diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/maps/common/content_management/v1/cm_services.ts b/x-pack/plugins/maps/common/content_management/v1/cm_services.ts
index 65d2e3082da7d..ba849479776d5 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/maps/common/content_management/v1/cm_services.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/maps/common/content_management/v1/cm_services.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import {
 const mapAttributesSchema = schema.object(
   {
     title: schema.string(),
-    description: schema.maybe(schema.string()),
+    description: schema.maybe(schema.nullable(schema.string())),
     mapStateJSON: schema.maybe(schema.string()),
     layerListJSON: schema.maybe(schema.string()),
     uiStateJSON: schema.maybe(schema.string()),
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/fixtures/kbn_archiver/maps.json b/x-pack/test/functional/fixtures/kbn_archiver/maps.json
index ae0b2be43f7de..318cb3c445186 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/fixtures/kbn_archiver/maps.json
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/fixtures/kbn_archiver/maps.json
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
 
 {
   "attributes": {
-    "description": "",
+    "description": null,
     "layerListJSON": "[{\"id\":\"n1t6f\",\"label\":null,\"minZoom\":0,\"maxZoom\":24,\"sourceDescriptor\":{\"id\":\"62eca1fc-fe42-11e8-8eb2-f2801f1b9fd1\",\"type\":\"ES_SEARCH\",\"geoField\":\"geometry\",\"limit\":2048,\"filterByMapBounds\":false,\"showTooltip\":true,\"tooltipProperties\":[\"name\"],\"applyGlobalQuery\":false,\"indexPatternRefName\":\"layer_1_source_index_pattern\",\"scalingType\":\"LIMIT\"},\"visible\":true,\"temporary\":false,\"style\":{\"type\":\"VECTOR\",\"properties\":{\"fillColor\":{\"type\":\"DYNAMIC\",\"options\":{\"fieldMetaOptions\":{\"isEnabled\":false,\"sigma\":3},\"field\":{\"label\":\"max(prop1) group by meta_for_geo_shapes*.runtime_shape_name\",\"name\":\"__kbnjoin__max_of_prop1__855ccb86-fe42-11e8-8eb2-f2801f1b9fd1\",\"origin\":\"join\"},\"color\":\"Blues\"}},\"iconSize\":{\"type\":\"STATIC\",\"options\":{\"size\":10}},\"symbolizeAs\":{\"options\":{\"value\":\"circle\"}},\"icon\":{\"type\":\"STATIC\",\"options\":{\"value\":\"marker\"}}},\"temporary\":true,\"previousStyle\":null},\"type\":\"VECTOR\",\"joins\":[{\"leftField\":\"name\",\"right\":{\"id\":\"855ccb86-fe42-11e8-8eb2-f2801f1b9fd1\",\"indexPatternTitle\":\"meta_for_geo_shapes*\",\"term\":\"runtime_shape_name\",\"metrics\":[{\"type\":\"max\",\"field\":\"prop1\"}],\"applyGlobalQuery\":true,\"indexPatternRefName\":\"layer_1_join_0_index_pattern\",\"type\":\"ES_TERM_SOURCE\"}}]}]",
     "mapStateJSON": "{\"zoom\":3.02,\"center\":{\"lon\":77.33426,\"lat\":-0.04647},\"timeFilters\":{\"from\":\"now-17m\",\"to\":\"now\",\"mode\":\"quick\"},\"refreshConfig\":{\"isPaused\":true,\"interval\":1000},\"settings\":{\"autoFitToDataBounds\":false}}",
     "title": "join example",