diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Content.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Content.cs
index dc86b5e3ce..d408cf9c2e 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Content.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Content.cs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
     public class Content : ContentBase, IContent
     {
         private IContentType _contentType;
-        private int _templateId;
+        private int? _templateId;
         private bool _published;
         private PublishedState _publishedState;
         private DateTime? _releaseDate;
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
         // ReSharper disable once ClassNeverInstantiated.Local
         private class PropertySelectors
         {
-            public readonly PropertyInfo TemplateSelector = ExpressionHelper.GetPropertyInfo<Content, int>(x => x.TemplateId);
+            public readonly PropertyInfo TemplateSelector = ExpressionHelper.GetPropertyInfo<Content, int?>(x => x.TemplateId);
             public readonly PropertyInfo PublishedSelector = ExpressionHelper.GetPropertyInfo<Content, bool>(x => x.Published);
             public readonly PropertyInfo ReleaseDateSelector = ExpressionHelper.GetPropertyInfo<Content, DateTime?>(x => x.ReleaseDate);
             public readonly PropertyInfo ExpireDateSelector = ExpressionHelper.GetPropertyInfo<Content, DateTime?>(x => x.ExpireDate);
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
         /// the Default template from the ContentType will be returned.
         /// </remarks>
         [DataMember]
-        public virtual int TemplateId
+        public virtual int? TemplateId
         {
             get => _templateId;
             set => SetPropertyValueAndDetectChanges(value, ref _templateId, Ps.Value.TemplateSelector);
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
 
         /// <inheritdoc />
         [IgnoreDataMember]
-        public int PublishTemplateId { get; internal set; } // set by persistence
+        public int? PublishTemplateId { get; internal set; } // set by persistence
 
         /// <inheritdoc />
         [IgnoreDataMember]
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/IContent.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/IContent.cs
index 3bb2e7d396..da0aa4a404 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/IContent.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/IContent.cs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
         /// <summary>
         /// Gets or sets the template id used to render the content.
         /// </summary>
-        int TemplateId { get; set; }
+        int? TemplateId { get; set; }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Gets a value indicating whether the content is published.
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
         /// Gets the template id used to render the published version of the content.
         /// </summary>
         /// <remarks>When editing the content, the template can change, but this will not until the content is published.</remarks>
-        int PublishTemplateId { get; }
+        int? PublishTemplateId { get; }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Gets the name of the published version of the content.
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/EntityXmlSerializer.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/EntityXmlSerializer.cs
index a652776c95..3ba4b60b53 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/EntityXmlSerializer.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/EntityXmlSerializer.cs
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Services
             xml.Add(new XAttribute("writerName", content.GetWriterProfile(userService)?.Name ?? "??"));
             xml.Add(new XAttribute("writerID", content.WriterId));
 
-            xml.Add(new XAttribute("template", content.TemplateId.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)));
+            xml.Add(new XAttribute("template", content.TemplateId?.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)));
 
             xml.Add(new XAttribute("isPublished", content.Published));
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Tests/Models/ContentTests.cs b/src/Umbraco.Tests/Models/ContentTests.cs
index 8cba508fa9..3f1ca0346b 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Tests/Models/ContentTests.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Tests/Models/ContentTests.cs
@@ -426,19 +426,19 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.Models
 
             // Assert
             Assert.IsTrue(content.WasDirty());
-            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty("Id"));
-            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty("CreateDate"));
-            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty("CreatorId"));
-            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty("ExpireDate"));
-            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty("Key"));
-            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty("Level"));
-            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty("Path"));
-            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty("ReleaseDate"));
-            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty("SortOrder"));
-            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty("Template"));
-            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty("Trashed"));
-            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty("UpdateDate"));
-            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty("WriterId"));
+            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty(nameof(Content.Id)));
+            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty(nameof(Content.CreateDate)));
+            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty(nameof(Content.CreatorId)));
+            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty(nameof(Content.ExpireDate)));
+            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty(nameof(Content.Key)));
+            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty(nameof(Content.Level)));
+            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty(nameof(Content.Path)));
+            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty(nameof(Content.ReleaseDate)));
+            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty(nameof(Content.SortOrder)));
+            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty(nameof(Content.TemplateId)));
+            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty(nameof(Content.Trashed)));
+            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty(nameof(Content.UpdateDate)));
+            Assert.IsTrue(content.WasPropertyDirty(nameof(Content.WriterId)));
             foreach (var prop in content.Properties)
             {
                 Assert.IsTrue(prop.WasDirty());
@@ -459,7 +459,6 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.Models
                 Assert.IsTrue(culture.Value.WasPropertyDirty("Date"));
             }
             //verify child objects were reset too
-            Assert.Zero(content.TemplateId);
             Assert.IsTrue(content.ContentType.WasPropertyDirty("UpdateDate"));
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Tests/Persistence/Repositories/DocumentRepositoryTest.cs b/src/Umbraco.Tests/Persistence/Repositories/DocumentRepositoryTest.cs
index f48445fae0..7c5e10dc89 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Tests/Persistence/Repositories/DocumentRepositoryTest.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Tests/Persistence/Repositories/DocumentRepositoryTest.cs
@@ -432,7 +432,8 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.Persistence.Repositories
 
                 var fetched = repository.Get(textpage.Id);
 
-                Assert.NotZero(textpage.TemplateId);
+                Assert.True(textpage.TemplateId.HasValue);
+                Assert.NotZero(textpage.TemplateId.Value);
                 Assert.AreEqual(textpage.TemplateId, contentType.DefaultTemplate.Id);
 
                 scope.Complete();
@@ -562,7 +563,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.Persistence.Repositories
 
                 var updatedContent = repository.Get(NodeDto.NodeIdSeed + 2);
 
-                Assert.Zero(updatedContent.TemplateId);
+                Assert.False(updatedContent.TemplateId.HasValue);
             }
 
         }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Models/Mapping/DefaultTemplateResolver.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Models/Mapping/DefaultTemplateResolver.cs
index 32fc0c7ea0..12caf93681 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Models/Mapping/DefaultTemplateResolver.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Models/Mapping/DefaultTemplateResolver.cs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Models.Mapping
                 return null;
 
             // If no template id was set...
-            if (source.TemplateId == 0)
+            if (!source.TemplateId.HasValue)
             {
                 // ... and no default template is set, return null...
                 if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(source.ContentType.DefaultTemplate?.Alias))
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Models.Mapping
             }
             
             var fileService = DependencyResolver.Current.GetService<IFileService>();
-            var template = fileService.GetTemplate(source.TemplateId);
+            var template = fileService.GetTemplate(source.TemplateId.Value);
 
             return template.Alias;
         }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/umbraco.presentation/page.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/umbraco.presentation/page.cs
index b6fe51552b..b74d8c5602 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/umbraco.presentation/page.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/umbraco.presentation/page.cs
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ namespace umbraco
                 get { return _key; }
             }
 
-            public int TemplateId => _inner.TemplateId;
+            public int TemplateId => _inner.TemplateId ?? 0;
 
             public int SortOrder
             {