diff --git a/workflow/executor.go b/workflow/executor.go
index 67cbac70..d5029ce3 100644
--- a/workflow/executor.go
+++ b/workflow/executor.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func (e *executor) Prepare(workflow *Workflow, workflowContext map[string][]byte
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	dataModel, err := getDatModel(runnableSteps, stepLifecycles)
+	dataModel, err := getStepDatModel(runnableSteps, stepLifecycles)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -397,16 +397,14 @@ func (e *executor) verifyStageInputs(
 	return nil
 }
 
-func getDatModel(
+func getStepDatModel(
 	runnableSteps map[string]step.RunnableStep,
 	stepLifecycles map[string]step.Lifecycle[step.LifecycleStageWithSchema]) (map[string]any, error) {
 
-	var i interface{}
 	dataModel := map[string]any{
-		WorkflowInputKey: i,
+		WorkflowInputKey: nil,
 		WorkflowStepsKey: map[string]any{}}
 	for stepID, _ := range runnableSteps {
-		//stepID := stepID
 		stepDataModel := map[string]any{}
 		for _, stage := range stepLifecycles[stepID].Stages {
 			steps := dataModel[WorkflowStepsKey].(map[string]any)
diff --git a/workflow/executor_test.go b/workflow/executor_test.go
index 6098af31..0a13b77c 100644
--- a/workflow/executor_test.go
+++ b/workflow/executor_test.go
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ steps:
       wait_time_ms: 0
     # invalid wait for specification
     # specifically, deploy does not have any outputs 
-    wait_for: !expr $.steps.wait_1.deploy
+    wait_for: !expr $.steps.wait_1.starting
 outputs:
   a:
     b: !expr $.steps.wait_2.outputs
@@ -273,9 +273,5 @@ func TestDependOnNoOutputs(t *testing.T) {
 	// - wait_1 = {}; not having a property named 'deploy',
 	// - wait_1 = { deploy: nil }; the 'deploy' property has no outputs (i.e. nil output)
 	_, err := getTestImplPreparedWorkflow(t, invalidWaitfor)
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	//outputID, outputData, err := wf.Execute(context.Background(), map[any]any{})
-	//assert.Error(t, err)
-	//fmt.Printf("output id: %s\noutput: %v\n", outputID, outputData)
-	//assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "object wait_1 does not have a property named deploy")
+	assert.Error(t, err)
 }