diff --git a/brayns/json/JsonType.cpp b/brayns/json/JsonType.cpp
index 9a354898d..df7aa0a2f 100644
--- a/brayns/json/JsonType.cpp
+++ b/brayns/json/JsonType.cpp
@@ -81,6 +81,20 @@ const JsonObject &JsonExtractor::extractObject(const JsonValue &json)
     return *json.extract<JsonObject::Ptr>();
 }
 
+JsonValue JsonFactory::array()
+{
+    auto json = JsonValue();
+    emplaceArray(json);
+    return json;
+}
+
+JsonValue JsonFactory::object()
+{
+    auto json = JsonValue();
+    emplaceObject(json);
+    return json;
+}
+
 JsonArray &JsonFactory::emplaceArray(JsonValue &json)
 {
     auto array = Poco::makeShared<JsonArray>();
diff --git a/brayns/json/JsonType.h b/brayns/json/JsonType.h
index 0254af00e..e48f038aa 100644
--- a/brayns/json/JsonType.h
+++ b/brayns/json/JsonType.h
@@ -198,6 +198,8 @@ class JsonExtractor
 class JsonFactory
 {
 public:
+    static JsonValue array();
+    static JsonValue object();
     static JsonArray &emplaceArray(JsonValue &json);
     static JsonObject &emplaceObject(JsonValue &json);
 };
diff --git a/plugins/CircuitExplorer/api/neuron/NeuronMorphologyReader.cpp b/plugins/CircuitExplorer/api/neuron/NeuronMorphologyReader.cpp
index 270f42145..e72c3306d 100644
--- a/plugins/CircuitExplorer/api/neuron/NeuronMorphologyReader.cpp
+++ b/plugins/CircuitExplorer/api/neuron/NeuronMorphologyReader.cpp
@@ -165,11 +165,6 @@ NeuronMorphology NeuronMorphologyReader::read(const std::string &path, bool soma
         throw std::invalid_argument("Nothing requested to be loaded");
     }
 
-    if (!axon && !dendrites)
-    {
-        throw std::runtime_error("Soma-only NeuronMorphologies not allowed");
-    }
-
     auto morph = MorphIOReader::read(path);
 
     auto sections = NeuriteReader::read(morph, axon, dendrites);
diff --git a/plugins/CircuitExplorer/io/BBPLoaderParameters.h b/plugins/CircuitExplorer/io/BBPLoaderParameters.h
index 1bb3df072..164219056 100644
--- a/plugins/CircuitExplorer/io/BBPLoaderParameters.h
+++ b/plugins/CircuitExplorer/io/BBPLoaderParameters.h
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ struct JsonAdapter<BBPLoaderParameters> : ObjectAdapter<BBPLoaderParameters>
                 [](auto &object) -> auto & { return object.neuron_morphology_parameters; },
                 [](auto &object, auto value) { object.neuron_morphology_parameters = std::move(value); })
             .description("Settings to configure neuron morphology loading")
-            .required(false);
+            .defaultValue(brayns::JsonFactory::object());
         builder
             .getset(
                 "load_afferent_synapses",
diff --git a/plugins/CircuitExplorer/io/CellPlacementLoaderParameters.h b/plugins/CircuitExplorer/io/CellPlacementLoaderParameters.h
index 638e73173..dcee38cad 100644
--- a/plugins/CircuitExplorer/io/CellPlacementLoaderParameters.h
+++ b/plugins/CircuitExplorer/io/CellPlacementLoaderParameters.h
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ struct JsonAdapter<CellPlacementLoaderParameters> : ObjectAdapter<CellPlacementL
                 [](auto &object) -> auto & { return object.morphology_parameters; },
                 [](auto &object, auto value) { object.morphology_parameters = std::move(value); })
             .description("Settings for morphology geometry loading")
-            .required(false);
+            .defaultValue(brayns::JsonFactory::object());
         return builder.build();
     }
 };
diff --git a/plugins/CircuitExplorer/io/SonataLoaderParameters.h b/plugins/CircuitExplorer/io/SonataLoaderParameters.h
index b69e379af..2b034d2cc 100644
--- a/plugins/CircuitExplorer/io/SonataLoaderParameters.h
+++ b/plugins/CircuitExplorer/io/SonataLoaderParameters.h
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ struct JsonAdapter<SonataNodePopulationParameters> : ObjectAdapter<SonataNodePop
                 [](auto &object) -> auto & { return object.neuron_morphology_parameters; },
                 [](auto &object, auto value) { object.neuron_morphology_parameters = std::move(value); })
             .description("Settings for morphology geometry loading (ignored for vasculature populations)")
-            .required(false);
+            .defaultValue(brayns::JsonFactory::object());
         builder
             .getset(
                 "vasculature_geometry_parameters",
diff --git a/python/brayns/plugins/cell_placement.py b/python/brayns/plugins/cell_placement.py
index 64bdb385c..a82273be0 100644
--- a/python/brayns/plugins/cell_placement.py
+++ b/python/brayns/plugins/cell_placement.py
@@ -49,9 +49,7 @@ class CellPlacementLoader(Loader):
     density: float = 1.0
     extension: str | None = None
     ids: list[int] | None = None
-    morphology: Morphology = field(
-        default_factory=lambda: Morphology(load_dendrites=True)
-    )
+    morphology: Morphology = field(default_factory=Morphology)
 
     @classmethod
     @property