diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/reports/new.js b/app/assets/javascripts/reports/new.js
index acb976c72..c206021ef 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/reports/new.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/reports/new.js
@@ -1232,20 +1232,35 @@ function reportHandsonTableConverter() {
       });
   }
 
+  function reCheckContinueButton() {
+    if (dropdownSelector.getValues('#projectSelector').length > 0
+          && dropdownSelector.getValues('#templateSelector').length > 0) {
+      $('.continue-button').attr('disabled', false);
+    } else {
+      $('.continue-button').attr('disabled', true);
+    }
+  }
+
   function initDropdowns() {
     dropdownSelector.init('#projectSelector', {
       singleSelect: true,
       closeOnSelect: true,
       noEmptyOption: true,
       selectAppearance: 'simple',
-      onChange: function() {
+      onSelect: function() {
         let projectContents = $('#new-report-step-2').find('.project-contents');
         let loadedProjectId = parseInt(projectContents.attr('data-project-id'), 10);
         let projectId = parseInt(dropdownSelector.getValues('#projectSelector'), 10);
         if (!Number.isNaN(loadedProjectId) && loadedProjectId !== projectId) {
           $('#projectReportWarningModal').modal('show');
         }
-        $('.continue-button').attr('disabled', false);
+        if (dropdownSelector.getValues('#projectSelector').length > 0) {
+          dropdownSelector.enableSelector('#templateSelector');
+        } else {
+          dropdownSelector.selectValues('#templateSelector', '');
+          dropdownSelector.disableSelector('#templateSelector');
+        }
+        reCheckContinueButton();
       }
     });
 
@@ -1255,9 +1270,15 @@ function reportHandsonTableConverter() {
       noEmptyOption: true,
       selectAppearance: 'simple',
       disableSearch: true,
-      onChange: function() {
+      onSelect: function() {
+        if (dropdownSelector.getValues('#templateSelector').length === 0) {
+          $('.report-template-values-container').html('').addClass('hidden');
+          reCheckContinueButton();
+          return;
+        }
+
         let filledFieldsCount = $('.report-template-values-container')
-          .find('input.sci-input-field, textarea.sci-input-field').filter(function () {
+          .find('input.sci-input-field, textarea.sci-input-field').filter(function() {
             return !!this.value;
           }).length;
 
@@ -1266,8 +1287,13 @@ function reportHandsonTableConverter() {
         } else {
           $('#templateReportWarningModal').modal('show');
         }
+        reCheckContinueButton();
       }
     });
+
+    if (dropdownSelector.getValues('#templateSelector').length > 0) {
+      loadTemplate();
+    }
   }
 
   function loadTemplate() {
@@ -1279,6 +1305,7 @@ function reportHandsonTableConverter() {
 
     $('#templateSelector').data('selected-template', template);
     $.get($('#templateSelector').data('valuesEditorPath'), params, function(result) {
+      $('.report-template-values-container').removeClass('hidden');
       $('.report-template-values-container').html(result.html);
       $('.report-template-value-dropdown').each(function() {
         dropdownSelector.init($(this), {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/sitewide/dropdown_selector.js b/app/assets/javascripts/sitewide/dropdown_selector.js
index ceb45ff66..a4198abae 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/sitewide/dropdown_selector.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/sitewide/dropdown_selector.js
@@ -145,7 +145,9 @@ var dropdownSelector = (function() {
   function disableEnableDropdown(selector, container, mode) {
     var searchFieldValue = container.find('.search-field');
     if (mode) {
-      updateCurrentData(container, []);
+      if ($(selector).data('ajax-url')) {
+        updateCurrentData(container, []);
+      }
       updateTags(selector, container, { skipChange: true });
       searchFieldValue.attr('placeholder', selector.data('disable-placeholder') || '');
       container.addClass('disabled').removeClass('open')
diff --git a/app/models/report.rb b/app/models/report.rb
index c58b6ab26..3ade38cf6 100644
--- a/app/models/report.rb
+++ b/app/models/report.rb
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ class Report < ApplicationRecord
            dependent: :delete_all
 
   DEFAULT_SETTINGS = {
-    template: 'scinote_template',
     all_tasks: true,
     task: {
       protocol: {
diff --git a/app/views/reports/wizard/_first_step.html.erb b/app/views/reports/wizard/_first_step.html.erb
index a602c0a53..1dcc0617f 100644
--- a/app/views/reports/wizard/_first_step.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/reports/wizard/_first_step.html.erb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <div class="project-selector-container">
   <%= render partial: 'reports/wizard/project_template_selector', locals: {report: report} %>
 </div>
-<div class="report-template-values-container">
+<div class="report-template-values-container <%= 'hidden' if report.new_record? %>">
 </div>
diff --git a/app/views/reports/wizard/_project_template_selector.html.erb b/app/views/reports/wizard/_project_template_selector.html.erb
index 39c842b4d..a0003ebbc 100644
--- a/app/views/reports/wizard/_project_template_selector.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/reports/wizard/_project_template_selector.html.erb
@@ -6,16 +6,20 @@
   <div class="col-md-6">
     <div class='project-selector'>
       <%= label_tag :projectSelector, t('projects.reports.wizard.first_step.select_project') %>
-      <%= select_tag :projectSelector, options_from_collection_for_select(@visible_projects, :id, :name, report.project_id), data: { placeholder: t('projects.reports.wizard.first_step.select_project') } %>
+      <%= select_tag :projectSelector,
+                     options_from_collection_for_select(@visible_projects, :id, :name, report.project_id),
+                     prompt: t('projects.reports.wizard.first_step.select_project') %>
     </div>
 
     <div class='template-selector'>
       <%= label_tag :templateSelector, t('projects.reports.wizard.first_step.select_template') %>
       <%= select_tag :templateSelector,
                      options_for_select(@templates.invert, report.settings[:template]),
+                     prompt: t('projects.reports.wizard.first_step.select_template'),
                      data: {
+                       disable_on_load: report.settings[:template].blank?,
                        placeholder: t('projects.reports.wizard.first_step.select_template'),
-                       selected_template: report.settings[:template] || @templates.first[0],
+                       selected_template: report.settings[:template],
                        values_editor_path: reports_new_template_values_path(report_id: report.id)
                      } %>
     </div>