diff --git a/api/jobs.go b/api/jobs.go
index 75a9cfa60..59dc0ea9a 100644
--- a/api/jobs.go
+++ b/api/jobs.go
@@ -1227,7 +1227,7 @@ func (j *Job) Canonicalize() {
 	}
 	if j.Update != nil {
 		j.Update.Canonicalize()
-	} else if *j.Type == JobTypeService {
+	} else if *j.Type == JobTypeService || *j.Type == JobTypeSystem {
 		j.Update = DefaultUpdateStrategy()
 	}
 	if j.Multiregion != nil {
diff --git a/api/jobs_test.go b/api/jobs_test.go
index 07baf6ecc..ef2e4620c 100644
--- a/api/jobs_test.go
+++ b/api/jobs_test.go
@@ -999,6 +999,70 @@ func TestJobs_Canonicalize(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "missing update for system job",
+			input: &Job{
+				Name:     pointerOf("foo"),
+				ID:       pointerOf("bar"),
+				ParentID: pointerOf("lol"),
+				Type:     pointerOf(JobTypeSystem),
+				TaskGroups: []*TaskGroup{
+					{
+						Name: pointerOf("bar"),
+						Tasks: []*Task{
+							{
+								Name: "task1",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: &Job{
+				Namespace:         pointerOf(DefaultNamespace),
+				ID:                pointerOf("bar"),
+				ParentID:          pointerOf("lol"),
+				Name:              pointerOf("foo"),
+				Region:            pointerOf("global"),
+				Type:              pointerOf(JobTypeSystem),
+				Priority:          pointerOf(JobDefaultPriority),
+				NodePool:          pointerOf(""),
+				AllAtOnce:         pointerOf(false),
+				ConsulNamespace:   pointerOf(""),
+				VaultNamespace:    pointerOf(""),
+				NomadTokenID:      pointerOf(""),
+				Stop:              pointerOf(false),
+				Stable:            pointerOf(false),
+				Version:           pointerOf(uint64(0)),
+				Status:            pointerOf(""),
+				StatusDescription: pointerOf(""),
+				CreateIndex:       pointerOf(uint64(0)),
+				ModifyIndex:       pointerOf(uint64(0)),
+				JobModifyIndex:    pointerOf(uint64(0)),
+				Update:            DefaultUpdateStrategy(),
+				TaskGroups: []*TaskGroup{
+					{
+						Name:          pointerOf("bar"),
+						Count:         pointerOf(1),
+						RestartPolicy: defaultServiceJobRestartPolicy(),
+						EphemeralDisk: &EphemeralDisk{
+							Sticky:  pointerOf(false),
+							Migrate: pointerOf(false),
+							SizeMB:  pointerOf(300),
+						},
+						Update: DefaultUpdateStrategy(),
+						Tasks: []*Task{
+							{
+								Name:          "task1",
+								LogConfig:     DefaultLogConfig(),
+								Resources:     DefaultResources(),
+								KillTimeout:   pointerOf(5 * time.Second),
+								RestartPolicy: defaultServiceJobRestartPolicy(),
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "restart_merge",
 			input: &Job{
diff --git a/command/agent/job_endpoint_test.go b/command/agent/job_endpoint_test.go
index 0daf128af..8baa1a88d 100644
--- a/command/agent/job_endpoint_test.go
+++ b/command/agent/job_endpoint_test.go
@@ -3582,7 +3582,7 @@ func TestJobs_ApiJobToStructsJob(t *testing.T) {
 
 	structsJob := ApiJobToStructJob(apiJob)
 
-	require.Equal(t, expected, structsJob)
+	must.Eq(t, expected, structsJob)
 
 	systemAPIJob := &api.Job{
 		Stop:        pointer.Of(true),
@@ -3725,6 +3725,10 @@ func TestJobs_ApiJobToStructsJob(t *testing.T) {
 				Operand: "c",
 			},
 		},
+		Update: structs.UpdateStrategy{
+			Stagger:     30 * time.Second,
+			MaxParallel: 1,
+		},
 		TaskGroups: []*structs.TaskGroup{
 			{
 				Name:  "group1",
@@ -3743,6 +3747,17 @@ func TestJobs_ApiJobToStructsJob(t *testing.T) {
 					Mode:            "delay",
 					RenderTemplates: false,
 				},
+				Update: &structs.UpdateStrategy{
+					Stagger:          30 * time.Second,
+					MaxParallel:      1,
+					HealthCheck:      structs.UpdateStrategyHealthCheck_Checks,
+					MinHealthyTime:   10 * time.Second,
+					HealthyDeadline:  5 * time.Minute,
+					ProgressDeadline: 10 * time.Minute,
+					AutoRevert:       false,
+					AutoPromote:      false,
+					Canary:           0,
+				},
 				EphemeralDisk: &structs.EphemeralDisk{
 					SizeMB:  100,
 					Sticky:  true,
@@ -3832,7 +3847,7 @@ func TestJobs_ApiJobToStructsJob(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	systemStructsJob := ApiJobToStructJob(systemAPIJob)
-	require.Equal(t, expectedSystemJob, systemStructsJob)
+	must.Eq(t, expectedSystemJob, systemStructsJob)
 }
 
 func TestJobs_ApiJobToStructsJobUpdate(t *testing.T) {