diff --git a/bindings/zeebe/command/activate_jobs.go b/bindings/zeebe/command/activate_jobs.go
index e9fceeb1c..fd6594c26 100644
--- a/bindings/zeebe/command/activate_jobs.go
+++ b/bindings/zeebe/command/activate_jobs.go
@@ -32,12 +32,12 @@ var (
 )
 
 type activateJobsPayload struct {
-	JobType           string            `json:"jobType"`
-	MaxJobsToActivate *int32            `json:"maxJobsToActivate"`
-	Timeout           metadata.Duration `json:"timeout"`
-	WorkerName        string            `json:"workerName"`
-	FetchVariables    []string          `json:"fetchVariables"`
-	RequestTimeout    metadata.Duration `json:"requestTimeout"`
+	JobType           string             `json:"jobType"`
+	MaxJobsToActivate *int32             `json:"maxJobsToActivate"`
+	Timeout           *metadata.Duration `json:"timeout,omitempty"`
+	WorkerName        string             `json:"workerName"`
+	FetchVariables    []string           `json:"fetchVariables"`
+	RequestTimeout    *metadata.Duration `json:"requestTimeout,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func (z *ZeebeCommand) activateJobs(ctx context.Context, req *bindings.InvokeRequest) (*bindings.InvokeResponse, error) {
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func (z *ZeebeCommand) activateJobs(ctx context.Context, req *bindings.InvokeReq
 		JobType(payload.JobType).
 		MaxJobsToActivate(*payload.MaxJobsToActivate)
 
-	if payload.Timeout.Duration != time.Duration(0) {
+	if payload.Timeout != nil && payload.Timeout.Duration != time.Duration(0) {
 		cmd = cmd.Timeout(payload.Timeout.Duration)
 	}
 
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func (z *ZeebeCommand) activateJobs(ctx context.Context, req *bindings.InvokeReq
 	}
 
 	var response []entities.Job
-	if payload.RequestTimeout.Duration != time.Duration(0) {
+	if payload.RequestTimeout != nil && payload.RequestTimeout.Duration != time.Duration(0) {
 		ctxWithTimeout, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, payload.RequestTimeout.Duration)
 		defer cancel()
 		response, err = cmd.Send(ctxWithTimeout)
diff --git a/bindings/zeebe/command/activate_jobs_test.go b/bindings/zeebe/command/activate_jobs_test.go
index 4763e4030..df1b2e272 100644
--- a/bindings/zeebe/command/activate_jobs_test.go
+++ b/bindings/zeebe/command/activate_jobs_test.go
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func TestActivateJobs(t *testing.T) {
 		payload := activateJobsPayload{
 			JobType:           "a",
 			MaxJobsToActivate: new(int32),
-			Timeout:           kitmd.Duration{Duration: 1 * time.Second},
+			Timeout:           &kitmd.Duration{Duration: 1 * time.Second},
 			WorkerName:        "b",
 			FetchVariables:    []string{"a", "b", "c"},
 		}
diff --git a/bindings/zeebe/command/create_instance.go b/bindings/zeebe/command/create_instance.go
index 51ecd053f..a40398413 100644
--- a/bindings/zeebe/command/create_instance.go
+++ b/bindings/zeebe/command/create_instance.go
@@ -32,13 +32,13 @@ var (
 )
 
 type createInstancePayload struct {
-	BpmnProcessID        string            `json:"bpmnProcessId"`
-	ProcessDefinitionKey *int64            `json:"processDefinitionKey"`
-	Version              *int32            `json:"version"`
-	Variables            interface{}       `json:"variables"`
-	WithResult           bool              `json:"withResult"`
-	FetchVariables       []string          `json:"fetchVariables"`
-	RequestTimeout       metadata.Duration `json:"requestTimeout"`
+	BpmnProcessID        string             `json:"bpmnProcessId"`
+	ProcessDefinitionKey *int64             `json:"processDefinitionKey"`
+	Version              *int32             `json:"version"`
+	Variables            interface{}        `json:"variables"`
+	WithResult           bool               `json:"withResult"`
+	FetchVariables       []string           `json:"fetchVariables"`
+	RequestTimeout       *metadata.Duration `json:"requestTimeout,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func (z *ZeebeCommand) createInstance(ctx context.Context, req *bindings.InvokeRequest) (*bindings.InvokeResponse, error) {
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func (z *ZeebeCommand) createInstance(ctx context.Context, req *bindings.InvokeR
 	//
 	// From a code perspective, there are two Send methods in the Zeebe client. One if WithResult was used and
 	// which extracts the request timeout from the context and another one which will not use any timeout.
-	if payload.WithResult && payload.RequestTimeout.Duration != time.Duration(0) {
+	if payload.WithResult && payload.RequestTimeout != nil && payload.RequestTimeout.Duration != time.Duration(0) {
 		ctxWithTimeout, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, payload.RequestTimeout.Duration)
 		defer cancel()
 		response, err = cmd3.WithResult().FetchVariables(payload.FetchVariables...).Send(ctxWithTimeout)
diff --git a/bindings/zeebe/command/fail_job.go b/bindings/zeebe/command/fail_job.go
index 97ab25d87..c0abd48ed 100644
--- a/bindings/zeebe/command/fail_job.go
+++ b/bindings/zeebe/command/fail_job.go
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ import (
 var ErrMissingRetries = errors.New("retries is a required attribute")
 
