diff --git a/adapter-cqld4/src/main/resources/activities/baselines/cql-iot-dse.yaml b/adapter-cqld4/src/main/resources/activities/baselines/cql-iot-dse.yaml
index ae83d127f..faf20f09c 100644
--- a/adapter-cqld4/src/main/resources/activities/baselines/cql-iot-dse.yaml
+++ b/adapter-cqld4/src/main/resources/activities/baselines/cql-iot-dse.yaml
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ blocks:
         };
 
       truncate-table: |
-        truncate table <<keyspace:baselines>>.<<table:iot>>;
+        truncate table TEMPLATE(keyspace, baselines).TEMPLATE(table:iot);
   rampup:
     params:
       cl: <<write_cl:LOCAL_QUORUM>>
diff --git a/adapter-cqld4/src/main/resources/activities/baselines/cql-starter.yaml b/adapter-cqld4/src/main/resources/activities/baselines/cql-starter.yaml
index 54012eb84..67dc38be7 100644
--- a/adapter-cqld4/src/main/resources/activities/baselines/cql-starter.yaml
+++ b/adapter-cqld4/src/main/resources/activities/baselines/cql-starter.yaml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ blocks:
         PRIMARY KEY ((machine_id), time)
         ) WITH CLUSTERING ORDER BY (time DESC);
       truncate-table: |
-        truncate table <<keyspace:starter>>.<<table:cqlstarter>>;
+        truncate table TEMPLATE(keyspace,starter).TEMPLATE(table,cqlstarter);
   schema-astra:
     params:
       prepared: false
diff --git a/adapter-mongodb/src/main/resources/activities/mongodb-basic.yaml b/adapter-mongodb/src/main/resources/activities/mongodb-basic.yaml
index a502a3cf0..46917cb36 100644
--- a/adapter-mongodb/src/main/resources/activities/mongodb-basic.yaml
+++ b/adapter-mongodb/src/main/resources/activities/mongodb-basic.yaml
@@ -15,14 +15,14 @@ blocks:
   rampup:
     ops:
       rampup-insert: |
-          {
-            insert: "<<collection:keyvalue>>",
-            documents: [ { _id: {seq_key}, value: {seq_value} } ]
-          }
-        params:
-          readPreference: primary
-        tags:
-          name: rampup-insert
+        {
+          insert: "<<collection:keyvalue>>",
+          documents: [ { _id: {seq_key}, value: {seq_value} } ]
+        }
+      params:
+        readPreference: primary
+      tags:
+        name: rampup-insert
 
   main-read:
     params:
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ blocks:
       type: write
     ops:
       main-insert: |
-          {
-            insert: "<<collection:keyvalue>>",
-            documents: [ { _id: {rw_key}, value: {rw_value} } ]
-          }
-        params:
-          readPreference: primary
\ No newline at end of file
+        {
+          insert: "<<collection:keyvalue>>",
+          documents: [ { _id: {rw_key}, value: {rw_value} } ]
+        }
+      params:
+        readPreference: primary
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/adapter-mongodb/src/main/resources/activities/mongodb-search-basic.yaml b/adapter-mongodb/src/main/resources/activities/mongodb-search-basic.yaml
index e3a003199..63b54cdd6 100644
--- a/adapter-mongodb/src/main/resources/activities/mongodb-search-basic.yaml
+++ b/adapter-mongodb/src/main/resources/activities/mongodb-search-basic.yaml
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ blocks:
               name: "city_idx"
             }
           ]
-        }        
+        }
 
     rampup-write:
       ops:
@@ -104,8 +104,10 @@ blocks:
                 "debt":         null,
                 "match1":       {match1},
                 "match2":       "{match2}",
-                "match3":       {match2}
-                {additional_fields}
+                "match3":       {match2},
+                {
+                  additional_fields
+                }
               }
             ]
           }
@@ -124,20 +126,20 @@ blocks:
       filter: eq
     ops:
       read-document: |
-          {
-            find: "<<collection:search_basic>>",
-            filter: { match3: true }
-          }, <<field-projection:null>>        
+        {
+          find: "<<collection:search_basic>>",
+          filter: { match3: true }
+        }, <<field-projection:null>>        
 
   main-lt:
     params:
       filter: lt
     ops:
       read-document: |
-          {
-            find: "<<collection:search_basic>>",
-            filter: { match1: {$lt: 1}}
-          }, <<field-projection:null>>        
+        {
+          find: "<<collection:search_basic>>",
+          filter: { match1: {$lt: 1}}
+        }, <<field-projection:null>>        
 
   main-and:
     params:
@@ -154,10 +156,10 @@ blocks:
       filter: or
     ops:
       read-document: |
-          {
-            find: "<<collection:search_basic>>",
-            filter: { $or: [ {match1: {$lt: 1}}, {match3: true}]}
-          }, <<field-projection:null>>        
+        {
+          find: "<<collection:search_basic>>",
+          filter: { $or: [ {match1: {$lt: 1}}, {match3: true}]}
+        }, <<field-projection:null>>        
 
   main-or-single-match:
     params:
diff --git a/adapters-api/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/api/activityconfig/OpsLoader.java b/adapters-api/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/api/activityconfig/OpsLoader.java
index f849a2767..cd64f1606 100644
--- a/adapters-api/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/api/activityconfig/OpsLoader.java
+++ b/adapters-api/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/api/activityconfig/OpsLoader.java
@@ -81,7 +81,9 @@ public class OpsLoader {
 
         transformer.checkpointAccesses().forEach((k, v) -> {
             layered.addTemplateVariable(k, v);
-            params.remove(k);
+            if (params.containsKey(k)) {
+                params.remove(k);
+            }
         });
 
         return layered;