diff --git a/api/jobs_test.go b/api/jobs_test.go
index f1e24b7eb..97a3d29cb 100644
--- a/api/jobs_test.go
+++ b/api/jobs_test.go
@@ -194,6 +194,176 @@ func TestJobs_Canonicalize(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "example_template",
+			input: &Job{
+				ID:          helper.StringToPtr("example_template"),
+				Name:        helper.StringToPtr("example_template"),
+				Datacenters: []string{"dc1"},
+				Type:        helper.StringToPtr("service"),
+				Update: &UpdateStrategy{
+					Stagger:     10 * time.Second,
+					MaxParallel: 1,
+				},
+				TaskGroups: []*TaskGroup{
+					{
+						Name:  helper.StringToPtr("cache"),
+						Count: helper.IntToPtr(1),
+						RestartPolicy: &RestartPolicy{
+							Interval: helper.TimeToPtr(5 * time.Minute),
+							Attempts: helper.IntToPtr(10),
+							Delay:    helper.TimeToPtr(25 * time.Second),
+							Mode:     helper.StringToPtr("delay"),
+						},
+						EphemeralDisk: &EphemeralDisk{
+							SizeMB: helper.IntToPtr(300),
+						},
+						Tasks: []*Task{
+							{
+								Name:   "redis",
+								Driver: "docker",
+								Config: map[string]interface{}{
+									"image": "redis:3.2",
+									"port_map": map[string]int{
+										"db": 6379,
+									},
+								},
+								Resources: &Resources{
+									CPU:      helper.IntToPtr(500),
+									MemoryMB: helper.IntToPtr(256),
+									Networks: []*NetworkResource{
+										{
+											MBits: helper.IntToPtr(10),
+											DynamicPorts: []Port{
+												{
+													Label: "db",
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+								Services: []Service{
+									{
+										Name:      "global-redis-check",
+										Tags:      []string{"global", "cache"},
+										PortLabel: "db",
+										Checks: []ServiceCheck{
+											{
+												Name:     "alive",
+												Type:     "tcp",
+												Interval: 10 * time.Second,
+												Timeout:  2 * time.Second,
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+								Templates: []*Template{
+									{
+										EmbeddedTmpl: helper.StringToPtr("---"),
+										DestPath:     helper.StringToPtr("local/file.yml"),
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: &Job{
+				ID:                helper.StringToPtr("example_template"),
+				Name:              helper.StringToPtr("example_template"),
+				ParentID:          helper.StringToPtr(""),
+				Priority:          helper.IntToPtr(50),
+				Region:            helper.StringToPtr("global"),
+				Type:              helper.StringToPtr("service"),
+				AllAtOnce:         helper.BoolToPtr(false),
+				VaultToken:        helper.StringToPtr(""),
+				Status:            helper.StringToPtr(""),
+				StatusDescription: helper.StringToPtr(""),
+				CreateIndex:       helper.Uint64ToPtr(0),
+				ModifyIndex:       helper.Uint64ToPtr(0),
+				JobModifyIndex:    helper.Uint64ToPtr(0),
+				Datacenters:       []string{"dc1"},
+				Update: &UpdateStrategy{
+					Stagger:     10 * time.Second,
+					MaxParallel: 1,
+				},
+				TaskGroups: []*TaskGroup{
+					{
+						Name:  helper.StringToPtr("cache"),
+						Count: helper.IntToPtr(1),
+						RestartPolicy: &RestartPolicy{
+							Interval: helper.TimeToPtr(5 * time.Minute),
+							Attempts: helper.IntToPtr(10),
+							Delay:    helper.TimeToPtr(25 * time.Second),
+							Mode:     helper.StringToPtr("delay"),
+						},
+						EphemeralDisk: &EphemeralDisk{
+							Sticky:  helper.BoolToPtr(false),
+							Migrate: helper.BoolToPtr(false),
+							SizeMB:  helper.IntToPtr(300),
+						},
+						Tasks: []*Task{
+							{
+								Name:   "redis",
+								Driver: "docker",
+								Config: map[string]interface{}{
+									"image": "redis:3.2",
+									"port_map": map[string]int{
+										"db": 6379,
+									},
+								},
+								Resources: &Resources{
+									CPU:      helper.IntToPtr(500),
+									MemoryMB: helper.IntToPtr(256),
+									IOPS:     helper.IntToPtr(0),
+									Networks: []*NetworkResource{
+										{
+											MBits: helper.IntToPtr(10),
+											DynamicPorts: []Port{
+												{
+													Label: "db",
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+								Services: []Service{
+									{
+										Name:      "global-redis-check",
+										Tags:      []string{"global", "cache"},
+										PortLabel: "db",
+										Checks: []ServiceCheck{
+											{
+												Name:     "alive",
+												Type:     "tcp",
+												Interval: 10 * time.Second,
+												Timeout:  2 * time.Second,
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+								KillTimeout: helper.TimeToPtr(5 * time.Second),
+								LogConfig:   DefaultLogConfig(),
+								Templates: []*Template{
+									{
+										SourcePath:   helper.StringToPtr(""),
+										DestPath:     helper.StringToPtr("local/file.yml"),
+										EmbeddedTmpl: helper.StringToPtr("---"),
+										ChangeMode:   helper.StringToPtr("restart"),
+										ChangeSignal: helper.StringToPtr(""),
+										Splay:        helper.TimeToPtr(5 * time.Second),
+										Perms:        helper.StringToPtr("0644"),
+										LeftDelim:    helper.StringToPtr("{{"),
+										RightDelim:   helper.StringToPtr("}}"),
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+
 		{
 			name: "periodic",
 			input: &Job{
diff --git a/api/tasks.go b/api/tasks.go
index 35712fa40..e1d3842b2 100644
--- a/api/tasks.go
+++ b/api/tasks.go
@@ -268,32 +268,32 @@ type Task struct {
 }
 