 type failJobPayload struct {
-	JobKey       *int64            `json:"jobKey"`
-	Retries      *int32            `json:"retries"`
-	ErrorMessage string            `json:"errorMessage"`
-	RetryBackOff metadata.Duration `json:"retryBackOff"`
-	Variables    interface{}       `json:"variables"`
+	JobKey       *int64             `json:"jobKey"`
+	Retries      *int32             `json:"retries"`
+	ErrorMessage string             `json:"errorMessage"`
+	RetryBackOff *metadata.Duration `json:"retryBackOff,omitempty"`
+	Variables    interface{}        `json:"variables"`
 }
 
 func (z *ZeebeCommand) failJob(ctx context.Context, req *bindings.InvokeRequest) (*bindings.InvokeResponse, error) {
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func (z *ZeebeCommand) failJob(ctx context.Context, req *bindings.InvokeRequest)
 		cmd = cmd.ErrorMessage(payload.ErrorMessage)
 	}
 
-	if payload.RetryBackOff.Duration != time.Duration(0) {
+	if payload.RetryBackOff != nil && payload.RetryBackOff.Duration != time.Duration(0) {
 		cmd = cmd.RetryBackoff(payload.RetryBackOff.Duration)
 	}
 
diff --git a/bindings/zeebe/command/publish_message.go b/bindings/zeebe/command/publish_message.go
index 73f95b30e..e0ffac0e2 100644
--- a/bindings/zeebe/command/publish_message.go
+++ b/bindings/zeebe/command/publish_message.go
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@ import (
 var ErrMissingMessageName = errors.New("messageName is a required attribute")
 
 type publishMessagePayload struct {
-	MessageName    string            `json:"messageName"`
-	CorrelationKey string            `json:"correlationKey"`
-	MessageID      string            `json:"messageId"`
-	TimeToLive     metadata.Duration `json:"timeToLive"`
-	Variables      interface{}       `json:"variables"`
+	MessageName    string             `json:"messageName"`
+	CorrelationKey string             `json:"correlationKey"`
+	MessageID      string             `json:"messageId"`
+	TimeToLive     *metadata.Duration `json:"timeToLive,omitempty"`
+	Variables      interface{}        `json:"variables"`
 }
 
 func (z *ZeebeCommand) publishMessage(ctx context.Context, req *bindings.InvokeRequest) (*bindings.InvokeResponse, error) {
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func (z *ZeebeCommand) publishMessage(ctx context.Context, req *bindings.InvokeR
 		cmd = cmd.MessageId(payload.MessageID)
 	}
 
-	if payload.TimeToLive.Duration != time.Duration(0) {
+	if payload.TimeToLive != nil && payload.TimeToLive.Duration != time.Duration(0) {
 		cmd = cmd.TimeToLive(payload.TimeToLive.Duration)
 	}
 
diff --git a/bindings/zeebe/command/publish_message_test.go b/bindings/zeebe/command/publish_message_test.go
index e6b0f0a32..bff984977 100644
--- a/bindings/zeebe/command/publish_message_test.go
+++ b/bindings/zeebe/command/publish_message_test.go
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func TestPublishMessage(t *testing.T) {
 			MessageName:    "a",
 			CorrelationKey: "b",
 			MessageID:      "c",
-			TimeToLive:     kitmd.Duration{Duration: 1 * time.Second},
+			TimeToLive:     &kitmd.Duration{Duration: 1 * time.Second},
 			Variables: map[string]interface{}{
 				"key": "value",
 			},