diff --git a/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/NodeOutput.vue b/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/NodeOutput.vue
index d76c17e44345..1ce9500f6c34 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/NodeOutput.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/NodeOutput.vue
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ const outputDetails = computed(() => {
     const outputType =
         collectionType && collectionType.isCollection && collectionType.collectionType
             ? `output is ${collectionTypeToDescription(collectionType)}`
-            : `output is ${terminal.value.type || "dataset"}`;
+            : `output is  ${terminal.value.optional ? "optional " : ""}${terminal.value.type || "dataset"}`;
     if (isMultiple.value) {
         if (!collectionType) {
             collectionType = NULL_COLLECTION_TYPE_DESCRIPTION;
diff --git a/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/modules/terminals.test.ts b/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/modules/terminals.test.ts
index 844c9114bb14..7cc4fb0e26c2 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/modules/terminals.test.ts
+++ b/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/modules/terminals.test.ts
@@ -298,6 +298,16 @@ describe("canAccept", () => {
             "Cannot attach a text parameter to a integer input"
         );
     });
+    it("rejects optional integer to required parameter connection", () => {
+        const integerInputParam = terminals["multi data"]!["advanced|advanced_threshold"] as InputParameterTerminal;
+        const optionalIntegerOutputParam = terminals["optional integer parameter input"]![
+            "output"
+        ] as OutputParameterTerminal;
+        expect(integerInputParam.canAccept(optionalIntegerOutputParam).canAccept).toBe(false);
+        expect(integerInputParam.canAccept(optionalIntegerOutputParam).reason).toBe(
+            "Cannot attach an optional output to a required parameter"
+        );
+    });
     it("rejects data to parameter connection", () => {
         const dataOut = terminals["data input"]!["output"] as OutputTerminal;
         const integerInputParam = terminals["multi data"]!["advanced|advanced_threshold"] as InputParameterTerminal;
diff --git a/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/modules/terminals.ts b/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/modules/terminals.ts
index 7ed030b537e2..cb86c796a9c5 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/modules/terminals.ts
+++ b/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/modules/terminals.ts
@@ -540,6 +540,9 @@ export class InputParameterTerminal extends BaseInputTerminal {
         const effectiveThisType = this.effectiveType(this.type);
         const otherType = ("type" in other && other.type) || "data";
         const effectiveOtherType = this.effectiveType(otherType);
+        if (!this.optional && other.optional) {
+            return new ConnectionAcceptable(false, `Cannot attach an optional output to a required parameter`);
+        }
         const canAccept = effectiveThisType === effectiveOtherType;
         return new ConnectionAcceptable(
             canAccept,
diff --git a/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/test-data/parameter_steps.json b/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/test-data/parameter_steps.json
index d3cff2cf8d98..bb0ad17cd901 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/test-data/parameter_steps.json
+++ b/client/src/components/Workflow/Editor/test-data/parameter_steps.json
@@ -906,5 +906,69 @@
       "left": 12.8729248046875,
       "top": 501.7839660644531
     }
+  },
+  "19": {
+    "id": 19,
+    "type": "parameter_input",
+    "label": "optional text parameter input",
+    "content_id": null,
+    "name": "Input parameter",
+    "tool_state": {
+      "parameter_definition": "{\"__current_case__\": 0, \"optional\": {\"__current_case__\": 1, \"optional\": \"true\"}, \"parameter_type\": \"text\", \"restrictions\": {\"__current_case__\": 0, \"how\": \"none\"}}",
+      "__page__": null,
+      "__rerun_remap_job_id__": null
+    },
+    "errors": null,
+    "inputs": [],
+    "outputs": [
+      {
+        "name": "output",
+        "label": "optional text parameter input",
+        "type": "text",
+        "optional": true,
+        "parameter": true
+      }
+    ],
+    "annotation": "",
+    "post_job_actions": {},
+    "uuid": "71c030ff-a29f-4e32-a735-37471e7a3f12",
+    "workflow_outputs": [],
+    "input_connections": {},
+    "position": {
+      "left": 95.0506591796875,
+      "top": 867.0427551269531
+    }
+  },
+  "19": {
+    "id": 19,
+    "type": "parameter_input",
+    "label": "optional integer parameter input",
+    "content_id": null,
+    "name": "Input parameter",
+    "tool_state": {
+      "parameter_definition": "{\"__current_case__\": 1, \"optional\": {\"__current_case__\": 1, \"optional\": \"true\"}, \"parameter_type\": \"integer\"}",
+      "__page__": null,
+      "__rerun_remap_job_id__": null
+    },
+    "errors": null,
+    "inputs": [],
+    "outputs": [
+      {
+        "name": "output",
+        "label": "integer parameter input",
+        "type": "integer",
+        "optional": true,
+        "parameter": true
+      }
+    ],
+    "annotation": "",
+    "post_job_actions": {},
+    "uuid": "634f06f1-b279-4160-9390-a004018e92ce",
+    "workflow_outputs": [],
+    "input_connections": {},
+    "position": {
+      "left": 148.72970581054688,
+      "top": 620.5069274902344
+    }
   }
 }