diff --git a/admin_pages/messages/Messages_Admin_Page.core.php b/admin_pages/messages/Messages_Admin_Page.core.php
index 8c03283c028..04cb7d3de52 100644
--- a/admin_pages/messages/Messages_Admin_Page.core.php
+++ b/admin_pages/messages/Messages_Admin_Page.core.php
@@ -1428,7 +1428,8 @@ protected function _edit_message_template()
         // let's get EEH_MSG_Template so we can get template form fields
         $template_field_structure = EEH_MSG_Template::get_fields(
             $message_template_group->messenger(),
-            $message_template_group->message_type()
+            $message_template_group->message_type(),
+            $context
         );
 
         if (! $template_field_structure) {
@@ -1484,9 +1485,7 @@ protected function _edit_message_template()
                                                                          . $reference_field
                                                                          . '][content]['
                                                                          . $extra_field . ']';
-                            $css_class                                 = isset($extra_array['css_class'])
-                                ? $extra_array['css_class']
-                                : '';
+                            $css_class                                 = $extra_array['css_class'] ?? '';
 
                             $template_form_fields[ $field_id ]['css_class'] = ! empty($v_fields)
                                                                               && in_array($extra_field, $v_fields, true)
@@ -1554,10 +1553,8 @@ protected function _edit_message_template()
                     $template_form_fields[ $field_id ]          = $field_setup_array;
                     $template_form_fields[ $field_id ]['name']  =
                         'MTP_template_fields[' . $template_field . '][content]';
-                    $message_template                           =
-                        isset($message_templates[ $context ][ $template_field ])
-                            ? $message_templates[ $context ][ $template_field ]
-                            : null;
+                    $message_template                           = $message_templates[ $context ][ $template_field ]
+                                                                  ?? null;
                     $template_form_fields[ $field_id ]['value'] = ! empty($message_templates)
                                                                   && is_array($message_templates[ $context ])
                                                                   && $message_template instanceof EE_Message_Template
@@ -1571,9 +1568,7 @@ protected function _edit_message_template()
 
 
                     $template_form_fields[ $field_id ]['db-col']    = 'MTP_content';
-                    $css_class                                      = isset($field_setup_array['css_class'])
-                        ? $field_setup_array['css_class']
-                        : '';
+                    $css_class                                      = $field_setup_array['css_class'] ?? '';
                     $template_form_fields[ $field_id ]['css_class'] = ! empty($v_fields)
                                                                       && in_array($template_field, $v_fields, true)
                                                                       && isset($validators[ $template_field ]['msg'])
diff --git a/caffeinated/EE_Caf_Messages.class.php b/caffeinated/EE_Caf_Messages.class.php
index 011710e784c..29ea9a484ce 100644
--- a/caffeinated/EE_Caf_Messages.class.php
+++ b/caffeinated/EE_Caf_Messages.class.php
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ public function email_messenger_template_fields($template_fields, EE_Email_messe
             'input'               => 'textarea',
             'label'               => '[QUESTION_LIST]',
             'type'                => 'string',
-            'required'            => true,
+            'required'            => false,
             'validation'          => true,
             'format'              => '%s',
             'css_class'           => 'large-text',
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ public function html_messenger_template_fields($template_fields, EE_Html_messeng
             'input'               => 'textarea',
             'label'               => '[QUESTION_LIST]',
             'type'                => 'string',
-            'required'            => true,
+            'required'            => false,
             'validation'          => true,
             'format'              => '%s',
             'css_class'           => 'large-text',
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ public function pdf_messenger_template_fields($template_fields, EE_Pdf_messenger
             'input'               => 'textarea',
             'label'               => '[QUESTION_LIST]',
             'type'                => 'string',
-            'required'            => true,
+            'required'            => false,
             'validation'          => true,
             'format'              => '%s',
             'css_class'           => 'large-text',
diff --git a/core/helpers/EEH_MSG_Template.helper.php b/core/helpers/EEH_MSG_Template.helper.php
index cc8f9c8b7bf..560d7a53d4e 100644
--- a/core/helpers/EEH_MSG_Template.helper.php
+++ b/core/helpers/EEH_MSG_Template.helper.php
@@ -1226,29 +1226,37 @@ public static function message_type_has_active_templates_for_messenger(
 
