diff --git a/backend/core/src/main/java/org/opencdmp/model/persist/ClonePlanPersist.java b/backend/core/src/main/java/org/opencdmp/model/persist/ClonePlanPersist.java
index 26848e8cc..da27e9722 100644
--- a/backend/core/src/main/java/org/opencdmp/model/persist/ClonePlanPersist.java
+++ b/backend/core/src/main/java/org/opencdmp/model/persist/ClonePlanPersist.java
@@ -91,10 +91,7 @@ public class ClonePlanPersist {
                             .failOn(ClonePlanPersist._id).failWith(messageSource.getMessage("Validation_Required", new Object[]{ClonePlanPersist._id}, LocaleContextHolder.getLocale())),
                     this.spec()
                             .must(() -> !this.isEmpty(item.getLabel()))
-                            .failOn(ClonePlanPersist._label).failWith(messageSource.getMessage("Validation_Required", new Object[]{ClonePlanPersist._label}, LocaleContextHolder.getLocale())),
-                    this.spec()
-                            .must(() -> !this.isEmpty(item.getDescription()))
-                            .failOn(ClonePlanPersist._description).failWith(messageSource.getMessage("Validation_Required", new Object[]{ClonePlanPersist._description}, LocaleContextHolder.getLocale()))
+                            .failOn(ClonePlanPersist._label).failWith(messageSource.getMessage("Validation_Required", new Object[]{ClonePlanPersist._label}, LocaleContextHolder.getLocale()))
             );
         }
     }
diff --git a/backend/core/src/main/java/org/opencdmp/model/persist/NewVersionPlanPersist.java b/backend/core/src/main/java/org/opencdmp/model/persist/NewVersionPlanPersist.java
index f39a2accb..d3973c025 100644
--- a/backend/core/src/main/java/org/opencdmp/model/persist/NewVersionPlanPersist.java
+++ b/backend/core/src/main/java/org/opencdmp/model/persist/NewVersionPlanPersist.java
@@ -123,9 +123,6 @@ public class NewVersionPlanPersist {
                             .iff(() -> !this.isEmpty(item.getLabel()))
                             .must(() -> this.lessEqualLength(item.getLabel(), PlanEntity._labelLength))
                             .failOn(NewVersionPlanPersist._label).failWith(this.messageSource.getMessage("Validation_MaxLength", new Object[]{NewVersionPlanPersist._label}, LocaleContextHolder.getLocale())),
-                    this.spec()
-                            .must(() -> !this.isEmpty(item.getDescription()))
-                            .failOn(NewVersionPlanPersist._description).failWith(this.messageSource.getMessage("Validation_Required", new Object[]{NewVersionPlanPersist._description}, LocaleContextHolder.getLocale())),
                     this.spec()
                             .must(() -> this.isValidGuid(item.getBlueprintId()))
                             .failOn(NewVersionPlanPersist._blueprintId).failWith(this.messageSource.getMessage("Validation_Required", new Object[]{NewVersionPlanPersist._blueprintId}, LocaleContextHolder.getLocale())),
diff --git a/backend/core/src/main/java/org/opencdmp/service/plan/PlanServiceImpl.java b/backend/core/src/main/java/org/opencdmp/service/plan/PlanServiceImpl.java
index 6d499320c..31fa61dbc 100644
--- a/backend/core/src/main/java/org/opencdmp/service/plan/PlanServiceImpl.java
+++ b/backend/core/src/main/java/org/opencdmp/service/plan/PlanServiceImpl.java
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ public class PlanServiceImpl implements PlanService {
         this.usageLimitService.checkIncrease(UsageLimitTargetMetric.DESCRIPTION_COUNT);
         PlanEntity descriptionPlan = this.queryFactory.query(PlanQuery.class).disableTracking().ids(planId).isActive(IsActive.Active).first();
 
