diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-build.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci-build.yaml
index c2b4a87124a4..28ab8f626573 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-build.yaml
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ jobs:
   e2e-tests:
     name: E2E Tests
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 25
+    timeout-minutes: 30
     needs: [ argoexec-image ]
     env:
       KUBECONFIG: /home/runner/.kubeconfig
diff --git a/test/e2e/testdata/workflow-templates/success-hook.yaml b/test/e2e/testdata/workflow-templates/success-hook.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a0cf43b79a7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/testdata/workflow-templates/success-hook.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
+kind: WorkflowTemplate
+metadata:
+  name: hook
+spec:
+  entrypoint: main
+  templates:
+    - name: main
+      container:
+        image: argoproj/argosay:v2
+        command: ["/bin/sh", "-c"]
+        # To avoid flakiness, we sleep 1 second.
+        args: ["/bin/sleep 1; /argosay"]
+
+  hooks:
+    running:
+      expression: workflow.status == "Running"
+      template: main
+    succeed:
+      expression: workflow.status == "Succeeded"
+      template: main
diff --git a/test/e2e/workflow_template_test.go b/test/e2e/workflow_template_test.go
index 50ca8e5b4e6d..519051150fa8 100644
--- a/test/e2e/workflow_template_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/workflow_template_test.go
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@
 package e2e
 
 import (
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/suite"
+	apiv1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	v1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 
 	"github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v3/pkg/apis/workflow/v1alpha1"
@@ -126,6 +128,36 @@ spec:
 		ExpectPVCDeleted()
 }
 
+func (s *WorkflowTemplateSuite) TestWorkflowTemplateWithHook() {
+	s.Given().
+		WorkflowTemplate("@testdata/workflow-templates/success-hook.yaml").
+		Workflow(`
+metadata:
+  generateName: workflow-template-hook-
+spec:
+  workflowTemplateRef:
+    name: hook
+`).
+		When().
+		CreateWorkflowTemplates().
+		SubmitWorkflow().
+		WaitForWorkflow(fixtures.ToBeSucceeded).
+		Then().
+		ExpectWorkflow(func(t *testing.T, metadata *v1.ObjectMeta, status *v1alpha1.WorkflowStatus) {
+			assert.Equal(t, status.Phase, v1alpha1.WorkflowSucceeded)
+		}).
+		ExpectWorkflowNode(func(status v1alpha1.NodeStatus) bool {
+			return strings.Contains(status.Name, "hooks.running")
+		}, func(t *testing.T, status *v1alpha1.NodeStatus, pod *apiv1.Pod) {
+			assert.Equal(t, v1alpha1.NodeSucceeded, status.Phase)
+		}).
+		ExpectWorkflowNode(func(status v1alpha1.NodeStatus) bool {
+			return strings.Contains(status.Name, "hooks.succeed")
+		}, func(t *testing.T, status *v1alpha1.NodeStatus, pod *apiv1.Pod) {
+			assert.Equal(t, v1alpha1.NodeSucceeded, status.Phase)
+		})
+}
+
 func (s *WorkflowTemplateSuite) TestWorkflowTemplateInvalidEntryPoint() {
 	s.Given().
 		WorkflowTemplate("@testdata/workflow-template-invalid-entrypoint.yaml").
diff --git a/workflow/util/merge.go b/workflow/util/merge.go
index 7db69763f347..0789a104012f 100644
--- a/workflow/util/merge.go
+++ b/workflow/util/merge.go
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ func MergeTo(patch, target *wfv1.Workflow) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if len(patchHooks) != 0 && target.Spec.Hooks == nil {
+		target.Spec.Hooks = make(wfv1.LifecycleHooks)
+	}
 	for name, hook := range patchHooks {
 		// If the patch hook doesn't exist in target
 		if _, ok := target.Spec.Hooks[name]; !ok {
diff --git a/workflow/util/merge_test.go b/workflow/util/merge_test.go
index c9c83d7edc20..738047a21b35 100644
--- a/workflow/util/merge_test.go
+++ b/workflow/util/merge_test.go
@@ -272,6 +272,14 @@ func TestJoinWorkflowMetaData(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+var baseNilHookWF = `
+apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Workflow
+metadata:
+  generateName: workflow-template-hello-world-
+spec:
+`
+
 var baseHookWF = `
 apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
 kind: Workflow
@@ -284,6 +292,12 @@ spec:
       expression: workflow.status == "Pending"
 `
 
+var patchNilHookWF = `
+apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Workflow
+spec:
+`
+
 var patchHookWF = `
 apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
 kind: Workflow
@@ -297,14 +311,36 @@ spec:
       expression: workflow.status == "Pending"
 `
 
-// Ensure hook bar ends up in result, but foo is unchanged
 func TestMergeHooks(t *testing.T) {
-	patchHookWf := wfv1.MustUnmarshalWorkflow(patchHookWF)
-	targetHookWf := wfv1.MustUnmarshalWorkflow(baseHookWF)
+	t.Run("NilBaseAndNilPatch", func(t *testing.T) {
+		patchHookWf := wfv1.MustUnmarshalWorkflow(patchNilHookWF)
+		targetHookWf := wfv1.MustUnmarshalWorkflow(baseNilHookWF)
 
-	err := MergeTo(patchHookWf, targetHookWf)
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, 2, len(targetHookWf.Spec.Hooks))
-	assert.Equal(t, "a", targetHookWf.Spec.Hooks[`foo`].Template)
-	assert.Equal(t, "b", targetHookWf.Spec.Hooks[`bar`].Template)
+		err := MergeTo(patchHookWf, targetHookWf)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Nil(t, targetHookWf.Spec.Hooks)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("NilBaseAndNotNilPatch", func(t *testing.T) {
+		patchHookWf := wfv1.MustUnmarshalWorkflow(patchHookWF)
+		targetHookWf := wfv1.MustUnmarshalWorkflow(baseNilHookWF)
+
+		err := MergeTo(patchHookWf, targetHookWf)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, 2, len(targetHookWf.Spec.Hooks))
+		assert.Equal(t, "c", targetHookWf.Spec.Hooks[`foo`].Template)
+		assert.Equal(t, "b", targetHookWf.Spec.Hooks[`bar`].Template)
+	})
+
+	// Ensure hook bar ends up in result, but foo is unchanged
+	t.Run("NotNilBaseAndPatch", func(t *testing.T) {
+		patchHookWf := wfv1.MustUnmarshalWorkflow(patchHookWF)
+		targetHookWf := wfv1.MustUnmarshalWorkflow(baseHookWF)
+
+		err := MergeTo(patchHookWf, targetHookWf)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, 2, len(targetHookWf.Spec.Hooks))
+		assert.Equal(t, "a", targetHookWf.Spec.Hooks[`foo`].Template)
+		assert.Equal(t, "b", targetHookWf.Spec.Hooks[`bar`].Template)
+	})
 }