diff --git a/lib/cartodb/template_maps.js b/lib/cartodb/template_maps.js
index d067632b..172bdbcc 100644
--- a/lib/cartodb/template_maps.js
+++ b/lib/cartodb/template_maps.js
@@ -581,8 +581,8 @@ o.instance = function(template, params) {
   var layergroup = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(template.layergroup));
   for (var i=0; i<layergroup.layers.length; ++i) {
     var lyropt = layergroup.layers[i].options;
-    lyropt.cartocss = this._replaceVars(lyropt.cartocss, all_params);
-    lyropt.sql = this._replaceVars(lyropt.sql, all_params);
+    if ( lyropt.cartocss ) lyropt.cartocss = this._replaceVars(lyropt.cartocss, all_params);
+    if ( lyropt.sql) lyropt.sql = this._replaceVars(lyropt.sql, all_params);
     // Anything else ?
   }
   return layergroup;