     /**
      * get_fields
-     * This takes a given messenger and message type and returns all the template fields indexed by context (and with field type).
+     * This takes a given messenger and message type
+     * and returns all the template fields indexed by context with field type.
      *
      * @param string $messenger_name    name of EE_messenger
      * @param string $message_type_name name of EE_message_type
+     * @param string $current_context   current context [optional]
      * @return array
      * @throws EE_Error
      * @throws ReflectionException
      */
-    public static function get_fields($messenger_name, $message_type_name)
-    {
-        $template_fields = array();
+    public static function get_fields(
+        string $messenger_name,
+        string $message_type_name,
+        string $current_context = ''
+    ): array {
+        $template_fields = [];
         /** @type EE_Message_Resource_Manager $Message_Resource_Manager */
         $Message_Resource_Manager = EE_Registry::instance()->load_lib('Message_Resource_Manager');
-        $messenger = $Message_Resource_Manager->valid_messenger($messenger_name);
-        $message_type = $Message_Resource_Manager->valid_message_type($message_type_name);
+        $messenger                = $Message_Resource_Manager->valid_messenger($messenger_name);
+        $message_type             = $Message_Resource_Manager->valid_message_type($message_type_name);
         if (! EEH_MSG_Template::message_type_has_active_templates_for_messenger($messenger, $message_type)) {
-            return array();
+            return [];
         }
 
         $excluded_fields_for_messenger = $message_type->excludedFieldsForMessenger($messenger_name);
 
         // okay now let's assemble an array with the messenger template fields added to the message_type contexts.
         foreach ($message_type->get_contexts() as $context => $details) {
+            if ($current_context && $current_context !== $context) {
+                continue;
+            }
             foreach ($messenger->get_template_fields() as $field => $value) {
                 if (in_array($field, $excluded_fields_for_messenger, true)) {
                     continue;
@@ -1263,7 +1271,7 @@ public static function get_fields($messenger_name, $message_type_name)
                 __FUNCTION__,
                 __LINE__
             );
-            return array();
+            return [];
         }
         return $template_fields;
     }
diff --git a/core/libraries/messages/EE_messenger.lib.php b/core/libraries/messages/EE_messenger.lib.php
index aa607dc4155..2fff50fb02e 100644
--- a/core/libraries/messages/EE_messenger.lib.php
+++ b/core/libraries/messages/EE_messenger.lib.php
@@ -652,16 +652,20 @@ class="button button--secondary button--tiny edit-mtpg-button"
 
 
     /**
-     * get_template_fields
+     * returns $this->_template_fields,
+     * filtered first by child class specific filter named something like
+     * FHEE__EE_Email_messenger__get_template_fields,
+     * followed by global FHEE__EE_messenger__get_template_fields filter
      *
-     * @access public
-     * @return array $this->_template_fields
+     * @return array
      */
-    public function get_template_fields()
+    public function get_template_fields(): array
     {
-        $template_fields = apply_filters('FHEE__' . get_class($this) . '__get_template_fields', $this->_template_fields, $this);
-        $template_fields = apply_filters('FHEE__EE_messenger__get_template_fields', $template_fields, $this);
-        return $template_fields;
+        return (array) apply_filters(
+            'FHEE__EE_messenger__get_template_fields',
+            apply_filters('FHEE__' . get_class($this) . '__get_template_fields', $this->_template_fields, $this),
+            $this
+        );
     }
 
