diff --git a/trustgraph-base/trustgraph/messaging/translators/collection.py b/trustgraph-base/trustgraph/messaging/translators/collection.py
index 5c2a0fd4..df1bdf0f 100644
--- a/trustgraph-base/trustgraph/messaging/translators/collection.py
+++ b/trustgraph-base/trustgraph/messaging/translators/collection.py
@@ -8,43 +8,43 @@ class CollectionManagementRequestTranslator(MessageTranslator):
 
     def to_pulsar(self, data: Dict[str, Any]) -> CollectionManagementRequest:
         return CollectionManagementRequest(
-            operation=data.get("operation", ""),
-            user=data.get("user", ""),
-            collection=data.get("collection", ""),
-            timestamp=data.get("timestamp", ""),
-            name=data.get("name", ""),
-            description=data.get("description", ""),
-            tags=data.get("tags", []),
-            created_at=data.get("created_at", ""),
-            updated_at=data.get("updated_at", ""),
-            tag_filter=data.get("tag_filter", []),
-            limit=data.get("limit", 50)
+            operation=data.get("operation"),
+            user=data.get("user"),
+            collection=data.get("collection"),
+            timestamp=data.get("timestamp"),
+            name=data.get("name"),
+            description=data.get("description"),
+            tags=data.get("tags"),
+            created_at=data.get("created_at"),
+            updated_at=data.get("updated_at"),
+            tag_filter=data.get("tag_filter"),
+            limit=data.get("limit")
         )
 
     def from_pulsar(self, obj: CollectionManagementRequest) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         result = {}
 
-        if obj.operation:
+        if obj.operation is not None:
             result["operation"] = obj.operation
-        if obj.user:
+        if obj.user is not None:
             result["user"] = obj.user
-        if obj.collection:
+        if obj.collection is not None:
             result["collection"] = obj.collection
-        if obj.timestamp:
+        if obj.timestamp is not None:
             result["timestamp"] = obj.timestamp
-        if obj.name:
+        if obj.name is not None:
             result["name"] = obj.name
-        if obj.description:
+        if obj.description is not None:
             result["description"] = obj.description
-        if obj.tags:
+        if obj.tags is not None:
             result["tags"] = list(obj.tags)
-        if obj.created_at:
+        if obj.created_at is not None:
             result["created_at"] = obj.created_at
-        if obj.updated_at:
+        if obj.updated_at is not None:
             result["updated_at"] = obj.updated_at
-        if obj.tag_filter:
+        if obj.tag_filter is not None:
             result["tag_filter"] = list(obj.tag_filter)
-        if obj.limit:
+        if obj.limit is not None:
             result["limit"] = obj.limit
 
         return result
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ class CollectionManagementResponseTranslator(MessageTranslator):
         if "error" in data and data["error"]:
             error_data = data["error"]
             error = Error(
-                type=error_data.get("type", ""),
-                message=error_data.get("message", "")
+                type=error_data.get("type"),
+                message=error_data.get("message")
             )
 
         # Handle collections array
@@ -68,35 +68,35 @@ class CollectionManagementResponseTranslator(MessageTranslator):
         if "collections" in data:
             for coll_data in data["collections"]:
                 collections.append(CollectionMetadata(
-                    user=coll_data.get("user", ""),
-                    collection=coll_data.get("collection", ""),
-                    name=coll_data.get("name", ""),
-                    description=coll_data.get("description", ""),
-                    tags=coll_data.get("tags", []),
-                    created_at=coll_data.get("created_at", ""),
-                    updated_at=coll_data.get("updated_at", "")
+                    user=coll_data.get("user"),
+                    collection=coll_data.get("collection"),
+                    name=coll_data.get("name"),
+                    description=coll_data.get("description"),
+                    tags=coll_data.get("tags"),
+                    created_at=coll_data.get("created_at"),
+                    updated_at=coll_data.get("updated_at")
                 ))
 
         return CollectionManagementResponse(
-            success=data.get("success", ""),
+            success=data.get("success"),
             error=error,
-            timestamp=data.get("timestamp", ""),
+            timestamp=data.get("timestamp"),
             collections=collections
         )
 
     def from_pulsar(self, obj: CollectionManagementResponse) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         result = {}
 
-        if obj.success:
+        if obj.success is not None:
             result["success"] = obj.success
-        if obj.error:
+        if obj.error is not None:
             result["error"] = {
                 "type": obj.error.type,
                 "message": obj.error.message
             }
-        if obj.timestamp:
+        if obj.timestamp is not None:
             result["timestamp"] = obj.timestamp
-        if obj.collections:
+        if obj.collections is not None:
             result["collections"] = []
             for coll in obj.collections:
                 result["collections"].append({