diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/watch/Watch.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/watch/Watch.java
index 503e3937dbb..dce963fd5d5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/watch/Watch.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/watch/Watch.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  */
 package org.elasticsearch.watcher.watch;
 
+import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Nullable;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.ParseField;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesReference;
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentHelper;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentParser;
 import org.elasticsearch.watcher.WatcherException;
 import org.elasticsearch.watcher.actions.ActionRegistry;
+import org.elasticsearch.watcher.actions.ActionWrapper;
 import org.elasticsearch.watcher.actions.ExecutableActions;
 import org.elasticsearch.watcher.condition.ConditionRegistry;
 import org.elasticsearch.watcher.condition.ExecutableCondition;
@@ -220,6 +222,7 @@ public class Watch implements TriggerEngine.Job, ToXContent {
 
         private final ExecutableInput defaultInput;
         private final ExecutableCondition defaultCondition;
+        private final ExecutableActions defaultActions;
         private final TimeValue defaultThrottleTimePeriod;
 
         @Inject
@@ -239,6 +242,7 @@ public class Watch implements TriggerEngine.Job, ToXContent {
 
             this.defaultInput = new ExecutableNoneInput(logger);
             this.defaultCondition = new ExecutableAlwaysCondition(logger);
+            this.defaultActions = new ExecutableActions(ImmutableList.<ActionWrapper>of());
             this.defaultThrottleTimePeriod = settings.getAsTime(DEFAULT_THROTTLE_PERIOD_SETTING, DEFAULT_THROTTLE_PERIOD);
         }
 
@@ -288,7 +292,7 @@ public class Watch implements TriggerEngine.Job, ToXContent {
             Trigger trigger = null;
             ExecutableInput input = defaultInput;
             ExecutableCondition condition = defaultCondition;
-            ExecutableActions actions = null;
+            ExecutableActions actions = defaultActions;
             ExecutableTransform transform = null;
             Map<String, Object> metatdata = null;
             Status status = null;
@@ -338,10 +342,6 @@ public class Watch implements TriggerEngine.Job, ToXContent {
             if (trigger == null) {
                 throw new WatcherException("could not parse watch [{}]. missing required field [{}]", id, TRIGGER_FIELD.getPreferredName());
             }
-            if (actions == null) {
-                throw new WatcherException("could not parse watch [{}]. missing required field [{}]", id, ACTIONS_FIELD.getPreferredName());
-            }
-
             return new Watch(id, clock, licenseService, trigger, input, condition, transform, actions, metatdata, throttlePeriod, status);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/test/integration/BootStrapTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/test/integration/BootStrapTests.java
index 6baa163770c..ff331a0ee07 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/test/integration/BootStrapTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/test/integration/BootStrapTests.java
@@ -75,17 +75,6 @@ public class BootStrapTests extends AbstractWatcherIntegrationTests {
                         .endObject())
                 .get();
 
-        // no actions field:
-        client().prepareIndex(WatchStore.INDEX, WatchStore.DOC_TYPE, "_id1")
-                .setSource(jsonBuilder().startObject()
-                        .startObject(Watch.Parser.TRIGGER_FIELD.getPreferredName())
-                            .startObject("schedule")
-                                .field("interval", "1s")
-                            .endObject()
-                        .endObject()
-                        .endObject())
-                .get();
-
         // invalid interval
         client().prepareIndex(WatchStore.INDEX, WatchStore.DOC_TYPE, "_id2")
                 .setSource(jsonBuilder().startObject()
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/watch/WatchTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/watch/WatchTests.java
index 4d397d71f9e..a95c83601d0 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/watch/WatchTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/watch/WatchTests.java
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ package org.elasticsearch.watcher.watch;
 
 import com.carrotsearch.ant.tasks.junit4.dependencies.com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
 import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.Repeat;
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.Seed;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesReference;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
@@ -50,6 +49,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.watcher.input.ExecutableInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.watcher.input.InputBuilders;
 import org.elasticsearch.watcher.input.InputFactory;
 import org.elasticsearch.watcher.input.InputRegistry;
+import org.elasticsearch.watcher.input.none.ExecutableNoneInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.watcher.input.search.ExecutableSearchInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.watcher.input.search.SearchInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.watcher.input.search.SearchInputFactory;
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ import java.util.Map;
 
 import static org.elasticsearch.watcher.input.InputBuilders.searchInput;
 import static org.elasticsearch.watcher.test.WatcherTestUtils.matchAllRequest;
-import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
-import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
+import static org.elasticsearch.watcher.trigger.TriggerBuilders.schedule;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.*;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 
 public class WatchTests extends ElasticsearchTestCase {
@@ -209,6 +209,37 @@ public class WatchTests extends ElasticsearchTestCase {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testParser_Defaults() throws Exception {
+        Schedule schedule = randomSchedule();
+        ScheduleRegistry scheduleRegistry = registry(schedule);
+        TriggerEngine triggerEngine = new ParseOnlyScheduleTriggerEngine(ImmutableSettings.EMPTY, scheduleRegistry, SystemClock.INSTANCE);
+        TriggerService triggerService = new TriggerService(ImmutableSettings.EMPTY, ImmutableSet.of(triggerEngine));
+        SecretService secretService = new SecretService.PlainText();
+
+        ConditionRegistry conditionRegistry = registry(new ExecutableAlwaysCondition(logger));
+        InputRegistry inputRegistry = registry(new ExecutableNoneInput(logger));
+        TransformRegistry transformRegistry = transformRegistry();
+        ExecutableActions actions =  new ExecutableActions(ImmutableList.<ActionWrapper>of());
+        ActionRegistry actionRegistry = registry(actions, transformRegistry);
+
+        XContentBuilder builder = XContentFactory.jsonBuilder();
+        builder.startObject();
+        builder.startObject(Watch.Parser.TRIGGER_FIELD.getPreferredName())
+                .field(ScheduleTrigger.TYPE, schedule(schedule).build())
+                .endObject();
+        builder.endObject();
+        Watch.Parser watchParser = new Watch.Parser(settings, mock(LicenseService.class), conditionRegistry, triggerService, transformRegistry, actionRegistry, inputRegistry, SystemClock.INSTANCE, secretService);
+        Watch watch = watchParser.parse("failure", false, builder.bytes());
+        assertThat(watch, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(watch.trigger(), instanceOf(ScheduleTrigger.class));
+        assertThat(watch.input(), instanceOf(ExecutableNoneInput.class));
+        assertThat(watch.condition(), instanceOf(ExecutableAlwaysCondition.class));
+        assertThat(watch.transform(), nullValue());
+        assertThat(watch.actions(), notNullValue());
+        assertThat(watch.actions().count(), is(0));
+    }
+
     private static Schedule randomSchedule() {
         String type = randomFrom(CronSchedule.TYPE, HourlySchedule.TYPE, DailySchedule.TYPE, WeeklySchedule.TYPE, MonthlySchedule.TYPE, YearlySchedule.TYPE, IntervalSchedule.TYPE);
         switch (type) {