diff --git a/api/datastore/bolt/bolt.go b/api/datastore/bolt/bolt.go
index 5335bb71b..91fc29fee 100644
--- a/api/datastore/bolt/bolt.go
+++ b/api/datastore/bolt/bolt.go
@@ -345,8 +345,12 @@ func (ds *BoltDatastore) UpdateRoute(ctx context.Context, newroute *models.Route
 		if newroute.Timeout != 0 {
 			route.Timeout = newroute.Timeout
 		}
-		route.Format = newroute.Format
-		route.MaxConcurrency = newroute.MaxConcurrency
+		if newroute.Format != "" {
+			route.Format = newroute.Format
+		}
+		if newroute.MaxConcurrency != 0 {
+			route.MaxConcurrency = newroute.MaxConcurrency
+		}
 		if newroute.Headers != nil {
 			if route.Headers == nil {
 				route.Headers = map[string][]string{}
@@ -364,6 +368,10 @@ func (ds *BoltDatastore) UpdateRoute(ctx context.Context, newroute *models.Route
 			}
 		}
 
+		if err := route.Validate(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
 		buf, err := json.Marshal(route)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/api/models/route.go b/api/models/route.go
index c21642990..d6bacead3 100644
--- a/api/models/route.go
+++ b/api/models/route.go
@@ -30,15 +30,15 @@ var (
 type Routes []*Route
 
 type Route struct {
-	AppName        string      `json:"app_name,omitempty"`
-	Path           string      `json:"path,omitempty"`
-	Image          string      `json:"image,omitempty"`
-	Memory         uint64      `json:"memory,omitempty"`
-	Headers        http.Header `json:"headers,omitempty"`
-	Type           string      `json:"type,omitempty"`
-	Format         string      `json:"format,omitempty"`
-	MaxConcurrency int         `json:"max_concurrency,omitempty"`
-	Timeout        int32       `json:"timeout,omitempty"`
+	AppName        string      `json:"app_name"`
+	Path           string      `json:"path"`
+	Image          string      `json:"image"`
+	Memory         uint64      `json:"memory"`
+	Headers        http.Header `json:"headers"`
+	Type           string      `json:"type"`
+	Format         string      `json:"format"`
+	MaxConcurrency int         `json:"max_concurrency"`
+	Timeout        int32       `json:"timeout"`
 	Config         `json:"config"`
 }
 
@@ -92,14 +92,26 @@ func (r *Route) Validate() error {
 		res = append(res, ErrRoutesValidationInvalidType)
 	}
 
+	if r.Format == "" {
+		r.Format = FormatDefault
+	}
+
 	if r.Format != FormatDefault && r.Format != FormatHTTP {
 		res = append(res, ErrRoutesValidationInvalidFormat)
 	}
 
-	if r.MaxConcurrency == 0 && r.Format == FormatHTTP {
+	if r.MaxConcurrency == 0 {
 		r.MaxConcurrency = 1
 	}
 
+	if r.Headers == nil {
+		r.Headers = http.Header{}
+	}
+
+	if r.Config == nil {
+		r.Config = map[string]string{}
+	}
+
 	if r.Timeout == 0 {
 		r.Timeout = defaultRouteTimeout
 	} else if r.Timeout < 0 {
diff --git a/api/models/task.go b/api/models/task.go
index 5d5d1ca02..2117147db 100644
--- a/api/models/task.go
+++ b/api/models/task.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ const (
 
 const (
 	// FormatDefault ...
-	FormatDefault = ""
+	FormatDefault = "default"
 	// FormatHTTP ...
 	FormatHTTP = "http"
 )
diff --git a/api/runner/protocol/factory.go b/api/runner/protocol/factory.go
index 84a9082d0..abd1997f1 100644
--- a/api/runner/protocol/factory.go
+++ b/api/runner/protocol/factory.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ type Protocol string
 const (
 	Default Protocol = models.FormatDefault
 	HTTP    Protocol = models.FormatHTTP
+	Empty   Protocol = ""
 )
 
 // New creates a valid protocol handler from a I/O pipe representing containers
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ func New(p Protocol, in io.Writer, out io.Reader) (ContainerIO, error) {
 	switch p {
 	case HTTP:
 		return &HTTPProtocol{in, out}, nil
-	case Default:
+	case Default, Empty:
 		return &DefaultProtocol{}, nil
 	default:
 		return nil, errInvalidProtocol
diff --git a/api/server/apps_create.go b/api/server/apps_create.go
index 7e995fb02..c839a3977 100644
--- a/api/server/apps_create.go
+++ b/api/server/apps_create.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func (s *Server) handleAppCreate(c *gin.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	_, err = Api.Datastore.InsertApp(ctx, wapp.App)
+	app, err := Api.Datastore.InsertApp(ctx, wapp.App)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.WithError(err).Errorln(models.ErrAppsCreate)
 		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, simpleError(err))
@@ -55,5 +55,5 @@ func (s *Server) handleAppCreate(c *gin.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	c.JSON(http.StatusCreated, appResponse{"App successfully created", wapp.App})
+	c.JSON(http.StatusCreated, appResponse{"App successfully created", app})
 }
diff --git a/api/server/apps_update.go b/api/server/apps_update.go
index 2910d3c29..8de82d8a0 100644
--- a/api/server/apps_update.go
+++ b/api/server/apps_update.go
@@ -57,8 +57,6 @@ func handleAppUpdate(c *gin.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	wapp.App = app
-
 	// Nothing to update right now in apps
-	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, appResponse{"App successfully updated", wapp.App})
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, appResponse{"App successfully updated", app})
 }
diff --git a/api/server/routes_create.go b/api/server/routes_create.go
index 996227f4a..87b28a1fb 100644
--- a/api/server/routes_create.go
+++ b/api/server/routes_create.go
@@ -86,12 +86,12 @@ func (s *Server) handleRouteCreate(c *gin.Context) {
 
 	}
 
-	_, err = Api.Datastore.InsertRoute(ctx, wroute.Route)
+	route, err := Api.Datastore.InsertRoute(ctx, wroute.Route)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.WithError(err).Error(models.ErrRoutesCreate)
 		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, simpleError(models.ErrRoutesCreate))
 		return
 	}
 
-	c.JSON(http.StatusCreated, routeResponse{"Route successfully created", wroute.Route})
+	c.JSON(http.StatusCreated, routeResponse{"Route successfully created", route})
 }
diff --git a/api/server/routes_update.go b/api/server/routes_update.go
index 563b154a3..ae1118709 100644
--- a/api/server/routes_update.go
+++ b/api/server/routes_update.go
@@ -49,12 +49,12 @@ func handleRouteUpdate(c *gin.Context) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	_, err = Api.Datastore.UpdateRoute(ctx, wroute.Route)
+	route, err := Api.Datastore.UpdateRoute(ctx, wroute.Route)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.WithError(err).Debug(models.ErrRoutesUpdate)
 		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, simpleError(models.ErrRoutesUpdate))
 		return
 	}
 
-	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, routeResponse{"Route successfully updated", wroute.Route})
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, routeResponse{"Route successfully updated", route})
 }