diff --git a/projectuiapi/src/org/netbeans/modules/project/uiapi/ProjectTemplateAttributesProvider.java b/projectuiapi/src/org/netbeans/modules/project/uiapi/ProjectTemplateAttributesProvider.java
--- a/projectuiapi/src/org/netbeans/modules/project/uiapi/ProjectTemplateAttributesProvider.java
+++ b/projectuiapi/src/org/netbeans/modules/project/uiapi/ProjectTemplateAttributesProvider.java
@@ -81,17 +81,27 @@ public final class ProjectTemplateAttrib
         return checkProjectLicense(all);
     }
     
-    private static Map<String, ? extends Object> checkProjectLicense(Map<String, Object> m) {
+    static Map<String, ? extends Object> checkProjectLicense(Map<String, Object> m) {
         Object prjAttrObj = m != null? m.get(ATTR_PROJECT): null;
         if (prjAttrObj instanceof Map) {
-            Map prjAttrs = (Map) prjAttrObj;
-            if (prjAttrs.get(ATTR_LICENSE) != null) {
-                return m;
+            @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+            Map<String, Object> prjAttrs = (Map<String, Object>) prjAttrObj;
+            if (prjAttrs.get(ATTR_LICENSE) == null) {
+                Map<String, Object> newPrjAttrs = new HashMap<String, Object>(prjAttrs);
+                m.put(ATTR_PROJECT, newPrjAttrs);
+                newPrjAttrs.put(ATTR_LICENSE, "default"); // NOI18N
             }
+            return m;
         }
         if (prjAttrObj != null) {
+            // What can we do?
             return m;
         }
-       return Collections.singletonMap(ATTR_PROJECT, Collections.singletonMap(ATTR_LICENSE, "default")); // NOI18N
+        Map<String, String> licenseMap = Collections.singletonMap(ATTR_LICENSE, "default"); // NOI18N
+        if (m != null) {
+            m.put(ATTR_PROJECT, licenseMap); // NOI18N
+            return m;
+        }
+        return Collections.singletonMap(ATTR_PROJECT, licenseMap);
     }
 }
diff --git a/projectuiapi/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/project/uiapi/ProjectTemplateAttributesProviderTest.java b/projectuiapi/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/project/uiapi/ProjectTemplateAttributesProviderTest.java
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/projectuiapi/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/project/uiapi/ProjectTemplateAttributesProviderTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/*
+ * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS HEADER.
+ *
+ * Copyright 2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * The contents of this file are subject to the terms of either the GNU
+ * General Public License Version 2 only ("GPL") or the Common
+ * Development and Distribution License("CDDL") (collectively, the
+ * "License"). You may not use this file except in compliance with the
+ * License. You can obtain a copy of the License at
+ * http://www.netbeans.org/cddl-gplv2.html
+ * or nbbuild/licenses/CDDL-GPL-2-CP. See the License for the
+ * specific language governing permissions and limitations under the
+ * License.  When distributing the software, include this License Header
+ * Notice in each file and include the License file at
+ * nbbuild/licenses/CDDL-GPL-2-CP.  Sun designates this
+ * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
+ * by Sun in the GPL Version 2 section of the License file that
+ * accompanied this code. If applicable, add the following below the
+ * License Header, with the fields enclosed by brackets [] replaced by
+ * your own identifying information:
+ * "Portions Copyrighted [year] [name of copyright owner]"
+ *
+ * If you wish your version of this file to be governed by only the CDDL
+ * or only the GPL Version 2, indicate your decision by adding
+ * "[Contributor] elects to include this software in this distribution
+ * under the [CDDL or GPL Version 2] license." If you do not indicate a
+ * single choice of license, a recipient has the option to distribute
+ * your version of this file under either the CDDL, the GPL Version 2 or
+ * to extend the choice of license to its licensees as provided above.
+ * However, if you add GPL Version 2 code and therefore, elected the GPL
+ * Version 2 license, then the option applies only if the new code is
+ * made subject to such option by the copyright holder.
+ *
+ * Contributor(s):
+ *
+ * Portions Copyrighted 2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
+ */
+
+package org.netbeans.modules.project.uiapi;
+
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+import junit.framework.TestCase;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @author Andrei Badea
+ */
+public class ProjectTemplateAttributesProviderTest extends TestCase {
+
+    public ProjectTemplateAttributesProviderTest(String testName) {
+        super(testName);
+    }
+
+    public void testCheckProjectLicense() {
+        Map<String, ? extends Object> checked = ProjectTemplateAttributesProvider.checkProjectLicense(null);
+        assertLicense("default", checked);
+
+        Map<String, Object> map = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+        map.put("foo", "bar");
+
+        checked = ProjectTemplateAttributesProvider.checkProjectLicense(map);
+        assertLicense("default", checked);
+        assertEquals("bar", checked.get("foo"));
+
+        map.put("project", Collections.emptyMap());
+        checked = ProjectTemplateAttributesProvider.checkProjectLicense(map);
+        assertLicense("default", checked);
+        assertEquals("bar", checked.get("foo"));
+
+        map.put("project", Collections.singletonMap("license", "gpl"));
+        checked = ProjectTemplateAttributesProvider.checkProjectLicense(map);
+        assertLicense("gpl", checked);
+        assertEquals("bar", checked.get("foo"));
+    }
+
+    private static void assertLicense(String license, Map<String, ? extends Object> map) {
+        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+        Map<String, Object> attrs = (Map<String, Object>) map.get("project");
+        assertEquals(license, attrs.get("license"));
+    }
+}