diff --git a/translator/hot/tosca_translator.py b/translator/hot/tosca_translator.py
index efed755b..14ef8a19 100644
--- a/translator/hot/tosca_translator.py
+++ b/translator/hot/tosca_translator.py
@@ -24,11 +24,12 @@ log = logging.getLogger('heat-translator')
 class TOSCATranslator(object):
     '''Invokes translation methods.'''
 
-    def __init__(self, tosca, parsed_params):
+    def __init__(self, tosca, parsed_params, deploy=None):
         super(TOSCATranslator, self).__init__()
         self.tosca = tosca
         self.hot_template = HotTemplate()
         self.parsed_params = parsed_params
+        self.deploy = deploy
         self.node_translator = None
         log.info(_('Initialized parmaters for translation.'))
 
@@ -43,7 +44,8 @@ class TOSCATranslator(object):
         return self.hot_template.output_to_yaml()
 
     def _translate_inputs(self):
-        translator = TranslateInputs(self.tosca.inputs, self.parsed_params)
+        translator = TranslateInputs(self.tosca.inputs, self.parsed_params,
+                                     self.deploy)
         return translator.translate()
 
     def _translate_outputs(self):
diff --git a/translator/hot/translate_inputs.py b/translator/hot/translate_inputs.py
index ca96ca68..e62eb555 100644
--- a/translator/hot/translate_inputs.py
+++ b/translator/hot/translate_inputs.py
@@ -61,18 +61,19 @@ class TranslateInputs(object):
 
     '''Translate TOSCA Inputs to Heat Parameters.'''
 
-    def __init__(self, inputs, parsed_params):
+    def __init__(self, inputs, parsed_params, deploy=None):
         self.inputs = inputs
         self.parsed_params = parsed_params
+        self.deploy = deploy
 
     def translate(self):
         return self._translate_inputs()
 
     def _translate_inputs(self):
         hot_inputs = []
-        hot_default = None
         log.info(_('Translating TOSCA input type to HOT input type.'))
         for input in self.inputs:
+            hot_default = None
             hot_input_type = TOSCA_TO_HOT_INPUT_TYPES[input.type]
 
             if input.name in self.parsed_params:
@@ -82,10 +83,11 @@ class TranslateInputs(object):
                 hot_default = DataEntity.validate_datatype(input.type,
                                                            input.default)
             else:
-                msg = _("Need to specify a value "
-                        "for input {0}.").format(input.name)
-                log.error(msg)
-                raise Exception(msg)
+                if self.deploy:
+                    msg = _("Need to specify a value "
+                            "for input {0}.").format(input.name)
+                    log.error(msg)
+                    raise Exception(msg)
             if input.type == "scalar-unit.size":
                 # Assumption here is to use this scalar-unit.size for size of
                 # cinder volume in heat templates and will be in GB.
@@ -110,7 +112,8 @@ class TranslateInputs(object):
             hot_constraints = []
             if input.constraints:
                 for constraint in input.constraints:
-                    constraint.validate(hot_default)
+                    if hot_default:
+                        constraint.validate(hot_default)
                     hc, hvalue = self._translate_constraints(
                         constraint.constraint_key, constraint.constraint_value)
                     hot_constraints.append({hc: hvalue})
diff --git a/translator/shell.py b/translator/shell.py
index 93eb512f..8f8e632b 100644
--- a/translator/shell.py
+++ b/translator/shell.py
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ class TranslatorShell(object):
             raise ValueError(msg)
 
     def main(self, args):
+        # TODO(spzala): set self.deploy based on passed args once support for
+        # --deploy argument is enabled.
+        self.deploy = False
         self._validate(args)
         path = args[0].split('--template-file=')[1]
         # e.g. --template_file=translator/tests/data/tosca_helloworld.yaml
@@ -151,7 +154,7 @@ class TranslatorShell(object):
         if sourcetype == "tosca":
             log.debug(_('Loading the tosca template.'))
             tosca = ToscaTemplate(path, parsed_params, a_file)
-            translator = TOSCATranslator(tosca, parsed_params)
+            translator = TOSCATranslator(tosca, parsed_params, self.deploy)
             log.debug(_('Translating the tosca template.'))
             output = translator.translate()
         return output