diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs
index 78ad16c890..22d4877869 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Repositories.Implement
 
             // ensure that the default template is assigned
             if (entity.TemplateId == 0)
-                entity.TemplateId = entity.ContentType.DefaultTemplate.Id;
+                entity.TemplateId = entity.ContentType.DefaultTemplate?.Id ?? 0;
 
             // sanitize names
             SanitizeNames(content, publishing);
@@ -405,6 +405,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Repositories.Implement
             else if (content.PublishedState == PublishedState.Unpublishing)
             {
                 content.Published = false;
+                content.PublishTemplateId = 0;
                 content.PublisherId = null;
                 content.PublishName = null;
                 content.PublishDate = null;
@@ -604,6 +605,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Repositories.Implement
             else if (content.PublishedState == PublishedState.Unpublishing)
             {
                 content.Published = false;
+                content.PublishTemplateId = 0;
                 content.PublisherId = null;
                 content.PublishName = null;
                 content.PublishDate = null;
@@ -990,9 +992,9 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Repositories.Implement
                 foreach (var temp in temps)
                 {
                     // complete the item
-                    if (temp.Template1Id.HasValue && templates.TryGetValue(temp.Template1Id.Value, out var template))
+                    if (temp.Template1Id.HasValue && templates.ContainsKey(temp.Template1Id.Value))
                         temp.Content.TemplateId = temp.Template1Id.Value;
-                    if (temp.Template2Id.HasValue && templates.TryGetValue(temp.Template2Id.Value, out template))
+                    if (temp.Template2Id.HasValue && templates.ContainsKey(temp.Template2Id.Value))
                         temp.Content.PublishTemplateId = temp.Template2Id.Value;
 
                 if (properties.ContainsKey(temp.VersionId))
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/EntityXmlSerializer.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/EntityXmlSerializer.cs
index 8db4a238f5..a652776c95 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) ?? "0"));
+            xml.Add(new XAttribute("template", content.TemplateId.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)));
 
             xml.Add(new XAttribute("isPublished", content.Published));
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Tests/Persistence/Repositories/DocumentRepositoryTest.cs b/src/Umbraco.Tests/Persistence/Repositories/DocumentRepositoryTest.cs
index 37dd1b6919..f48445fae0 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Tests/Persistence/Repositories/DocumentRepositoryTest.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Tests/Persistence/Repositories/DocumentRepositoryTest.cs
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.Persistence.Repositories
 
                 var fetched = repository.Get(textpage.Id);
 
-                Assert.Zero(textpage.TemplateId);
+                Assert.NotZero(textpage.TemplateId);
                 Assert.AreEqual(textpage.TemplateId, contentType.DefaultTemplate.Id);
 
                 scope.Complete();
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Models/Mapping/DefaultTemplateResolver.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Models/Mapping/DefaultTemplateResolver.cs
index a84de9257b..32fc0c7ea0 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Models/Mapping/DefaultTemplateResolver.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Models/Mapping/DefaultTemplateResolver.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 using AutoMapper;
-using LightInject;
 using System.Web.Mvc;
 using Umbraco.Core.Models;
 using Umbraco.Core.Services;
@@ -11,17 +10,21 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Models.Mapping
     {
         public string Resolve(IContent source, ContentItemDisplay destination, string destMember, ResolutionContext context)
         {
-            var fileService = DependencyResolver.Current.GetService<IFileService>();
             if (source == null)
                 return null;
 
-            // If no template id was set return default template.
-            if (source.TemplateId == 0 && !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(source.ContentType.DefaultTemplate?.Alias))
+            // If no template id was set...
+            if (source.TemplateId == 0)
             {
-                var defaultTemplate = fileService.GetTemplate(source.ContentType.DefaultTemplate.Alias);
-                return defaultTemplate.Alias;
-            }
+                // ... and no default template is set, return null...
+                if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(source.ContentType.DefaultTemplate?.Alias))
+                    return null;
 
+                // ... otherwise return the content type default template alias.
+                return source.ContentType.DefaultTemplate?.Alias;
+            }
+            
+            var fileService = DependencyResolver.Current.GetService<IFileService>();
             var template = fileService.GetTemplate(source.TemplateId);
 
             return template.Alias;