diff --git a/client/src/templates/Challenges/components/Challenge-Description.js b/client/src/templates/Challenges/components/Challenge-Description.js
index 0d328d7c76..6df5e2cfff 100644
--- a/client/src/templates/Challenges/components/Challenge-Description.js
+++ b/client/src/templates/Challenges/components/Challenge-Description.js
@@ -9,17 +9,11 @@ const propTypes = {
   section: PropTypes.string
 };
 
-function emptyInstruction(instructions) {
-  return /^<section\s+id\s*=\s*("|')instructions\1\s*>\s*<\/section>$/.test(
-    instructions
-  );
-}
-
 function ChallengeDescription({ description, instructions, section }) {
   return (
     <div className={`challenge-instructions ${section}`}>
       <div dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: description }} />
-      {!emptyInstruction(instructions) && (
+      {instructions && (
         <Fragment>
           <hr />
           <div dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: instructions }} />
diff --git a/curriculum/schema/challengeSchema.js b/curriculum/schema/challengeSchema.js
index 53d25622b6..ee39562edb 100644
--- a/curriculum/schema/challengeSchema.js
+++ b/curriculum/schema/challengeSchema.js
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 const Joi = require('joi');
 Joi.objectId = require('joi-objectid')(Joi);
 
+const { challengeTypes } = require('../../client/utils/challengeTypes');
+
 function getSchemaForLang(lang) {
   let schema = Joi.object().keys({
     block: Joi.string(),
@@ -12,7 +14,11 @@ function getSchemaForLang(lang) {
       .required(),
     checksum: Joi.number(),
     dashedName: Joi.string(),
-    description: Joi.string().required(),
+    description: Joi.when('challengeType', {
+      is: challengeTypes.step,
+      then: Joi.string().allow(''),
+      otherwise: Joi.string().required()
+    }),
     fileName: Joi.string(),
     files: Joi.array().items(
       Joi.object().keys({
@@ -37,7 +43,7 @@ function getSchemaForLang(lang) {
     videoUrl: Joi.string().allow(''),
     helpRoom: Joi.string(),
     id: Joi.objectId().required(),
-    instructions: Joi.string().required(),
+    instructions: Joi.string().allow(''),
     isBeta: Joi.bool(),
     isComingSoon: Joi.bool(),
     isLocked: Joi.bool(),
diff --git a/tools/challenge-md-parser/text-to-data.js b/tools/challenge-md-parser/text-to-data.js
index 638b5835a7..6f91a13afa 100644
--- a/tools/challenge-md-parser/text-to-data.js
+++ b/tools/challenge-md-parser/text-to-data.js
@@ -62,7 +62,12 @@ function textToData(sectionIds) {
               }
             }
           });
-          const textArray = toHTML({ ...node, children: newChildren });
+          const hasData = newChildren.some(
+            node => node.type !== 'text' || !/^\s*$/.test(node.value)
+          );
+          const textArray = hasData
+            ? toHTML({ ...node, children: newChildren })
+            : '';
           file.data = {
             ...file.data,
             [sectionId]: textArray