diff --git a/lib/process-services-cloud/src/lib/form/components/widgets/dropdown/dropdown-cloud.widget.spec.ts b/lib/process-services-cloud/src/lib/form/components/widgets/dropdown/dropdown-cloud.widget.spec.ts
index b3c2984a4c..6d44acfcba 100644
--- a/lib/process-services-cloud/src/lib/form/components/widgets/dropdown/dropdown-cloud.widget.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/process-services-cloud/src/lib/form/components/widgets/dropdown/dropdown-cloud.widget.spec.ts
@@ -1009,6 +1009,149 @@ describe('DropdownCloudWidgetComponent', () => {
             });
         });
 
+        describe('cascade parent value normalization', () => {
+            const parentDropdown = new FormFieldModel(new FormModel(), { id: 'parentDropdown', type: 'dropdown' });
+
+            beforeEach(() => {
+                widget.field = new FormFieldModel(new FormModel({ taskId: 'fake-task-id', readOnly: 'false' }), {
+                    id: 'child-dropdown-id',
+                    name: 'child-dropdown',
+                    type: 'dropdown',
+                    optionType: 'manual',
+                    rule: {
+                        ruleOn: 'parentDropdown',
+                        entries: mockConditionalEntries
+                    }
+                });
+                fixture.detectChanges();
+            });
+
+            it('should resolve child options when parent value is an object { id, name }', () => {
+                widget.field = new FormFieldModel(new FormModel({ taskId: 'fake-task-id', readOnly: 'false' }), {
+                    id: 'child-dropdown-id',
+                    name: 'child-dropdown',
+                    type: 'dropdown',
+                    optionType: 'manual',
+                    rule: { ruleOn: 'parentDropdown', entries: mockConditionalEntries }
+                });
+                const mockParentDropdown = { id: 'parentDropdown', value: { id: 'GR', name: 'Greece' }, validate: (): boolean => true };
+                spyOn(widget.field.form, 'getFormFields').and.returnValue([mockParentDropdown]);
+                widget.ngOnInit();
+
+                expect(widget.field.options).toEqual(mockConditionalEntries[0].options);
+            });
+
+            it('should resolve child options when parent value is a plain string (no regression)', () => {
+                parentDropdown.value = 'GR';
+                widget.selectionChangedForField(parentDropdown);
+                fixture.detectChanges();
+
+                expect(widget.field.options).toEqual(mockConditionalEntries[0].options);
+            });
+
+            it('should clear child options and not warn when parent value is null', () => {
+                const warnSpy = spyOn(console, 'warn');
+                parentDropdown.value = null;
+                widget.selectionChangedForField(parentDropdown);
+                fixture.detectChanges();
+
+                expect(widget.field.options).toEqual([]);
+                expect(warnSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+            });
+
+            it('should clear child options and not warn when parent value is undefined', () => {
+                const warnSpy = spyOn(console, 'warn');
+                parentDropdown.value = undefined;
+                widget.selectionChangedForField(parentDropdown);
+                fixture.detectChanges();
+
+                expect(widget.field.options).toEqual([]);
+                expect(warnSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+            });
+
+            it('should resolve child options from first element when parent value is an array of objects', () => {
+                parentDropdown.value = [{ id: 'GR', name: 'Greece' }];
+                widget.selectionChangedForField(parentDropdown);
+                fixture.detectChanges();
+
+                expect(widget.field.options).toEqual(mockConditionalEntries[0].options);
+            });
+
+            it('should resolve child options from first element when parent value is an array of strings', () => {
+                parentDropdown.value = ['GR', 'IT'];
+                widget.selectionChangedForField(parentDropdown);
+                fixture.detectChanges();
+
+                expect(widget.field.options).toEqual(mockConditionalEntries[0].options);
+            });
+
+            it('should clear child options and not warn when parent value is an empty string', () => {
+                const warnSpy = spyOn(console, 'warn');
+                widget.field.options = mockConditionalEntries[1].options;
+                parentDropdown.value = '';
+                widget.selectionChangedForField(parentDropdown);
+                fixture.detectChanges();
+
+                expect(widget.field.options).toEqual([]);
+                expect(warnSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+            });
+
+            it('should clear child options and warn exactly once for unexpected value shapes', () => {
+                const warnSpy = spyOn(console, 'warn');
+
+                parentDropdown.value = 42;
+                widget.selectionChangedForField(parentDropdown);
+                fixture.detectChanges();
+
+                parentDropdown.value = { name: 'no id' };
+                widget.selectionChangedForField(parentDropdown);
+                fixture.detectChanges();
+
+                expect(widget.field.options).toEqual([]);
+                expect(warnSpy.calls.count()).toBe(1);
+            });
+
+            it('should return null for null input to normalizeParentValueToId', () => {
+                expect((widget as any).normalizeParentValueToId(null)).toBeNull();
+            });
+
+            it('should return null for undefined input to normalizeParentValueToId', () => {
+                expect((widget as any).normalizeParentValueToId(undefined)).toBeNull();
+            });
+
+            it('should return null for empty string input to normalizeParentValueToId', () => {
+                expect((widget as any).normalizeParentValueToId('')).toBeNull();
+            });
+
+            it('should return the same string for string input to normalizeParentValueToId', () => {
+                expect((widget as any).normalizeParentValueToId('GR')).toBe('GR');
+            });
+
+            it('should return id for { id, name } object input to normalizeParentValueToId', () => {
+                expect((widget as any).normalizeParentValueToId({ id: 'GR', name: 'Greece' })).toBe('GR');
+            });
+
+            it('should return first element for array of strings input to normalizeParentValueToId', () => {
+                expect((widget as any).normalizeParentValueToId(['GR', 'IT'])).toBe('GR');
+            });
+
+            it('should return id of first element for array of objects input to normalizeParentValueToId', () => {
+                expect((widget as any).normalizeParentValueToId([{ id: 'GR', name: 'Greece' }])).toBe('GR');
+            });
+
+            it('should return null and warn for unexpected shape input to normalizeParentValueToId', () => {
+                const warnSpy = spyOn(console, 'warn');
+                expect((widget as any).normalizeParentValueToId(42)).toBeNull();
+                expect(warnSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+            });
+
+            it('should return null and warn once for an empty array input to normalizeParentValueToId', () => {
+                const warnSpy = spyOn(console, 'warn');
+                expect((widget as any).normalizeParentValueToId([])).toBeNull();
+                expect(warnSpy.calls.count()).toBe(1);
+            });
+        });
+
         describe('when form model has left labels', () => {
             it('should have left labels classes on leftLabels true', async () => {
                 widget.field = new FormFieldModel(new FormModel({ taskId: 'fake-task-id', readOnly: false, leftLabels: true }), {
diff --git a/lib/process-services-cloud/src/lib/form/components/widgets/dropdown/dropdown-cloud.widget.ts b/lib/process-services-cloud/src/lib/form/components/widgets/dropdown/dropdown-cloud.widget.ts
index 02795e73e6..8187402f1f 100644
--- a/lib/process-services-cloud/src/lib/form/components/widgets/dropdown/dropdown-cloud.widget.ts
+++ b/lib/process-services-cloud/src/lib/form/components/widgets/dropdown/dropdown-cloud.widget.ts
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ export class DropdownCloudWidgetComponent extends WidgetComponent implements OnI
     private readonly defaultVariableOptionLabel = 'name';
     private readonly defaultVariableOptionPath = 'data';
 
