diff --git a/lib/pact_broker/api/contracts/webhook_contract.rb b/lib/pact_broker/api/contracts/webhook_contract.rb
index 0d9dfabf8..549c28bfa 100644
--- a/lib/pact_broker/api/contracts/webhook_contract.rb
+++ b/lib/pact_broker/api/contracts/webhook_contract.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ class WebhookContract < Reform::Form
           end
 
           required(:request).filled
-          required(:events).maybe(min_size?: 1)
+          optional(:events).maybe(min_size?: 1)
         end
 
         property :request do
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ def valid_url?(value)
             required(:name).filled
           end
         end
-
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/pact_broker/api/decorators/webhook_decorator.rb b/lib/pact_broker/api/decorators/webhook_decorator.rb
index 151acdc92..09833826c 100644
--- a/lib/pact_broker/api/decorators/webhook_decorator.rb
+++ b/lib/pact_broker/api/decorators/webhook_decorator.rb
@@ -66,6 +66,14 @@ class WebhookEventDecorator < BaseDecorator
             href: webhooks_url(options[:base_url])
           }
         end
+
+        def from_json represented
+          super.tap do | webhook |
+            if webhook.events == nil
+              webhook.events = [PactBroker::Webhooks::WebhookEvent.new(name: PactBroker::Webhooks::WebhookEvent::DEFAULT_EVENT_NAME)]
+            end
+          end
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/pact_broker/webhooks/webhook_event.rb b/lib/pact_broker/webhooks/webhook_event.rb
index ebfecfa54..4b473c3a7 100644
--- a/lib/pact_broker/webhooks/webhook_event.rb
+++ b/lib/pact_broker/webhooks/webhook_event.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ module PactBroker
   module Webhooks
     class WebhookEvent < Sequel::Model
 
+      DEFAULT_EVENT_NAME = 'contract_changed'
+
       dataset_module do
         include PactBroker::Repositories::Helpers
       end
diff --git a/spec/lib/pact_broker/api/contracts/webhook_contract_spec.rb b/spec/lib/pact_broker/api/contracts/webhook_contract_spec.rb
index 87b934ad9..39fe4a278 100644
--- a/spec/lib/pact_broker/api/contracts/webhook_contract_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/pact_broker/api/contracts/webhook_contract_spec.rb
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ def valid_webhook_with
           context "with no events defined" do
             let(:json) { {}.to_json }
 
-            it "contains an error for missing request, I wish I could work out how not to have the second error" do
-              expect(subject.errors[:events]).to eq ["is missing", "size cannot be less than 1"]
+            it "does not contain an error for missing event, as it will be defaulted" do
+              expect(subject.errors.messages[:events]).to be nil
             end
           end
 
diff --git a/spec/lib/pact_broker/api/decorators/webhook_decorator_spec.rb b/spec/lib/pact_broker/api/decorators/webhook_decorator_spec.rb
index 4855e168a..6f0aa317c 100644
--- a/spec/lib/pact_broker/api/decorators/webhook_decorator_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/pact_broker/api/decorators/webhook_decorator_spec.rb
@@ -114,8 +114,19 @@ module Decorators
           end
 
           it 'parses the events' do
+            expect(parsed_object.events.size).to eq 1
             expect(parsed_object.events.first.name).to eq 'something_happened'
           end
+
+          context "when no events are specified" do
+            let(:hash) { { request: request } }
+            let(:webhook) { Domain::Webhook.new }
+
+            it "defaults to a single contract_changed event for backwards compatibility" do
+              expect(parsed_object.events.size).to eq 1
+              expect(parsed_object.events.first.name).to eq 'contract_changed'
+            end
+          end
         end
       end
     end