diff --git a/wherehows-dao/src/main/java/wherehows/dao/table/DictDatasetDao.java b/wherehows-dao/src/main/java/wherehows/dao/table/DictDatasetDao.java
index fb7cff6746..ac674f3e39 100644
--- a/wherehows-dao/src/main/java/wherehows/dao/table/DictDatasetDao.java
+++ b/wherehows-dao/src/main/java/wherehows/dao/table/DictDatasetDao.java
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ public class DictDatasetDao extends BaseDao {
   }
 
   public void setDatasetDeprecation(@Nonnull String datasetUrn, boolean isDeprecated,
-      @Nullable String deprecationNote, @Nonnull String user) throws Exception {
+      @Nonnull String deprecationNote, @Nonnull String user) throws Exception {
     throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not implemented yet");
   }
 
diff --git a/wherehows-frontend/app/controllers/api/v2/Dataset.java b/wherehows-frontend/app/controllers/api/v2/Dataset.java
index aed7b1099e..8705c54202 100644
--- a/wherehows-frontend/app/controllers/api/v2/Dataset.java
+++ b/wherehows-frontend/app/controllers/api/v2/Dataset.java
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ public class Dataset extends Controller {
 
       boolean deprecated = record.get("deprecated").asBoolean();
 
-      String deprecationNote = record.hasNonNull("deprecationNote") ? record.get("deprecationNote").asText() : null;
+      String deprecationNote = record.hasNonNull("deprecationNote") ? record.get("deprecationNote").asText() : "";
 
       DICT_DATASET_DAO.setDatasetDeprecation(datasetUrn, deprecated, deprecationNote, username);
     } catch (Exception e) {