+    private parentValueWarningLogged = false;
+
     private readonly debounceSetValue = new Subject<void>();
 
     get showRequiredMessage(): boolean {
@@ -455,18 +457,49 @@ export class DropdownCloudWidgetComponent extends WidgetComponent implements OnI
                 takeUntilDestroyed(this.destroyRef)
             )
             .subscribe((event: FormFieldEvent) => {
-                const valueOfParentWidget = event.field.value;
+                const valueOfParentWidget = this.normalizeParentValueToId(event.field.value);
                 this.parentValueChanged(valueOfParentWidget);
             });
     }
 
-    private getParentWidgetValue(): string {
-        const parentWidgetId = this.linkedWidgetId;
-        const parentWidget = this.getFormFieldById(parentWidgetId);
-        return parentWidget?.value;
+    private normalizeParentValueToId(value: any): string | null {
+        if (value === null || value === undefined || value === '') {
+            return null;
+        }
+        if (typeof value === 'string') {
+            return value;
+        }
+        if (Array.isArray(value)) {
+            const first = value[0];
+            if (typeof first === 'string') {
+                return first;
+            }
+            if (first && typeof first === 'object' && 'id' in first) {
+                return first.id;
+            }
+            return this.warnUnexpectedParentValue(value);
+        }
+        if (typeof value === 'object' && 'id' in value) {
+            return value.id;
+        }
+        return this.warnUnexpectedParentValue(value);
     }
 
-    private parentValueChanged(value: string) {
+    private warnUnexpectedParentValue(value: any): null {
+        if (!this.parentValueWarningLogged) {
+            this.parentValueWarningLogged = true;
+            console.warn('DropdownCloudWidgetComponent: unexpected parent widget value shape for cascade lookup', value);
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    private getParentWidgetValue(): string | null {
+        const parentWidgetId = this.linkedWidgetId;
+        const parentWidget = this.getFormFieldById(parentWidgetId);
+        return this.normalizeParentValueToId(parentWidget?.value);
+    }
+
+    private parentValueChanged(value: string | null) {
         if (value && !this.isNoneValueSelected(value)) {
             this.isValidRestConfig ? this.persistFieldOptionsFromRestApi() : this.persistFieldOptionsFromManualList(value);
         } else if (this.isNoneValueSelected(value)) {
@@ -479,15 +512,15 @@ export class DropdownCloudWidgetComponent extends WidgetComponent implements OnI
         }
     }
 
-    private isNoneValueSelected(value: string): boolean {
-        return value === undefined;
+    private isNoneValueSelected(value: string | null): boolean {
+        return value === undefined || value === null;
     }
 
     private getFormFieldById(fieldId): FormFieldModel {
         return this.field.form.getFormFields().filter((field: FormFieldModel) => field.id === fieldId)[0];
     }
 
-    private persistFieldOptionsFromManualList(value: string) {
+    private persistFieldOptionsFromManualList(value: string | null) {
         if (this.hasRuleEntries()) {
             const rulesEntries = this.field.rule.entries;
             rulesEntries.forEach((ruleEntry: RuleEntry) => {