diff --git a/src/main/resources/docker/docker-create.sh.ftl b/src/main/resources/docker/docker-create.sh.ftl
index b97ff54..900ca9b 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/docker/docker-create.sh.ftl
+++ b/src/main/resources/docker/docker-create.sh.ftl
@@ -26,11 +26,7 @@ echo "Running ${deployed_container.id}"
     <#assign cmdLine = cmdLine + ["--entrypoint ${deployed_container.entryPoint}" ]/>
 </#if>
 <#list deployed_container.ports as port>
-    <#if (port.protocol??)>
-        <#assign cmdLine = cmdLine + ["--publish ${port.hostPort}:${port.containerPort}/${port.protocol}"]/>
-    <#else>
-        <#assign cmdLine = cmdLine + ["--publish ${port.hostPort}:${port.containerPort}"]/>
-    </#if>
+    <#assign cmdLine = cmdLine + ["--publish ${port.hostPort}:${port.containerPort}/${port.protocol}"]/>
 </#list>
 <#list deployed_container.links as link>
     <#assign cmdLine = cmdLine + ["--link=${link.name}:${link.alias}"]/>
diff --git a/src/main/resources/docker/docker-port.sh.ftl b/src/main/resources/docker/docker-port.sh.ftl
index 8a5bac9..91fb717 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/docker/docker-port.sh.ftl
+++ b/src/main/resources/docker/docker-port.sh.ftl
@@ -6,10 +6,6 @@
 
 -->
 <#include "/docker/setup-docker.ftl">
-<#assign protocol = "tcp"/>
-<#if (port.protocol??)>
-    <#assign protocol="${port.protocol}"/>
-</#if>
 echo "Test the port on ${name}"
-echo "docker port ${name} ${port.containerPort}/${protocol}"
-docker port ${name} ${port.containerPort}/${protocol}
+echo "docker port ${name} ${port.containerPort}/${port.protocol}"
+docker port ${name} ${port.containerPort}/${port.protocol}
diff --git a/src/main/resources/synthetic.xml b/src/main/resources/synthetic.xml
index 845c282..eddda48 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/synthetic.xml
+++ b/src/main/resources/synthetic.xml
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
         <generate-deployable type="docker.PortSpec" extends="udm.BaseEmbeddedDeployable"/>
         <property name="hostPort" required="false" kind="integer"/>
         <property name="containerPort" kind="integer"/>
-        <property name="protocol" required="false" description="e.g udp or tcp"/>
+        <property name="protocol" default="tcp" required="false" description="e.g udp or tcp"/>
         <property name="testPort" kind="boolean" category="Advanced" default="false" required="false" description="Test if the port is open once the container has been started."/>
     </type>