diff --git a/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/compile-workflow/workflow-compiling.service.spec.ts b/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/compile-workflow/workflow-compiling.service.spec.ts
index 28f975540e1..610f9bbaa26 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/compile-workflow/workflow-compiling.service.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/compile-workflow/workflow-compiling.service.spec.ts
@@ -471,6 +471,57 @@ describe("WorkflowCompilingService.setOperatorInputAttrs / restoreOperatorInputA
       ).toEqual(["col_a", "col_b"]);
     });
 
+    it("does not append an empty option for a required property inside a referenced definition", () => {
+      const schema = makeOperatorSchema({
+        type: "object",
+        required: ["attributes"],
+        properties: {
+          attributes: {
+            type: "array",
+            items: { $ref: "#/definitions/SortCriteriaUnit" },
+          },
+        },
+        definitions: {
+          SortCriteriaUnit: {
+            type: "object",
+            required: ["attribute"],
+            properties: {
+              attribute: { type: "string", autofill: "attributeName", autofillAttributeOnPort: 0 },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      });
+
+      const result = WorkflowCompilingService.setOperatorInputAttrs(schema, inputPortSchemaMap);
+      const definition = (result.jsonSchema.definitions as any).SortCriteriaUnit;
+      expect(definition.properties.attribute.enum).toEqual(["col_a", "col_b"]);
+    });
+
+    it("retains an empty option for an optional nested property when the root requires the same name", () => {
+      const schema = makeOperatorSchema({
+        type: "object",
+        required: ["attribute"],
+        properties: {
+          aggregations: {
+            type: "array",
+            items: { $ref: "#/definitions/Aggregation" },
+          },
+        },
+        definitions: {
+          Aggregation: {
+            type: "object",
+            properties: {
+              attribute: { type: "string", autofill: "attributeName", autofillAttributeOnPort: 0 },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      });
+
+      const result = WorkflowCompilingService.setOperatorInputAttrs(schema, inputPortSchemaMap);
+      const definition = (result.jsonSchema.definitions as any).Aggregation;
+      expect(definition.properties.attribute.enum).toEqual(["col_a", "col_b", ""]);
+    });
+
     it("includes additionalEnumValue before the optional empty option", () => {
       const schema = makeOperatorSchema({
         type: "object",
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/compile-workflow/workflow-compiling.service.ts b/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/compile-workflow/workflow-compiling.service.ts
index dae47a0088b..dd8f6f6ba3c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/compile-workflow/workflow-compiling.service.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/compile-workflow/workflow-compiling.service.ts
@@ -338,7 +338,11 @@ export class WorkflowCompilingService {
 
     let newJsonSchema = operatorSchema.jsonSchema;
 
-    const getAttrNames = (attrName: string, v: CustomJSONSchema7): string[] | undefined => {
+    const getAttrNames = (
+      attrName: string,
+      v: CustomJSONSchema7,
+      ownerSchema: CustomJSONSchema7
+    ): string[] | undefined => {
       const i = v.autofillAttributeOnPort;
       if (i === undefined || i === null || !Number.isInteger(i)) {
         return undefined;
@@ -359,7 +363,7 @@ export class WorkflowCompilingService {
       // https://github.com/ajv-validator/ajv/issues/1471
       // the null -> "" change is done by Ajv.validate() with useDefault set to true.
       // It is converted during the property editor form initialization and workflow validation, instead of during schema propagation.
-      if (!operatorSchema.jsonSchema.required?.includes(attrName)) {
+      if (!ownerSchema.required?.includes(attrName)) {
         if (v.default) {
           if (typeof v.default !== "string") {
             throw new Error("default value must be a string");
@@ -377,10 +381,10 @@ export class WorkflowCompilingService {
     newJsonSchema = DynamicSchemaService.mutateProperty(
       newJsonSchema,
       (k, v) => v.autofill === "attributeName",
-      (attrName, old) => ({
+      (attrName, old, ownerSchema) => ({
         ...old,
         type: "string",
-        enum: getAttrNames(attrName, old),
+        enum: getAttrNames(attrName, old, ownerSchema),
         uniqueItems: true,
       })
     );
@@ -388,14 +392,14 @@ export class WorkflowCompilingService {
     newJsonSchema = DynamicSchemaService.mutateProperty(
       newJsonSchema,
       (k, v) => v.autofill === "attributeNameList",
-      (attrName, old) => ({
+      (attrName, old, ownerSchema) => ({
         ...old,
         type: "array",
         uniqueItems: true,
         items: {
           ...(old.items as CustomJSONSchema7),
           type: "string",
-          enum: getAttrNames(attrName, old),
+          enum: getAttrNames(attrName, old, ownerSchema),
         },
       })
     );
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/dynamic-schema/dynamic-schema.service.spec.ts b/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/dynamic-schema/dynamic-schema.service.spec.ts
index 2bfde185429..50fc039dca2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/dynamic-schema/dynamic-schema.service.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/dynamic-schema/dynamic-schema.service.spec.ts
@@ -190,6 +190,39 @@ describe("DynamicSchemaService.mutateProperty", () => {
     expect((nested.properties!.deepTarget as CustomJSONSchema7).description).toEqual("mutated");
   });
 
