diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/application/connector/ConnectorConfiguration.java b/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/application/connector/ConnectorConfiguration.java
index fc2c0920f49df..75dba46f8e29c 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/application/connector/ConnectorConfiguration.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/application/connector/ConnectorConfiguration.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 import static org.elasticsearch.xcontent.ConstructingObjectParser.constructorArg;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xcontent.ConstructingObjectParser.optionalConstructorArg;
@@ -45,10 +46,14 @@ public class ConnectorConfiguration implements Writeable, ToXContentObject {
 
     @Nullable
     private final String category;
+    @Nullable
     private final Object defaultValue;
+    @Nullable
     private final List<ConfigurationDependency> dependsOn;
+    @Nullable
     private final ConfigurationDisplayType display;
     private final String label;
+    @Nullable
     private final List<ConfigurationSelectOption> options;
     @Nullable
     private final Integer order;
@@ -58,9 +63,13 @@ public class ConnectorConfiguration implements Writeable, ToXContentObject {
     private final boolean sensitive;
     @Nullable
     private final String tooltip;
+    @Nullable
     private final ConfigurationFieldType type;
+    @Nullable
     private final List<String> uiRestrictions;
+    @Nullable
     private final List<ConfigurationValidation> validations;
+    @Nullable
     private final Object value;
 
     /**
@@ -380,41 +389,38 @@ public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
 
     public Map<String, Object> toMap() {
         Map<String, Object> map = new HashMap<>();
-        if (category != null) {
-            map.put(CATEGORY_FIELD.getPreferredName(), category);
-        }
+
+        Optional.ofNullable(category).ifPresent(c -> map.put(CATEGORY_FIELD.getPreferredName(), c));
         map.put(DEFAULT_VALUE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), defaultValue);
-        if (dependsOn != null) {
-            map.put(DEPENDS_ON_FIELD.getPreferredName(), dependsOn.stream().map(ConfigurationDependency::toMap).toList());
-        }
-        if (display != null) {
-            map.put(DISPLAY_FIELD.getPreferredName(), display.toString());
-        }
+
+        Optional.ofNullable(dependsOn)
+            .ifPresent(d -> map.put(DEPENDS_ON_FIELD.getPreferredName(), d.stream().map(ConfigurationDependency::toMap).toList()));
+
+        Optional.ofNullable(display).ifPresent(d -> map.put(DISPLAY_FIELD.getPreferredName(), d.toString()));
+
         map.put(LABEL_FIELD.getPreferredName(), label);
-        if (options != null) {
-            map.put(OPTIONS_FIELD.getPreferredName(), options.stream().map(ConfigurationSelectOption::toMap).toList());
-        }
-        if (order != null) {
-            map.put(ORDER_FIELD.getPreferredName(), order);
-        }
-        if (placeholder != null) {
-            map.put(PLACEHOLDER_FIELD.getPreferredName(), placeholder);
-        }
+
+        Optional.ofNullable(options)
+            .ifPresent(o -> map.put(OPTIONS_FIELD.getPreferredName(), o.stream().map(ConfigurationSelectOption::toMap).toList()));
+
+        Optional.ofNullable(order).ifPresent(o -> map.put(ORDER_FIELD.getPreferredName(), o));
+
+        Optional.ofNullable(placeholder).ifPresent(p -> map.put(PLACEHOLDER_FIELD.getPreferredName(), p));
+
         map.put(REQUIRED_FIELD.getPreferredName(), required);
         map.put(SENSITIVE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), sensitive);
-        if (tooltip != null) {
-            map.put(TOOLTIP_FIELD.getPreferredName(), tooltip);
-        }
-        if (type != null) {
-            map.put(TYPE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), type.toString());
-        }
-        if (uiRestrictions != null) {
-            map.put(UI_RESTRICTIONS_FIELD.getPreferredName(), uiRestrictions);
-        }
-        if (validations != null) {
-            map.put(VALIDATIONS_FIELD.getPreferredName(), validations.stream().map(ConfigurationValidation::toMap).toList());
-        }
+
+        Optional.ofNullable(tooltip).ifPresent(t -> map.put(TOOLTIP_FIELD.getPreferredName(), t));
+
+        Optional.ofNullable(type).ifPresent(t -> map.put(TYPE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), t.toString()));
+
+        Optional.ofNullable(uiRestrictions).ifPresent(u -> map.put(UI_RESTRICTIONS_FIELD.getPreferredName(), u));
+
+        Optional.ofNullable(validations)
+            .ifPresent(v -> map.put(VALIDATIONS_FIELD.getPreferredName(), v.stream().map(ConfigurationValidation::toMap).toList()));
+
         map.put(VALUE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), value);
+
         return map;
     }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/application/connector/configuration/ConfigurationValidation.java b/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/application/connector/configuration/ConfigurationValidation.java
index 51e912650bc1d..4ed5a22d2a4bf 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/application/connector/configuration/ConfigurationValidation.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/application/connector/configuration/ConfigurationValidation.java
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.xcontent.XContentParser;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Objects;
 
@@ -103,10 +102,7 @@ public XContentBuilder toXContent(XContentBuilder builder, Params params) throws
     }
 
     public Map<String, Object> toMap() {
-        Map<String, Object> map = new HashMap<>();
-        map.put(CONSTRAINT_FIELD.getPreferredName(), constraint);
-        map.put(TYPE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), type.toString());
-        return map;
+        return Map.of(CONSTRAINT_FIELD.getPreferredName(), constraint, TYPE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), type.toString());
     }
 
     public static ConfigurationValidation fromXContent(XContentParser parser) throws IOException {