processTemplateEvent(value json.RawMessage) (eType string, event mqueue.TemplateEvent, err error) {
+	utils.LogTrace("kafka message data", string(value))
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(value, &event); err != nil {
+		err = errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("value: %s", string(value)))
+		return "", event, errors.Wrap(err, "message is not a valid JSON")
+	}
+
+	for i, d := range event.Data {
+		if d.Description != nil && (len(*d.Description) == 0 || spacesRegex.MatchString(*d.Description)) {
+			d.Description = nil
+			event.Data[i] = d
+		}
+	}
+	return strings.TrimPrefix(event.Type, "com.redhat.console.repositories."), event, nil
+}
diff --git a/platform/platform.go b/platform/platform.go
index 653be42b1..8bc37e904 100644
--- a/platform/platform.go
+++ b/platform/platform.go
@@ -152,12 +152,14 @@ var yumUpdates = `{
 	"metadata_time": "2022-05-30T14:00:25Z"
 }`
 
+var desc1 = "template_1_description"
+var desc2 = "template_2_description"
 var templates = []mqueue.TemplateResponse{
 	{
 		UUID:            "10000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001",
 		Name:            "template_1",
 		OrgID:           "org_1",
-		Description:     "template_1_description",
+		Description:     &desc1,
 		Arch:            "x86_64",
 		Version:         "1",
 		Date:            time.Now(),
@@ -167,7 +169,7 @@ var templates = []mqueue.TemplateResponse{
 		UUID:            "10000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000002",
 		Name:            "template_2",
 		OrgID:           "org_1",
-		Description:     "template_2_description",
+		Description:     &desc2,
 		Arch:            "x86_64",
 		Version:         "1",
 		Date:            time.Now(),