diff --git a/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm.Tests/Validators/EntryValidatorTests.cs b/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm.Tests/Validators/EntryValidatorTests.cs
index adf40dcdc..18eae12eb 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm.Tests/Validators/EntryValidatorTests.cs
+++ b/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm.Tests/Validators/EntryValidatorTests.cs
@@ -62,14 +62,6 @@ public void Fails_WhenLexemeFormIsMissing()
         _validator.TestValidate(entry).ShouldHaveValidationErrorFor("LexemeForm");
     }
 
-    [Fact]
-    public void Fails_WhenLexemeFormHasNoContent()
-    {
-        // Technically the same as Fails_WhenLexemeFormIsMissing -- should we combine them?
-        var entry = new Entry() { Id = Guid.NewGuid(), LexemeForm = new MultiString() };
-        _validator.TestValidate(entry).ShouldHaveValidationErrorFor("LexemeForm");
-    }
-
     [Fact]
     public void Fails_WhenLexemeFormHasWsWithEmptyContent()
     {
@@ -78,9 +70,9 @@ public void Fails_WhenLexemeFormHasWsWithEmptyContent()
     }
 
     [Theory]
-    [InlineData("CitationForm")]
-    [InlineData("LiteralMeaning")]
-    [InlineData("Note")]
+    [InlineData(nameof(Entry.CitationForm))]
+    [InlineData(nameof(Entry.LiteralMeaning))]
+    [InlineData(nameof(Entry.Note))]
     public void Succeeds_WhenNonEmptyFieldIsPresent(string fieldName)
     {
         var entry = new Entry() { Id = Guid.NewGuid(), LexemeForm = new MultiString(){{"en", "lexeme"}} };
@@ -89,9 +81,9 @@ public void Succeeds_WhenNonEmptyFieldIsPresent(string fieldName)
     }
 
     [Theory]
-    [InlineData("CitationForm")]
-    [InlineData("LiteralMeaning")]
-    [InlineData("Note")]
+    [InlineData(nameof(Entry.CitationForm))]
+    [InlineData(nameof(Entry.LiteralMeaning))]
+    [InlineData(nameof(Entry.Note))]
     public void Succeeds_WhenNonEmptyFieldHasNoContent(string fieldName)
     {
         var entry = new Entry() { Id = Guid.NewGuid(), LexemeForm = new MultiString(){{"en", "lexeme"}} };
@@ -100,9 +92,9 @@ public void Succeeds_WhenNonEmptyFieldHasNoContent(string fieldName)
     }
 
     [Theory]
-    [InlineData("CitationForm")]
-    [InlineData("LiteralMeaning")]
-    [InlineData("Note")]
+    [InlineData(nameof(Entry.CitationForm))]
+    [InlineData(nameof(Entry.LiteralMeaning))]
+    [InlineData(nameof(Entry.Note))]
     public void Fails_WhenNonEmptyFieldHasWsWithEmptyContent(string fieldName)
     {
         var entry = new Entry() { Id = Guid.NewGuid(), LexemeForm = new MultiString(){{"en", "lexeme"}} };
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm.Tests/Validators/ExampleSentenceValidatorTests.cs b/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm.Tests/Validators/ExampleSentenceValidatorTests.cs
index c9c2223c0..d4f81d11c 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm.Tests/Validators/ExampleSentenceValidatorTests.cs
+++ b/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm.Tests/Validators/ExampleSentenceValidatorTests.cs
@@ -35,14 +35,6 @@ public void Fails_WhenSentenceIsMissing()
         _validator.TestValidate(example).ShouldHaveValidationErrorFor("Sentence");
     }
 
-    [Fact]
-    public void Fails_WhenSentenceHasNoContent()
-    {
-        // Technically the same as Fails_WhenSentenceIsMissing -- should we combine them?
-        var example = new ExampleSentence() { Id = Guid.NewGuid(), Sentence = new MultiString() };
-        _validator.TestValidate(example).ShouldHaveValidationErrorFor("Sentence");
-    }
-
     [Fact]
     public void Fails_WhenSentenceHasWsWithEmptyContent()
     {
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Validators/EntryValidator.cs b/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Validators/EntryValidator.cs
index 08d47b594..e2cc980fb 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Validators/EntryValidator.cs
+++ b/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Validators/EntryValidator.cs
@@ -25,21 +25,21 @@ public EntryValidator()
 
     private bool NotBeComponentSelfReference(Entry entry, ComplexFormComponent component)
     {
-        return component.ComponentEntryId != entry.Id;
+        return component.ComponentEntryId != entry.Id || component.ComponentEntryId == Guid.Empty;
     }
 
     private bool HaveCorrectComponentEntryReference(Entry entry, ComplexFormComponent component)
     {
-        return component.ComplexFormEntryId == entry.Id;
+        return component.ComplexFormEntryId == entry.Id || component.ComplexFormEntryId == Guid.Empty;
     }
 
     private bool NotBeComplexFormSelfReference(Entry entry, ComplexFormComponent component)
     {
-        return component.ComplexFormEntryId != entry.Id;
+        return component.ComplexFormEntryId != entry.Id || component.ComplexFormEntryId == Guid.Empty;
     }
 
     private bool HaveCorrectComplexFormEntryReference(Entry entry, ComplexFormComponent component)
     {
-        return component.ComponentEntryId == entry.Id;
+        return component.ComponentEntryId == entry.Id || component.ComponentEntryId == Guid.Empty;
     }
 }
diff --git a/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Validators/PartOfSpeechIdValidator.cs b/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Validators/PartOfSpeechIdValidator.cs
index 7bac0323b..20fa960f5 100644
--- a/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Validators/PartOfSpeechIdValidator.cs
+++ b/backend/FwLite/MiniLcm/Validators/PartOfSpeechIdValidator.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 using FluentValidation;
-using MiniLcm.Models;
 
 namespace MiniLcm.Validators;