diff --git a/config/alfresco/templates/webscripts/org/alfresco/repository/workflow/task.lib.ftl b/config/alfresco/templates/webscripts/org/alfresco/repository/workflow/task.lib.ftl
index cf15225b41..8b1c72cc42 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/templates/webscripts/org/alfresco/repository/workflow/task.lib.ftl
+++ b/config/alfresco/templates/webscripts/org/alfresco/repository/workflow/task.lib.ftl
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@
          "id": "${task.id}",
          "url": "${task.url}",
          "name": "${task.name}",
+         "type": "${task.type}",
          "title": "${task.title}",
          "description": "${task.description}",
-         "type": "${task.type}",
          "state": "${task.state}",
          "path": "${task.path}",
          "isPooled": ${task.isPooled?string},
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/web/scripts/workflow/WorkflowModelBuilder.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/web/scripts/workflow/WorkflowModelBuilder.java
index a9b7e51ef1..22f795d392 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/web/scripts/workflow/WorkflowModelBuilder.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/web/scripts/workflow/WorkflowModelBuilder.java
@@ -279,9 +279,10 @@ public class WorkflowModelBuilder
         //       do an extra query which makes things slow
         model.put(TASK_WORKFLOW_INSTANCE_PRIORITY, 2);
         model.put(TASK_WORKFLOW_INSTANCE_DUE_DATE, null);
-        if (workflowInstance.getDescription() != null)
+        String message = workflowInstance.getDescription();
+        if (message != null && message.length() > 0)
         {
-            model.put(TASK_WORKFLOW_INSTANCE_MESSAGE, workflowInstance.description);
+            model.put(TASK_WORKFLOW_INSTANCE_MESSAGE, message);
         }
         else
         {