diff --git a/broker-core/src/main/java/io/zeebe/broker/workflow/model/transformation/transformer/ServiceTaskTransformer.java b/broker-core/src/main/java/io/zeebe/broker/workflow/model/transformation/transformer/ServiceTaskTransformer.java
index 16d1ad8ab1e3..3bad5f226854 100644
--- a/broker-core/src/main/java/io/zeebe/broker/workflow/model/transformation/transformer/ServiceTaskTransformer.java
+++ b/broker-core/src/main/java/io/zeebe/broker/workflow/model/transformation/transformer/ServiceTaskTransformer.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
  */
 package io.zeebe.broker.workflow.model.transformation.transformer;
 
+import static io.zeebe.broker.Broker.LOG;
 import static io.zeebe.util.buffer.BufferUtil.wrapString;
 
 import io.zeebe.broker.workflow.model.BpmnStep;
@@ -30,7 +31,8 @@
 import io.zeebe.model.bpmn.instance.zeebe.ZeebeTaskHeaders;
 import io.zeebe.msgpack.spec.MsgPackWriter;
 import io.zeebe.protocol.intent.WorkflowInstanceIntent;
-import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import org.agrona.DirectBuffer;
 import org.agrona.ExpandableArrayBuffer;
 import org.agrona.MutableDirectBuffer;
@@ -80,34 +82,56 @@ private void transformTaskHeaders(ServiceTask element, final ExecutableServiceTa
     final ZeebeTaskHeaders taskHeaders = element.getSingleExtensionElement(ZeebeTaskHeaders.class);
 
     if (taskHeaders != null) {
-      final DirectBuffer encodedHeaders = encode(taskHeaders);
-      serviceTask.setEncodedHeaders(encodedHeaders);
+      final List<ZeebeHeader> validHeaders =
+          taskHeaders
+              .getHeaders()
+              .stream()
+              .filter(this::isValidHeader)
+              .collect(Collectors.toList());
+
+      if (validHeaders.size() < taskHeaders.getHeaders().size()) {
+        LOG.warn(
+            "Ignoring invalid headers for task '{}'. Must have non-empty key and value.",
+            element.getName());
+      }
+
+      if (!validHeaders.isEmpty()) {
+        final DirectBuffer encodedHeaders = encode(validHeaders);
+        serviceTask.setEncodedHeaders(encodedHeaders);
+      }
     }
   }
 
-  private DirectBuffer encode(ZeebeTaskHeaders taskHeaders) {
+  private DirectBuffer encode(List<ZeebeHeader> taskHeaders) {
     final MutableDirectBuffer buffer = new UnsafeBuffer(0, 0);
 
-    final Collection<ZeebeHeader> headers = taskHeaders.getHeaders();
+    final ExpandableArrayBuffer expandableBuffer =
+        new ExpandableArrayBuffer(INITIAL_SIZE_KEY_VALUE_PAIR * taskHeaders.size());
 
-    if (!headers.isEmpty()) {
-      final ExpandableArrayBuffer expandableBuffer =
-          new ExpandableArrayBuffer(INITIAL_SIZE_KEY_VALUE_PAIR * headers.size());
-      msgPackWriter.wrap(expandableBuffer, 0);
-      msgPackWriter.writeMapHeader(headers.size());
+    msgPackWriter.wrap(expandableBuffer, 0);
+    msgPackWriter.writeMapHeader(taskHeaders.size());
 
-      headers.forEach(
-          h -> {
+    taskHeaders.forEach(
+        h -> {
+          if (isValidHeader(h)) {
             final DirectBuffer key = wrapString(h.getKey());
             msgPackWriter.writeString(key);
 
             final DirectBuffer value = wrapString(h.getValue());
             msgPackWriter.writeString(value);
-          });
+          }
+        });
 
-      buffer.wrap(expandableBuffer.byteArray(), 0, msgPackWriter.getOffset());
-    }
+    buffer.wrap(expandableBuffer.byteArray(), 0, msgPackWriter.getOffset());
 
     return buffer;
   }
+
+  private boolean isValidHeader(ZeebeHeader header) {
+    return header != null
+        && header.getValue() != null
+        && !header.getValue().isEmpty()
+        && header.getKey() != null
+        && !header.getKey().isEmpty();
+  }
 }
diff --git a/broker-core/src/test/java/io/zeebe/broker/workflow/activity/ActivityTest.java b/broker-core/src/test/java/io/zeebe/broker/workflow/activity/ActivityTest.java
index d2e478f9d1e6..cf05e45f8d19 100644
--- a/broker-core/src/test/java/io/zeebe/broker/workflow/activity/ActivityTest.java
+++ b/broker-core/src/test/java/io/zeebe/broker/workflow/activity/ActivityTest.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import io.zeebe.exporter.record.value.WorkflowInstanceRecordValue;
 import io.zeebe.model.bpmn.Bpmn;
 import io.zeebe.model.bpmn.BpmnModelInstance;
+import io.zeebe.protocol.intent.DeploymentIntent;
 import io.zeebe.protocol.intent.JobIntent;
 import io.zeebe.protocol.intent.TimerIntent;
 import io.zeebe.protocol.intent.WorkflowInstanceIntent;
@@ -167,6 +168,53 @@ public void shouldUnsubscribeFromBoundaryEventTriggersOnTerminating() {
         WorkflowInstanceIntent.ELEMENT_TERMINATING, WorkflowInstanceIntent.ELEMENT_TERMINATED);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void shouldIgnoreTaskHeadersIfEmpty() {
+    createWorkflowAndAssertIgnoredHeaders("");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void shouldIgnoreTaskHeadersIfNull() {
+    createWorkflowAndAssertIgnoredHeaders(null);
+  }
+
+  private void createWorkflowAndAssertIgnoredHeaders(String testValue) {
+    // given
+    final BpmnModelInstance model =
+        Bpmn.createExecutableProcess("process")
+            .startEvent("start")
+            .serviceTask("task1", b -> b.zeebeTaskType("type1").zeebeTaskHeader("key", testValue))
+            .endEvent("end")
+            .moveToActivity("task1")
+            .serviceTask("task2", b -> b.zeebeTaskType("type2").zeebeTaskHeader(testValue, "value"))
+            .connectTo("end")
+            .moveToActivity("task1")
+            .serviceTask(
+                "task3", b -> b.zeebeTaskType("type3").zeebeTaskHeader(testValue, testValue))
+            .connectTo("end")
+            .done();
+
+    // when
+    final long deploymentKey = testClient.deploy(model);
+    testClient.receiveFirstDeploymentEvent(DeploymentIntent.CREATED, deploymentKey);
+    testClient.createWorkflowInstance("process");
+
+    // then
+    final JobRecordValue firstJob =
+        testClient.receiveJobs().withType("type1").getFirst().getValue();
+    assertThat(firstJob.getCustomHeaders()).isEmpty();
+    testClient.completeJobOfType("type1");
+
+    final JobRecordValue secondJob =
+        testClient.receiveJobs().withType("type2").getFirst().getValue();
+    assertThat(secondJob.getCustomHeaders()).isEmpty();
+    testClient.completeJobOfType("type2");
+
+    final JobRecordValue thirdJob =
+        testClient.receiveJobs().withType("type3").getFirst().getValue();
+    assertThat(thirdJob.getCustomHeaders()).isEmpty();
+  }
+
   private void shouldUnsubscribeFromBoundaryEventTrigger(
       WorkflowInstanceIntent leavingState, WorkflowInstanceIntent leftState) {
     // given