+  it("should pass the schema that owns a nested property to both callbacks", () => {
+    const original = {
+      type: "object",
+      required: ["root"],
+      properties: {
+        nested: {
+          type: "object",
+          required: ["deepTarget"],
+          properties: {
+            deepTarget: { type: "string" },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    } as CustomJSONSchema7;
+    const matchSpy = vi.fn(
+      (propertyName: string, _: CustomJSONSchema7, ownerSchema: CustomJSONSchema7) =>
+        propertyName === "deepTarget" && ownerSchema.required?.includes(propertyName) === true
+    );
+    const mutationSpy = vi.fn(
+      (_: string, propertyValue: CustomJSONSchema7, ownerSchema: CustomJSONSchema7): CustomJSONSchema7 => ({
+        ...propertyValue,
+        description: ownerSchema.required?.join(","),
+      })
+    );
+
+    const result = DynamicSchemaService.mutateProperty(original, matchSpy, mutationSpy);
+
+    const nested = result.properties!.nested as CustomJSONSchema7;
+    expect((nested.properties!.deepTarget as CustomJSONSchema7).description).toEqual("deepTarget");
+    expect(matchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith("deepTarget", expect.any(Object), nested);
+    expect(mutationSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith("deepTarget", expect.any(Object), nested);
+  });
+
   it("should recurse into definitions to find the matched property", () => {
     const original = {
       type: "object",
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/dynamic-schema/dynamic-schema.service.ts b/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/dynamic-schema/dynamic-schema.service.ts
index 9425de4a60f..b49f33b25e2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/dynamic-schema/dynamic-schema.service.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/workspace/service/dynamic-schema/dynamic-schema.service.ts
@@ -149,15 +149,19 @@ export class DynamicSchemaService {
   /**
    * Helper function to change a property in a json schema of an operator schema.
    * It recursively walks through the property field of a JSON schema, and tries to find the property name.
-   * Once it finds the property name, it invokes the mutationFunction to get the new property and replaces the old property.
-   * The mutationFunction optionally takes a input with current property of the propertyName and outputs the new mutated property.
+   * Once it finds the property name, it invokes the mutation function to get the new property and replaces the old property.
+   * Both callbacks receive the property's name and value plus the schema object that owns the property.
    *
    * Returns a new object containing the new json schema property.
    */
   public static mutateProperty(
     jsonSchemaToChange: CustomJSONSchema7,
-    matchFunc: (propertyName: string, propertyValue: CustomJSONSchema7) => boolean,
-    mutationFunc: (propertyName: string, propertyValue: CustomJSONSchema7) => CustomJSONSchema7
+    matchFunc: (propertyName: string, propertyValue: CustomJSONSchema7, ownerSchema: CustomJSONSchema7) => boolean,
+    mutationFunc: (
+      propertyName: string,
+      propertyValue: CustomJSONSchema7,
+      ownerSchema: CustomJSONSchema7
+    ) => CustomJSONSchema7
   ): CustomJSONSchema7 {
     // recursively walks the JSON schema property tree to find the property name
     const mutatePropertyRecurse = (jsonSchema: JSONSchema7) => {
@@ -171,8 +175,9 @@ export class DynamicSchemaService {
           if (typeof propertyValue === "boolean") {
             return;
           }
-          if (matchFunc(propertyName, propertyValue as CustomJSONSchema7)) {
-            objectProperty[propertyName] = mutationFunc(propertyName, propertyValue as CustomJSONSchema7);
+          const ownerSchema = jsonSchema as CustomJSONSchema7;
+          if (matchFunc(propertyName, propertyValue as CustomJSONSchema7, ownerSchema)) {
+            objectProperty[propertyName] = mutationFunc(propertyName, propertyValue as CustomJSONSchema7, ownerSchema);
           } else {
             mutatePropertyRecurse(propertyValue);
           }