diff --git a/internal/pkg/node/methods.go b/internal/pkg/node/methods.go
index 2483f825..b7687492 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/node/methods.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/node/methods.go
@@ -99,11 +99,7 @@ func NewProfile(id string) (profileconf Profile) {
 }
 
 func EmptyNode() (nodeconf Node) {
-	nodeconf.Ipmi = new(IpmiConf)
-	nodeconf.Ipmi.Tags = map[string]string{}
-	nodeconf.Kernel = new(KernelConf)
-	nodeconf.NetDevs = make(map[string]*NetDev)
-	nodeconf.Tags = map[string]string{}
+	nodeconf.Expand()
 	return nodeconf
 }
 
@@ -111,14 +107,37 @@ func EmptyNode() (nodeconf Node) {
 Creates a ProfileConf but doesn't add it to the database.
 */
 func EmptyProfile() (profileconf Profile) {
-	profileconf.Ipmi = new(IpmiConf)
-	profileconf.Ipmi.Tags = map[string]string{}
-	profileconf.Kernel = new(KernelConf)
-	profileconf.NetDevs = make(map[string]*NetDev)
-	profileconf.Tags = map[string]string{}
+	profileconf.Expand()
 	return profileconf
 }
 
+func (nodeconf *Node) Expand() {
+	nodeconf.Profile.Expand()
+}
+
+func (profile *Profile) Expand() {
+	if profile.Ipmi == nil {
+		profile.Ipmi = new(IpmiConf)
+	}
+	if profile.Ipmi.Tags == nil {
+		profile.Ipmi.Tags = make(map[string]string)
+	}
+	if profile.Kernel == nil {
+		profile.Kernel = new(KernelConf)
+	}
+	if profile.NetDevs == nil {
+		profile.NetDevs = make(map[string]*NetDev)
+	}
+	for i := range profile.NetDevs {
+		if profile.NetDevs[i].Tags == nil {
+			profile.NetDevs[i].Tags = make(map[string]string)
+		}
+	}
+	if profile.Tags == nil {
+		profile.Tags = make(map[string]string)
+	}
+}
+
 /*
 Flattens out a NodeConf, which means if there are no explicit values in *IpmiConf
 or *KernelConf, these pointer will set to nil. This will remove something like
diff --git a/internal/pkg/node/methods_test.go b/internal/pkg/node/methods_test.go
index 860e8257..675f9273 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/node/methods_test.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/node/methods_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package node
 import (
 	"net"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
 func Test_Empty(t *testing.T) {
@@ -33,3 +35,55 @@ func Test_Empty(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 }
+
+func Test_Node_Expand_Flatten(t *testing.T) {
+	node := new(Node)
+
+	assert.Nil(t, node.Ipmi)
+	assert.Nil(t, node.Kernel)
+	assert.Nil(t, node.NetDevs)
+	assert.Nil(t, node.Tags)
+
+	t.Run("test expand", func(t *testing.T) {
+		node.Expand()
+		assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{}, node.Tags)
+		assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{}, node.Ipmi.Tags)
+		assert.Equal(t, "", node.Kernel.Version)
+		assert.Equal(t, "", node.Kernel.Args)
+		assert.Equal(t, map[string]*NetDev{}, node.NetDevs)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("test flatten", func(t *testing.T) {
+		node.Flatten()
+		assert.Nil(t, node.Ipmi)
+		assert.Nil(t, node.Kernel)
+		assert.Nil(t, node.NetDevs)
+		assert.Nil(t, node.Tags)
+	})
+}
+
+func Test_Profile_Expand_Flatten(t *testing.T) {
+	profile := new(Profile)
+
+	assert.Nil(t, profile.Ipmi)
+	assert.Nil(t, profile.Kernel)
+	assert.Nil(t, profile.NetDevs)
+	assert.Nil(t, profile.Tags)
+
+	t.Run("test expand", func(t *testing.T) {
+		profile.Expand()
+		assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{}, profile.Tags)
+		assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{}, profile.Ipmi.Tags)
+		assert.Equal(t, "", profile.Kernel.Version)
+		assert.Equal(t, "", profile.Kernel.Args)
+		assert.Equal(t, map[string]*NetDev{}, profile.NetDevs)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("test flatten", func(t *testing.T) {
+		profile.Flatten()
+		assert.Nil(t, profile.Ipmi)
+		assert.Nil(t, profile.Kernel)
+		assert.Nil(t, profile.NetDevs)
+		assert.Nil(t, profile.Tags)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/internal/pkg/overlay/datastructure.go b/internal/pkg/overlay/datastructure.go
index 471a6899..bd783d03 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/overlay/datastructure.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/overlay/datastructure.go
@@ -53,9 +53,7 @@ func InitStruct(overlayName string, nodeData node.Node, allNodes []node.Node) (T
 	tstruct.BuildHost = hostname
 	controller := warewulfconf.Get()
 	tstruct.ThisNode = &nodeData
-	if tstruct.ThisNode.Kernel == nil {
-		tstruct.ThisNode.Kernel = new(node.KernelConf)
-	}
+	tstruct.ThisNode.Expand()
 	if tstruct.ThisNode.Kernel.Version == "" {
 		if kernel_ := kernel.FromNode(tstruct.ThisNode); kernel_ != nil {
 			tstruct.ThisNode.Kernel.Version = kernel_.Version()
@@ -77,6 +75,9 @@ func InitStruct(overlayName string, nodeData node.Node, allNodes []node.Node) (T
 	tstruct.Container = nodeData.ContainerName
 	// Backwards compatibility for templates using "Keys"
 	tstruct.AllNodes = allNodes
+	for i := range tstruct.AllNodes {
+		tstruct.AllNodes[i].Expand()
+	}
 	dt := time.Now()
 	tstruct.BuildTime = dt.Format("01-02-2006 15:04:05 MST")
 	tstruct.BuildTimeUnix = strconv.FormatInt(dt.Unix(), 10)
diff --git a/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay_test.go b/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay_test.go
index 845ba11f..4843a3be 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay_test.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay_test.go
@@ -210,6 +210,28 @@ T3
 				"test-link": "/test-target",
 			},
 		},
+		"expansion of nodes": {
+			overlays: []string{"o1"},
+			overlayFiles: map[string]string{
+				"/var/lib/warewulf/overlays/o1/rootfs/node.txt.ww": `
+IPMI user:{{ .Ipmi.UserName}}
+Kernel Version:{{.Kernel.Version}}
+Kernel Args:{{.Kernel.Args}}
+NetDevs:{{.NetDevs}}
+Tags:{{.Tags}}
+`,
+			},
+			outputDir: "/image",
+			outputFiles: map[string]string{
+				"node.txt": `
+IPMI user:
+Kernel Version:
+Kernel Args:
+NetDevs:map[]
+Tags:map[]
+`,
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for name, tt := range tests {
diff --git a/overlays/debug/internal/debug_test.go b/overlays/debug/internal/debug_test.go
index 16107854..ab38627f 100644
--- a/overlays/debug/internal/debug_test.go
+++ b/overlays/debug/internal/debug_test.go
@@ -259,6 +259,16 @@ data from other structures.
     - Version: 
     - Args: quiet crashkernel=no vga=791 net.naming-scheme=v238
 
+  - Ipmi:
+    - Ipaddr: <nil>
+    - Netmask: <nil>
+    - Port: 
+    - Gateway: <nil>
+    - UserName: 
+    - Password: 
+    - Interface: 
+    - Write: 
+    - Tags: 
   - NetDevs[default]:
     - Type: 
     - OnBoot: true