diff --git a/src/main/java/io/cryostat/events/EventTemplates.java b/src/main/java/io/cryostat/events/EventTemplates.java
index c778d25bd..72bba9b67 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/cryostat/events/EventTemplates.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/cryostat/events/EventTemplates.java
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@
 import org.jboss.resteasy.reactive.RestPath;
 import org.jboss.resteasy.reactive.RestResponse;
 import org.jboss.resteasy.reactive.multipart.FileUpload;
-import org.jsoup.nodes.Document;
 
 @Path("")
 public class EventTemplates {
@@ -179,24 +178,24 @@ public Response getTargetTemplate(
             @RestPath long id, @RestPath TemplateType templateType, @RestPath String templateName)
             throws Exception {
         Target target = Target.find("id", id).singleResult();
-        Document doc;
+        String xml;
         switch (templateType) {
             case TARGET:
-                doc =
+                xml =
                         targetTemplateServiceFactory
                                 .create(target)
                                 .getXml(templateName, templateType)
                                 .orElseThrow();
                 break;
             case CUSTOM:
-                doc = customTemplateService.getXml(templateName, templateType).orElseThrow();
+                xml = customTemplateService.getXml(templateName, templateType).orElseThrow();
                 break;
             default:
                 throw new BadRequestException();
         }
         return Response.status(RestResponse.Status.OK)
                 .header(HttpHeaders.CONTENT_TYPE, HttpMimeType.JFC.mime())
-                .entity(doc.toString())
+                .entity(xml)
                 .build();
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/cryostat/events/S3TemplateService.java b/src/main/java/io/cryostat/events/S3TemplateService.java
index 2592d1aad..7a395da9f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/cryostat/events/S3TemplateService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/cryostat/events/S3TemplateService.java
@@ -43,8 +43,6 @@
 import io.cryostat.StorageBuckets;
 import io.cryostat.core.FlightRecorderException;
 import io.cryostat.core.templates.MutableTemplateService;
-import io.cryostat.core.templates.MutableTemplateService.InvalidEventTemplateException;
-import io.cryostat.core.templates.MutableTemplateService.InvalidXmlException;
 import io.cryostat.core.templates.Template;
 import io.cryostat.core.templates.TemplateType;
 import io.cryostat.ws.MessagingServer;
@@ -62,7 +60,6 @@
 import org.eclipse.microprofile.config.inject.ConfigProperty;
 import org.jboss.logging.Logger;
 import org.jsoup.Jsoup;
-import org.jsoup.nodes.Document;
 import org.jsoup.parser.Parser;
 import software.amazon.awssdk.core.sync.RequestBody;
 import software.amazon.awssdk.services.s3.S3Client;
@@ -156,12 +153,12 @@ public List<Template> getTemplates() throws FlightRecorderException {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public Optional<Document> getXml(String templateName, TemplateType unused)
+    public Optional<String> getXml(String templateName, TemplateType unused)
             throws FlightRecorderException {
         try (var stream = getModel(templateName)) {
-            Document doc =
-                    Jsoup.parse(stream, StandardCharsets.UTF_8.name(), "", Parser.xmlParser());
-            return Optional.of(doc);
+            return Optional.of(
+                    Jsoup.parse(stream, StandardCharsets.UTF_8.name(), "", Parser.xmlParser())
+                            .outerHtml());
         } catch (IOException e) {
             logger.error(e);
             return Optional.empty();
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/cryostat/events/TargetTemplateService.java b/src/main/java/io/cryostat/events/TargetTemplateService.java
index 12c4dc9c9..91d580bb0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/cryostat/events/TargetTemplateService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/cryostat/events/TargetTemplateService.java
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 
 import jakarta.enterprise.context.ApplicationScoped;
 import jakarta.inject.Inject;
-import org.jsoup.nodes.Document;
 
 public class TargetTemplateService implements TemplateService {
 
@@ -62,11 +61,15 @@ public List<Template> getTemplates() throws FlightRecorderException {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public Optional<Document> getXml(String templateName, TemplateType unused)
+    public Optional<String> getXml(String templateName, TemplateType unused)
             throws FlightRecorderException {
-        return connectionManager.executeConnectedTask(
-                target,
-                conn -> conn.getTemplateService().getXml(templateName, TemplateType.TARGET));
+        Optional doc =
+                connectionManager.executeConnectedTask(
+                        target,
+                        conn ->
+                                conn.getTemplateService()
+                                        .getXml(templateName, TemplateType.TARGET));
+        return doc.isPresent() ? Optional.of(doc.toString()) : Optional.empty();
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/cryostat/targets/AgentJFRService.java b/src/main/java/io/cryostat/targets/AgentJFRService.java
index 18bdfe283..d8a94a04e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/cryostat/targets/AgentJFRService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/cryostat/targets/AgentJFRService.java
@@ -260,8 +260,7 @@ public IRecordingDescriptor start(
                             null,
                             templateService
                                     .getXml(templateName, preferredTemplateType)
-                                    .orElseThrow()
-                                    .outerHtml(),
+                                    .orElseThrow(),
                             duration,
                             maxSize,
                             maxAge);