diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 40bc367..9343e08 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ### Changed
 - GitHub issue templates
 
+### Fixed
+- Remove default of null for `--ref_transcriptome`
+
 ## [v0.1.13]
 ### Added
 - Handling for GFF3 reference_annotation file type.
diff --git a/nextflow_schema.json b/nextflow_schema.json
index 98731e9..db5883d 100644
--- a/nextflow_schema.json
+++ b/nextflow_schema.json
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@
                 },
                 "ref_transcriptome": {
                     "type": "string",
-                    "default": "null",
                     "format": "file-path",
                     "description": "Transcriptome reference file. Required for precomputed transcriptome calculation and for differential expression analysis.",
                     "help_text": "A reference transcriptome related to the sample under study. Must be supplied when the 'Transcriptome source' parameter has been set to 'precomputed' or to perform differential expression."