diff --git a/packages/lib-classifier/src/plugins/drawingTools/models/tools/Tool/Tool.spec.js b/packages/lib-classifier/src/plugins/drawingTools/models/tools/Tool/Tool.spec.js
index 41c2fe446c..c866e36fd1 100644
--- a/packages/lib-classifier/src/plugins/drawingTools/models/tools/Tool/Tool.spec.js
+++ b/packages/lib-classifier/src/plugins/drawingTools/models/tools/Tool/Tool.spec.js
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ describe('Model > DrawingTools > Tool', function () {
             taskKey: 'multiple',
             type: 'multiple',
             answers: ['apples', 'oranges', 'pears'],
-            required: '',
+            required: false,
             strings: {
               question: 'which fruit?'
             }
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ describe('Model > DrawingTools > Tool', function () {
             taskKey: 'single',
             type: 'single',
             answers: ['one', 'two', 'three'],
-            required: '',
+            required: false,
             strings: {
               question: 'how many?'
             }
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ describe('Model > DrawingTools > Tool', function () {
           {
             taskKey: 'text',
             type: 'text',
-            required: '',
+            required: false,
             strings: {
               instruction: 'Transcribe something'
             },
diff --git a/packages/lib-classifier/src/plugins/tasks/models/Task.js b/packages/lib-classifier/src/plugins/tasks/models/Task.js
index b945deca13..702b9eb83c 100644
--- a/packages/lib-classifier/src/plugins/tasks/models/Task.js
+++ b/packages/lib-classifier/src/plugins/tasks/models/Task.js
@@ -6,10 +6,23 @@ const Task = types.model('Task', {
   // override annotation in individual task models with specific annotation types
   annotation: types.safeReference(Annotation),
   taskKey: types.identifier,
-  required: types.maybe(types.union(types.string, types.boolean)), // text task required default = false
+  required: types.optional(types.boolean, false),
   strings: types.map(types.string),
   type: types.literal('default')
 })
+  .preProcessSnapshot(snapshot => {
+    if (typeof snapshot.required !== 'boolean') {
+      // 'false' is a true value, so handle that here
+      const required = (snapshot.required === 'false')
+        ? false
+        : Boolean(snapshot.required)
+      return {
+        ...snapshot,
+        required
+      }
+    }
+    return snapshot
+  })
   .views(self => ({
 
     defaultAnnotation(id = cuid()) {
diff --git a/packages/lib-classifier/src/plugins/tasks/models/Task.spec.js b/packages/lib-classifier/src/plugins/tasks/models/Task.spec.js
index 44fa727c99..d5738bd64b 100644
--- a/packages/lib-classifier/src/plugins/tasks/models/Task.spec.js
+++ b/packages/lib-classifier/src/plugins/tasks/models/Task.spec.js
@@ -29,6 +29,27 @@ describe('Model > Task', function () {
     expect(taskInstance.validate).to.be.a('function')
   })
 
+  describe('task.required', function () {
+    it('should default to false', function () {
+      const task = Task.create(mockTask)
+      expect(task.required).to.be.false()
+    })
+
+    it('should accept a boolean value', function () {
+      const task = Task.create({ ...mockTask, required: true })
+      expect(task.required).to.be.true()
+    })
+
+    it('should accept a string value', function () {
+      let task = Task.create({ ...mockTask, required: 'true' })
+      expect(task.required).to.be.true()
+      task = Task.create({ ...mockTask, required: 'false' })
+      expect(task.required).to.be.false()
+      task = Task.create({ ...mockTask, required: '' })
+      expect(task.required).to.be.false()
+    })
+  })
+
   describe('Views > defaultAnnotation', function () {
     let task
 
diff --git a/packages/lib-classifier/test/factories/tasks/MultipleChoiceTaskFactory.js b/packages/lib-classifier/test/factories/tasks/MultipleChoiceTaskFactory.js
index b90836750e..3a7a6dd57e 100644
--- a/packages/lib-classifier/test/factories/tasks/MultipleChoiceTaskFactory.js
+++ b/packages/lib-classifier/test/factories/tasks/MultipleChoiceTaskFactory.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ export default new Factory()
     { label: 'blue' },
     { label: 'green' }
   ])
-  .attr('required', '')
+  .attr('required', false)
   .attr('strings', {
     question: 'Check all of the colors that apply'
   })
diff --git a/packages/lib-classifier/test/factories/tasks/SingleChoiceTaskFactory.js b/packages/lib-classifier/test/factories/tasks/SingleChoiceTaskFactory.js
index 88204a289c..7fea266ed0 100644
--- a/packages/lib-classifier/test/factories/tasks/SingleChoiceTaskFactory.js
+++ b/packages/lib-classifier/test/factories/tasks/SingleChoiceTaskFactory.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ export default new Factory()
     { label: 'Yes' },
     { label: 'No' }
   ])
-  .attr('required', 'true')
+  .attr('required', true)
   .attr('strings', {
     question: 'Is there a galaxy?'
   })