diff --git a/workflow/controller/operator.go b/workflow/controller/operator.go
index 140385a68b9d..55b3e822de8b 100644
--- a/workflow/controller/operator.go
+++ b/workflow/controller/operator.go
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ func (woc *wfOperationCtx) processNodeRetries(node *wfv1.NodeStatus, retryStrate
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, false, err
 		}
-		if *retryStrategyBackoffFactor > 0 {
+		if retryStrategyBackoffFactor != nil && *retryStrategyBackoffFactor > 0 {
 			// Formula: timeToWait = duration * factor^retry_number
 			// Note that timeToWait should equal to duration for the first retry attempt.
 			timeToWait = baseDuration * time.Duration(math.Pow(float64(*retryStrategyBackoffFactor), float64(len(node.Children)-1)))
@@ -797,7 +797,7 @@ func (woc *wfOperationCtx) processNodeRetries(node *wfv1.NodeStatus, retryStrate
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, false, err
 	}
-	if retryStrategy.Limit != nil && int32(len(node.Children)) > *limit {
+	if retryStrategy.Limit != nil && limit != nil && int32(len(node.Children)) > *limit {
 		woc.log.Infoln("No more retries left. Failing...")
 		return woc.markNodePhase(node.Name, lastChildNode.Phase, "No more retries left"), true, nil
 	}
diff --git a/workflow/validate/validate.go b/workflow/validate/validate.go
index 4f86894ad968..722d9f9a0699 100644
--- a/workflow/validate/validate.go
+++ b/workflow/validate/validate.go
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ func (ctx *templateValidationCtx) validateLeaf(scope map[string]interface{}, tmp
 		if !intstr.IsValidIntOrArgoVariable(tmpl.ActiveDeadlineSeconds) {
 			return errors.Errorf(errors.CodeBadRequest, "templates.%s.activeDeadlineSeconds must be a positive integer > 0 or an argo variable", tmpl.Name)
 		}
-		if i, err := intstr.Int(tmpl.ActiveDeadlineSeconds); err == nil && *i < 0 {
+		if i, err := intstr.Int(tmpl.ActiveDeadlineSeconds); err == nil && i != nil && *i < 0 {
 			return errors.Errorf(errors.CodeBadRequest, "templates.%s.activeDeadlineSeconds must be a positive integer > 0 or an argo variable", tmpl.Name)
 		}
 	}