diff --git a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Swarm/SwarmService.cs b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Swarm/SwarmService.cs
index 7850f9e5e5..cd0e855151 100644
--- a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Swarm/SwarmService.cs
+++ b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Swarm/SwarmService.cs
@@ -776,14 +776,14 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Swarm
 		/// <returns>A <see cref="ValueTask{TResult}"/> resulting in the <see cref="SwarmPrepareResult"/>.</returns>
 		async ValueTask<SwarmPrepareResult> PrepareUpdateImpl(ISeekableFileStreamProvider? initiatorProvider, SwarmUpdateRequest updateRequest, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
 		{
+			var version = updateRequest.UpdateVersion!;
 			if (!SwarmMode)
 			{
 				// we still need an active update operation for the TargetVersion
-				updateOperation = new SwarmUpdateOperation(updateRequest.UpdateVersion);
+				updateOperation = new SwarmUpdateOperation(version);
 				return SwarmPrepareResult.SuccessProviderNotRequired;
 			}
 
-			var version = updateRequest.UpdateVersion;
 			var initiator = initiatorProvider != null;
 			logger.LogTrace("PrepareUpdateImpl {version}...", version);
 
@@ -868,6 +868,12 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Swarm
 						return SwarmPrepareResult.Failure;
 					}
 
+					if (updateRequest.DownloadTickets == null)
+					{
+						logger.LogError("Missing download tickets in update request!");
+						return SwarmPrepareResult.Failure;
+					}
+
 					if (!updateRequest.DownloadTickets.TryGetValue(swarmConfiguration.Identifier!, out var ticket))
 					{
 						logger.Log(
@@ -970,7 +976,7 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Swarm
 				}
 
 				// The initiator node obviously doesn't create a ticket for itself
-				else if (!weAreInitiator && updateRequest.DownloadTickets.Count != currentUpdateOperation.InvolvedServers.Count - 1)
+				else if (!weAreInitiator && updateRequest.DownloadTickets!.Count != currentUpdateOperation.InvolvedServers.Count - 1)
 				{
 					logger.LogWarning(
 						"Aborting update, {receivedTickets} download tickets were provided but there are {nodesToUpdate} nodes in the swarm that require the package!",
@@ -982,7 +988,7 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Swarm
 
 				var downloadTicketDictionary = weAreInitiator
 					? await CreateDownloadTickets(initiatorProvider!, currentUpdateOperation.InvolvedServers, cancellationToken)
-					: updateRequest.DownloadTickets;
+					: updateRequest.DownloadTickets!;
 
 				var sourceNode = weAreInitiator
 					? swarmConfiguration.Identifier
@@ -998,17 +1004,18 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Swarm
 					.Select(node =>
 					{
 						// only send the necessary ticket to each node from the controller
-						Dictionary<string, FileTicketResponse?> localTicketDictionary;
+						Dictionary<string, FileTicketResponse>? localTicketDictionary;
 						var nodeId = node.Identifier!;
-						if (!downloadTicketDictionary.TryGetValue(nodeId, out var ticket)
-							&& nodeId != sourceNode)
+						if (nodeId == sourceNode)
+							localTicketDictionary = null;
+						else if (!downloadTicketDictionary.TryGetValue(nodeId, out var ticket))
 						{
 							logger.LogError("Missing download ticket for node {missingNodeId}!", nodeId);
 							anyFailed = true;
 							return null;
 						}
 						else
-							localTicketDictionary = new Dictionary<string, FileTicketResponse?>
+							localTicketDictionary = new Dictionary<string, FileTicketResponse>
 							{
 								{ nodeId, ticket },
 							};
diff --git a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Swarm/SwarmUpdateRequest.cs b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Swarm/SwarmUpdateRequest.cs
index a0d7b0fe5c..958a8f5afb 100644
--- a/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Swarm/SwarmUpdateRequest.cs
+++ b/src/Tgstation.Server.Host/Swarm/SwarmUpdateRequest.cs
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations;
 
 using Tgstation.Server.Api.Models.Response;
 
-#nullable disable
-
 namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Swarm
 {
 	/// <summary>
@@ -17,17 +15,17 @@ namespace Tgstation.Server.Host.Swarm
 		/// The TGS <see cref="Version"/> to update to.
 		/// </summary>
 		[Required]
-		public Version UpdateVersion { get; init; }
+		public Version? UpdateVersion { get; init; }
 
 		/// <summary>
 		/// The <see cref="Api.Models.Internal.SwarmServer.Identifier"/> of the node to download the update package from.
 		/// </summary>
 		[Required]
-		public string SourceNode { get; init; }
+		public string? SourceNode { get; init; }
 
 		/// <summary>
 		/// The map of <see cref="Api.Models.Internal.SwarmServer.Identifier"/>s to <see cref="FileTicketResponse"/>s for retrieving the update package from the initiating server.
 		/// </summary>
-		public Dictionary<string, FileTicketResponse> DownloadTickets { get; init; }
+		public Dictionary<string, FileTicketResponse>? DownloadTickets { get; init; }
 	}
 }