-        if (!descriptionPlan.getAccessType().equals(PlanAccessType.Public)) this.authorizationService.authorizeAtLeastOneForce(List.of(this.authorizationContentResolver.descriptionAffiliation(descriptionId)), Permission.CloneDescription);
+        if (descriptionPlan.getAccessType() != null && !descriptionPlan.getAccessType().equals(PlanAccessType.Public)) this.authorizationService.authorizeAtLeastOneForce(List.of(this.authorizationContentResolver.descriptionAffiliation(descriptionId)), Permission.CloneDescription);
         else this.authorizationService.authorizeAtLeastOneForce(List.of(this.authorizationContentResolver.descriptionAffiliation(descriptionId)), Permission.PublicCloneDescription);
 
         DescriptionEntity existing = this.queryFactory.query(DescriptionQuery.class).disableTracking().ids(descriptionId).isActive(IsActive.Active).first();
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@ public class PlanServiceImpl implements PlanService {
         if (!this.conventionService.isValidGuid(model.getId()) || existingPlanEntity == null)
             throw new MyNotFoundException(this.messageSource.getMessage("General_ItemNotFound", new Object[]{model.getId(), Plan.class.getSimpleName()}, LocaleContextHolder.getLocale()));
 
-        if (!existingPlanEntity.getAccessType().equals(PlanAccessType.Public)) this.authorizationService.authorizeAtLeastOneForce(List.of(this.authorizationContentResolver.planAffiliation( model.getId())), Permission.ClonePlan);
+        if (existingPlanEntity.getAccessType() != null && !existingPlanEntity.getAccessType().equals(PlanAccessType.Public)) this.authorizationService.authorizeAtLeastOneForce(List.of(this.authorizationContentResolver.planAffiliation( model.getId())), Permission.ClonePlan);
         else this.authorizationService.authorizeAtLeastOneForce(List.of(this.authorizationContentResolver.planAffiliation( model.getId())), Permission.PublicClonePlan);
 
         PlanEntity newPlan = new PlanEntity();
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/ui/plan/clone-dialog/plan-clone-dialog.editor.model.ts b/frontend/src/app/ui/plan/clone-dialog/plan-clone-dialog.editor.model.ts
index 546596f5e..7a732fbce 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/ui/plan/clone-dialog/plan-clone-dialog.editor.model.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/ui/plan/clone-dialog/plan-clone-dialog.editor.model.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export class PlanCloneDialogEditorModel implements ClonePlanPersist {
 		const baseValidationArray: Validation[] = new Array<Validation>();
 		baseValidationArray.push({ key: 'id', validators: [BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'id')] });
 		baseValidationArray.push({ key: 'label', validators: [Validators.required, BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'label')] });
-		baseValidationArray.push({ key: 'description', validators: [Validators.required, BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'description')] });
+		baseValidationArray.push({ key: 'description', validators: [BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'description')] });
 		baseValidationArray.push({ key: 'descriptions', validators: [BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'descriptions')] });
 		baseContext.validation = baseValidationArray;
 		return baseContext;
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/ui/plan/new-version-dialog/plan-new-version-dialog.editor.model.ts b/frontend/src/app/ui/plan/new-version-dialog/plan-new-version-dialog.editor.model.ts
index 1aaf46709..c633116a4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/ui/plan/new-version-dialog/plan-new-version-dialog.editor.model.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/ui/plan/new-version-dialog/plan-new-version-dialog.editor.model.ts
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export class PlanNewVersionDialogEditorModel implements NewVersionPlanPersist {
 		const baseValidationArray: Validation[] = new Array<Validation>();
 		baseValidationArray.push({ key: 'id', validators: [BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'id')] });
 		baseValidationArray.push({ key: 'label', validators: [Validators.required, BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'label')] });
-		baseValidationArray.push({ key: 'description', validators: [Validators.required, BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'description')] });
+		baseValidationArray.push({ key: 'description', validators: [BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'description')] });
 		baseValidationArray.push({ key: 'blueprintId', validators: [Validators.required, BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'blueprintId')] });
 		baseValidationArray.push({ key: 'descriptions', validators: [BackendErrorValidator(this.validationErrorModel, 'descriptions')] });
 		baseValidationArray.push({ key: 'hash', validators: [] });