diff --git a/orm/gen/templates.go b/orm/gen/templates.go
index e965b68f..060fc3a8 100644
--- a/orm/gen/templates.go
+++ b/orm/gen/templates.go
@@ -287,7 +287,6 @@ func columnSetter(i Importer, tables []drivers.Table, table, column, to string,
 		}
 
 		col := t.GetColumn(column)
-		optional = optional && col.Default != "" // without default, it is non-optional
 		switch {
 		case optional && col.Nullable:
 			i.Import("github.com/aarondl/opt/omitnull")
@@ -468,7 +467,7 @@ func setDeps(i Importer, tables []drivers.Table, aliases Aliases, r orm.Relation
 					"%s.%s",
 					extObjVarName,
 					malias.Columns[mapp.ExternalColumn],
-				), optional && kside.TableName == foreign)
+				), shouldCreate || (optional && kside.TableName == foreign))
 
 				mret = append(mret, fmt.Sprintf(`%s.%s = %s`,
 					objVarName,
@@ -505,7 +504,7 @@ func relatedUpdateValues(i Importer, tables []drivers.Table, aliases Aliases, r
 				"%s.%s",
 				extObjVarName,
 				malias.Columns[mapp.ExternalColumn],
-			), false)
+			), true)
 
 			mret = append(mret, fmt.Sprintf("%s: %s,",
 				oalias.Columns[mapp.Column],
diff --git a/orm/gen/templates/01_types.go.tpl b/orm/gen/templates/01_types.go.tpl
index edafc683..034feb5b 100644
--- a/orm/gen/templates/01_types.go.tpl
+++ b/orm/gen/templates/01_types.go.tpl
@@ -32,24 +32,20 @@ type {{$tAlias.UpSingular}} struct {
 }
 
 {{if .Table.PKey -}}
-// Optional{{$tAlias.UpSingular}} is used for insert/upsert operations
-// Fields that have default values are optional, and do not have to be set
-// Fields without default values must be set or the zero value will be used
+// Optional{{$tAlias.UpSingular}} is used for insert/upsert/update operations
+// All values are optional, and do not have to be set
 // Generated columns are not included
 type Optional{{$tAlias.UpSingular}} struct {
 	{{- range $column := .Table.Columns -}}
 	{{- if $column.Generated}}{{continue}}{{end -}}
 	{{- $colAlias := $tAlias.Column $column.Name -}}
-	{{- $colTyp := $column.Type -}}
-		{{- if and $column.Default $column.Nullable -}}
+	{{- $colTyp := "" -}}
+		{{- if $column.Nullable -}}
 			{{- $.Importer.Import "github.com/aarondl/opt/omitnull" -}}
 			{{- $colTyp = printf "omitnull.Val[%s]" $column.Type -}}
-		{{- else if $column.Default -}}
+		{{- else -}}
 			{{- $.Importer.Import "github.com/aarondl/opt/omit" -}}
 			{{- $colTyp = printf "omit.Val[%s]" $column.Type -}}
-		{{- else if $column.Nullable -}}
-			{{- $.Importer.Import "github.com/aarondl/opt/null" -}}
-			{{- $colTyp = printf "null.Val[%s]" $column.Type -}}
 		{{- end -}}
 		{{$colAlias}} {{$colTyp}} `db:"{{dbTag $table $column}}"`
 	{{end -}}