 func (t *Task) Canonicalize(tg *TaskGroup, job *Job) {
-	if t.LogConfig == nil {
-		t.LogConfig = DefaultLogConfig()
-	} else {
-		t.LogConfig.Canonicalize()
-	}
-	if t.Vault != nil {
-		t.Vault.Canonicalize()
-	}
-	for _, artifact := range t.Artifacts {
-		artifact.Canonicalize()
-	}
-	for _, tmpl := range t.Templates {
-		tmpl.Canonicalize()
-	}
 	for _, s := range t.Services {
 		s.Canonicalize(t, tg, job)
 	}
 
-	if t.KillTimeout == nil {
-		t.KillTimeout = helper.TimeToPtr(5 * time.Second)
-	}
-
 	min := MinResources()
 	min.Merge(t.Resources)
 	min.Canonicalize()
 	t.Resources = min
+
+	if t.KillTimeout == nil {
+		t.KillTimeout = helper.TimeToPtr(5 * time.Second)
+	}
+	if t.LogConfig == nil {
+		t.LogConfig = DefaultLogConfig()
+	} else {
+		t.LogConfig.Canonicalize()
+	}
+	for _, artifact := range t.Artifacts {
+		artifact.Canonicalize()
+	}
+	if t.Vault != nil {
+		t.Vault.Canonicalize()
+	}
+	for _, tmpl := range t.Templates {
+		tmpl.Canonicalize()
+	}
 }
 
 // TaskArtifact is used to download artifacts before running a task.
@@ -322,22 +322,34 @@ type Template struct {
 }
 
 func (tmpl *Template) Canonicalize() {
+	if tmpl.SourcePath == nil {
+		tmpl.SourcePath = helper.StringToPtr("")
+	}
+	if tmpl.DestPath == nil {
+		tmpl.DestPath = helper.StringToPtr("")
+	}
+	if tmpl.EmbeddedTmpl == nil {
+		tmpl.EmbeddedTmpl = helper.StringToPtr("")
+	}
 	if tmpl.ChangeMode == nil {
 		tmpl.ChangeMode = helper.StringToPtr("restart")
 	}
+	if tmpl.ChangeSignal == nil {
+		if *tmpl.ChangeMode == "signal" {
+			tmpl.ChangeSignal = helper.StringToPtr("SIGHUP")
+		} else {
+			tmpl.ChangeSignal = helper.StringToPtr("")
+		}
+	} else {
+		sig := *tmpl.ChangeSignal
+		tmpl.ChangeSignal = helper.StringToPtr(strings.ToUpper(sig))
+	}
 	if tmpl.Splay == nil {
 		tmpl.Splay = helper.TimeToPtr(5 * time.Second)
 	}
 	if tmpl.Perms == nil {
 		tmpl.Perms = helper.StringToPtr("0644")
 	}
-	if *tmpl.ChangeMode == "signal" && tmpl.ChangeSignal == nil {
-		tmpl.ChangeSignal = helper.StringToPtr("SIGHUP")
-	}
-	if tmpl.ChangeSignal != nil {
-		sig := *tmpl.ChangeSignal
-		tmpl.ChangeSignal = helper.StringToPtr(strings.ToUpper(sig))
-	}
 	if tmpl.LeftDelim == nil {
 		tmpl.LeftDelim = helper.StringToPtr("{{")
 	}