 
diff --git a/core/libraries/messages/messenger/EE_Email_messenger.class.php b/core/libraries/messages/messenger/EE_Email_messenger.class.php
index ab03ff7b405..b44798248ef 100644
--- a/core/libraries/messages/messenger/EE_Email_messenger.class.php
+++ b/core/libraries/messages/messenger/EE_Email_messenger.class.php
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ protected function _set_template_fields()
                         'input'               => 'wp_editor',
                         'label'               => '[EVENT_LIST]',
                         'type'                => 'string',
-                        'required'            => true,
+                        'required'            => false,
                         'validation'          => true,
                         'format'              => '%s',
                         'rows'                => '15',
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ protected function _set_template_fields()
                         'input'               => 'textarea',
                         'label'               => '[ATTENDEE_LIST]',
                         'type'                => 'string',
-                        'required'            => true,
+                        'required'            => false,
                         'validation'          => true,
                         'format'              => '%s',
                         'css_class'           => 'large-text',
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ protected function _set_template_fields()
                         'input'               => 'textarea',
                         'label'               => '[TICKET_LIST]',
                         'type'                => 'string',
-                        'required'            => true,
+                        'required'            => false,
                         'validation'          => true,
                         'format'              => '%s',
                         'css_class'           => 'large-text',
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ protected function _set_template_fields()
                         'input'               => 'textarea',
                         'label'               => '[DATETIME_LIST]',
                         'type'                => 'string',
-                        'required'            => true,
+                        'required'            => false,
                         'validation'          => true,
                         'format'              => '%s',
                         'css_class'           => 'large-text',
diff --git a/core/libraries/messages/messenger/EE_Html_messenger.class.php b/core/libraries/messages/messenger/EE_Html_messenger.class.php
index 30a0c6b2205..0e2325fcf4d 100644
--- a/core/libraries/messages/messenger/EE_Html_messenger.class.php
+++ b/core/libraries/messages/messenger/EE_Html_messenger.class.php
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ protected function _set_template_fields()
                         'input'               => 'wp_editor',
                         'label'               => '[EVENT_LIST]',
                         'type'                => 'string',
-                        'required'            => true,
+                        'required'            => false,
                         'validation'          => true,
                         'format'              => '%s',
                         'rows'                => '15',
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ protected function _set_template_fields()
                         'input'               => 'textarea',
                         'label'               => '[TICKET_LIST]',
                         'type'                => 'string',
-                        'required'            => true,
+                        'required'            => false,
                         'validation'          => true,
                         'format'              => '%s',
                         'css_class'           => 'large-text',
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ protected function _set_template_fields()
                         'input'               => 'textarea',
                         'label'               => '[DATETIME_LIST]',
                         'type'                => 'string',
-                        'required'            => true,
+                        'required'            => false,
                         'validation'          => true,
                         'format'              => '%s',
                         'css_class'           => 'large-text',
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ protected function _set_template_fields()
                         'input'               => 'textarea',
                         'label'               => '[ATTENDEE_LIST]',
                         'type'                => 'string',
-                        'required'            => true,
+                        'required'            => false,
                         'validation'          => true,
                         'format'              => '%s',
                         'css_class'           => 'large-text',
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ protected function _set_template_fields()
                         'input'               => 'textarea',
                         'label'               => '[PAYMENT_LIST]',
                         'type'                => 'string',
-                        'required'            => true,
+                        'required'            => false,
                         'validation'          => true,
                         'format'              => '%s',
                         'css_class'           => 'large-text',
diff --git a/core/libraries/messages/messenger/EE_Pdf_messenger.class.php b/core/libraries/messages/messenger/EE_Pdf_messenger.class.php
index 028bc9d3deb..c3bbb86b7a9 100644
--- a/core/libraries/messages/messenger/EE_Pdf_messenger.class.php
+++ b/core/libraries/messages/messenger/EE_Pdf_messenger.class.php
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ protected function _set_template_fields()
                         'input' => 'wp_editor',
                         'label' => '[EVENT_LIST]',
                         'type' => 'string',
-                        'required' => true,
+                        'required' => false,
                         'validation' => true,
                         'format' => '%s',
                         'rows' => '15',
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ protected function _set_template_fields()
                         'input' => 'textarea',
                         'label' => '[ATTENDEE_LIST]',
                         'type' => 'string',
-                        'required' => true,
+                        'required' => false,
                         'validation' => true,
                         'format' => '%s',
                         'css_class' => 'large-text',
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ protected function _set_template_fields()
                         'input' => 'textarea',
                         'label' => '[TICKET_LIST]',
                         'type' => 'string',
-                        'required' => true,
+                        'required' => false,
                         'validation' => true,
                         'format' => '%s',
                         'css_class' => 'large-text',
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ protected function _set_template_fields()
                         'input' => 'textarea',
                         'label' => '[DATETIME_LIST]',
                         'type' => 'string',
-                        'required' => true,
+                        'required' => false,
                         'validation' => true,
                         'format' => '%s',
                         'css_class' => 'large-text',