diff --git a/src/media/js/forms.js b/src/media/js/forms.js
index c4e348b..6d05917 100644
--- a/src/media/js/forms.js
+++ b/src/media/js/forms.js
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ define('forms', ['jquery', 'l10n', 'z'], function($, l10n, z) {
         var translated_fields = $('input[type=translated], textarea[translated]');
         translated_fields.each(function(i, elem) {
             var $elem = $(elem);
-            var values = $elem.data('value');
+            var values = $elem.data('value') || {};
             var locale_picker = $('<select class="locale">');
             for (var locale in values) {
                 locale_picker.append('<option>' + locale + '</option>');
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ define('forms', ['jquery', 'l10n', 'z'], function($, l10n, z) {
 
             function save() {
                 var $elem = $(elem);  // Get a new reference!
-                var data = $elem.data('value');
+                var data = $elem.data('value') || {};
                 // Save the old value.
                 data[previous_value] = $elem.val();
                 $elem.data(data);
diff --git a/src/templates/collection.html b/src/templates/collection.html
index 099ea57..3b3d0ad 100644
--- a/src/templates/collection.html
+++ b/src/templates/collection.html
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
         <h1>
           <div class="fat field" data-field="name">
             <p>{{ this.name|translate(this) }}</p>
-            <form><input type="translated" required data-value="{{ this.name|stringify|escape }}" pattern="[^\s].*|\s+\S.+"></form>
+            <form><input type="translated" required data-value="{{ (this.name or {})|stringify|escape }}" pattern="[^\s].*|\s+\S.+"></form>
           </div>
         </h1>
         {% if this.author and this.author != 'nobody' %}
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ <h1>
         <div class="text field" data-field="description">
           <label>{{ _('Description:') }}</label>
           <p>{{ this.description|translate(this) }}</p>
-          <form><textarea translated data-value="{{ this.description|stringify|escape }}" pattern="[^\s].*|\s+\S.+"></textarea></form>
+          <form><textarea translated data-value="{{ (this.description or {})|stringify|escape }}" pattern="[^\s].*|\s+\S.+"></textarea></form>
         </div>
       </div>
       {# Curated collection customization fields #}