diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/BlocklistCoordinate.java b/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/BlocklistCoordinate.java
index 7f4fddcc..56599589 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/BlocklistCoordinate.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/BlocklistCoordinate.java
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ public BlocklistCoordinate(String groupId, String artifactId, String version) {
    public BlocklistCoordinate(URL url) {
       super(url);
    }
+   
+   public BlocklistCoordinate() {
+      super(BlocklistCoordinate.CLASSIFIER, BlocklistCoordinate.EXTENSION);
+   }
 
    @JsonCreator
    public static BlocklistCoordinate create(@JsonProperty(value = "maven") MavenCoordinate coord,
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/Channel.java b/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/Channel.java
index 547eddd3..16e6193c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/Channel.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/Channel.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 
 import static com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonInclude.Include.NON_EMPTY;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import static java.util.Collections.emptyList;
 
 public class Channel {
@@ -38,14 +39,14 @@ public class Channel {
      * This is an optional field.
      */
     private Vendor vendor;
-    private List<Repository> repositories;
+    private List<Repository> repositories = new ArrayList<>();
     private BlocklistCoordinate blocklistCoordinate;
     private ChannelManifestCoordinate manifestCoordinate;
-    private NoStreamStrategy noStreamStrategy;
+    private NoStreamStrategy noStreamStrategy = NoStreamStrategy.ORIGINAL;
 
     // no-arg constructor for maven plugins
     public Channel() {
-
+        schemaVersion = ChannelMapper.CURRENT_SCHEMA_VERSION;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -94,30 +95,37 @@ public String getSchemaVersion() {
         return schemaVersion;
     }
 
+    @JsonInclude(JsonInclude.Include.NON_NULL)
     public String getName() {
         return name;
     }
 
+    @JsonInclude(JsonInclude.Include.NON_NULL)
     public String getDescription() {
         return description;
     }
 
+    @JsonInclude(JsonInclude.Include.NON_NULL)
     public Vendor getVendor() {
         return vendor;
     }
 
+    @JsonInclude(JsonInclude.Include.NON_EMPTY)
     public List<Repository> getRepositories() {
         return repositories;
     }
 
+    @JsonInclude(JsonInclude.Include.NON_NULL)
     public BlocklistCoordinate getBlocklistCoordinate() {
         return blocklistCoordinate;
     }
 
+    @JsonInclude(JsonInclude.Include.NON_NULL)
     public ChannelManifestCoordinate getManifestCoordinate() {
         return manifestCoordinate;
     }
 
+    @JsonInclude(JsonInclude.Include.NON_NULL)
     public NoStreamStrategy getNoStreamStrategy() {
         return noStreamStrategy;
     }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/ChannelManifestCoordinate.java b/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/ChannelManifestCoordinate.java
index 59f60f4c..8b4efcc1 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/ChannelManifestCoordinate.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/ChannelManifestCoordinate.java
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ public ChannelManifestCoordinate(URL url) {
         super(url);
     }
 
+    public ChannelManifestCoordinate() {
+        super(ChannelManifest.CLASSIFIER, ChannelManifest.EXTENSION);
+    }
+
     @JsonCreator
     public static ChannelManifestCoordinate create(@JsonProperty(value = "url") String url, @JsonProperty(value = "maven") MavenCoordinate gav) throws MalformedURLException {
         if (gav != null) {
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/Repository.java b/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/Repository.java
index ece69938..a0f4b69e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/Repository.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/Repository.java
@@ -46,10 +46,18 @@ public Repository(@JsonProperty(value = "id", required = true) String id, @JsonP
         this.url = url;
     }
 
+    public Repository() {
+
+    }
+
     public String getId() {
         return id;
     }
 
+    public void setUrl(String url) {
+        this.url = url;
+    }
+
     public String getUrl() {
         return url;
     }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/Vendor.java b/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/Vendor.java
index ad054d3c..e1384b8b 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/Vendor.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/wildfly/channel/Vendor.java
@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@ public class Vendor {
     /**
      * Name of the vendor.
      */
-    private final String name;
+    private String name;
 
     /**
      * Support level provided by the vendor.
      */
-    private final Support support;
+    private Support support;
 
     /**
      * Vendor resource
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ public Vendor(@JsonProperty(value = "name", required = true) String name, @JsonP
         this.support = support;
     }
 
+    public Vendor() {
+    }
+
     public String getName() {
         return name;
     }