diff --git a/opentech/public/projects/migrations/0004_projectpage_categories.py b/opentech/public/projects/migrations/0004_projectpage_categories.py
index efb106a02dc7c59d365ddb8717d3c5fb0ecaedce..ad7728e58f3e19da40e4cf19421d5047e044cedf 100644
--- a/opentech/public/projects/migrations/0004_projectpage_categories.py
+++ b/opentech/public/projects/migrations/0004_projectpage_categories.py
@@ -15,6 +15,6 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
         migrations.AddField(
             model_name='projectpage',
             name='categories',
-            field=models.TextField(default='{}'),
+            field=models.TextField(default='{}', blank=True),
         ),
     ]
diff --git a/opentech/public/projects/models.py b/opentech/public/projects/models.py
index 52e3f21a23b7f50e0ccd36cba261c4bb69ba9e77..ece39755b4cb9e872b060b9f7b49b63be3c2f8b1 100644
--- a/opentech/public/projects/models.py
+++ b/opentech/public/projects/models.py
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class ProjectPage(FundingMixin, BasePage):
     status = models.CharField(choices=STATUSES, max_length=25, default=STATUSES[0][0])
     body = StreamField(StoryBlock())
 
-    categories = models.TextField(default="{}")
+    categories = models.TextField(default='{}', blank=True)
 
     search_fields = BasePage.search_fields + [
         index.SearchField('introduction'),