diff --git a/awx/ui_next/src/screens/NotificationTemplate/shared/NotificationTemplateForm.jsx b/awx/ui_next/src/screens/NotificationTemplate/shared/NotificationTemplateForm.jsx
index d3fcda1521..bc668d7686 100644
--- a/awx/ui_next/src/screens/NotificationTemplate/shared/NotificationTemplateForm.jsx
+++ b/awx/ui_next/src/screens/NotificationTemplate/shared/NotificationTemplateForm.jsx
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ function NotificationTemplateForm({
   const defs = defaultMessages[template.notification_type || 'email'];
   const mergeDefaultMessages = (templ = {}, def) => {
     return {
-      message: templ.message || def.message || '',
-      body: templ.body || def.body || '',
+      message: templ?.message || def.message || '',
+      body: templ?.body || def.body || '',
     };
   };
 
@@ -145,25 +145,25 @@ function NotificationTemplateForm({
           workflow_approval: {
             approved: {
               ...mergeDefaultMessages(
-                messages.workflow_approval.approved,
+                messages.workflow_approval?.approved,
                 defs.workflow_approval.approved
               ),
             },
             denied: {
               ...mergeDefaultMessages(
-                messages.workflow_approval.denied,
+                messages.workflow_approval?.denied,
                 defs.workflow_approval.denied
               ),
             },
             running: {
               ...mergeDefaultMessages(
-                messages.workflow_approval.running,
+                messages.workflow_approval?.running,
                 defs.workflow_approval.running
               ),
             },
             timed_out: {
               ...mergeDefaultMessages(
-                messages.workflow_approval.timed_out,
+                messages.workflow_approval?.timed_out,
                 defs.workflow_approval.timed_out
               ),
             },
diff --git a/awx/ui_next/src/screens/NotificationTemplate/shared/hasCustomMessages.js b/awx/ui_next/src/screens/NotificationTemplate/shared/hasCustomMessages.js
index 460bcfba0c..418adaf852 100644
--- a/awx/ui_next/src/screens/NotificationTemplate/shared/hasCustomMessages.js
+++ b/awx/ui_next/src/screens/NotificationTemplate/shared/hasCustomMessages.js
@@ -8,19 +8,19 @@ export default function hasCustomMessages(messages, defaults) {
     isCustomized(messages.success, defaults.success) ||
     isCustomized(messages.error, defaults.error) ||
     isCustomized(
-      messages.workflow_approval.approved,
+      messages.workflow_approval?.approved,
       defaults.workflow_approval.approved
     ) ||
     isCustomized(
-      messages.workflow_approval.denied,
+      messages.workflow_approval?.denied,
       defaults.workflow_approval.denied
     ) ||
     isCustomized(
-      messages.workflow_approval.running,
+      messages.workflow_approval?.running,
       defaults.workflow_approval.running
     ) ||
     isCustomized(
-      messages.workflow_approval.timed_out,
+      messages.workflow_approval?.timed_out,
       defaults.workflow_approval.timed_out
     )
   );