diff --git a/app/database/migrations/2015_01_05_201444_CreateComponentsTable.php b/app/database/migrations/2015_01_05_201444_CreateComponentsTable.php
index afe49a625..44195375d 100644
--- a/app/database/migrations/2015_01_05_201444_CreateComponentsTable.php
+++ b/app/database/migrations/2015_01_05_201444_CreateComponentsTable.php
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ class CreateComponentsTable extends Migration
         Schema::create('components', function (Blueprint $table) {
             $table->increments('id');
             $table->string('name');
-            $table->text('description')->default('');
-            $table->text('link')->default('');
-            $table->text('tags')->default('');
+            $table->text('description');
+            $table->text('link');
+            $table->text('tags');
             $table->integer('status');
             $table->integer('order');
             $table->integer('group_id');
diff --git a/app/database/migrations/2015_01_05_202609_CreateIncidentsTable.php b/app/database/migrations/2015_01_05_202609_CreateIncidentsTable.php
index 3373e474c..0b6a05428 100644
--- a/app/database/migrations/2015_01_05_202609_CreateIncidentsTable.php
+++ b/app/database/migrations/2015_01_05_202609_CreateIncidentsTable.php
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class CreateIncidentsTable extends Migration
             $table->integer('component_id')->default(0);
             $table->string('name');
             $table->integer('status');
-            $table->longText('message')->default('');
+            $table->longText('message');
             $table->integer('user_id');
             $table->timestamps();
             $table->softDeletes();
diff --git a/app/database/migrations/2015_01_05_202826_CreateMetricsTable.php b/app/database/migrations/2015_01_05_202826_CreateMetricsTable.php
index a48a46833..00af3e193 100644
--- a/app/database/migrations/2015_01_05_202826_CreateMetricsTable.php
+++ b/app/database/migrations/2015_01_05_202826_CreateMetricsTable.php
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class CreateMetricsTable extends Migration
             $table->increments('id');
             $table->string('name');
             $table->string('suffix');
-            $table->text('description')->default('');
+            $table->text('description');
             $table->boolean('display_chart')->default(1);
             $table->timestamps();
 
diff --git a/app/views/dashboard/incidents/add.blade.php b/app/views/dashboard/incidents/add.blade.php
index 3ef88d284..b7c1df42c 100644
--- a/app/views/dashboard/incidents/add.blade.php
+++ b/app/views/dashboard/incidents/add.blade.php
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
                         </div>
                         <div class="form-group">
                             <label>{{ trans('forms.incidents.message') }}</label>
-                            <textarea name="incident[message]" class="form-control" rows="5"></textarea>
+                            <textarea name="incident[message]" class="form-control" rows="5" required></textarea>
                             <span class="help-block">{{ trans('forms.incidents.message-help') }}</span>
                         </div>
                     </fieldset>
diff --git a/app/views/dashboard/incidents/edit.blade.php b/app/views/dashboard/incidents/edit.blade.php
index 07c3b29bc..861578154 100644
--- a/app/views/dashboard/incidents/edit.blade.php
+++ b/app/views/dashboard/incidents/edit.blade.php
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
                     </div>
                     <div class="form-group">
                         <label>{{ trans('forms.incidents.message') }}</label>
-                        <textarea name="incident[message]" class="form-control" rows="5">{{ $incident->message }}</textarea>
+                        <textarea name="incident[message]" class="form-control" rows="5" required>{{ $incident->message }}</textarea>
                         <span class="help-block">{{ trans('forms.incidents.message-help') }}</span>
                     </div>
                 </fieldset>