diff --git a/internal/cmd/server/command/create/create.go b/internal/cmd/server/command/create/create.go
index 1561ab3b5..6ac6fed6d 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/server/command/create/create.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/server/command/create/create.go
@@ -119,14 +119,15 @@ func parseInput(p *print.Printer, cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) (*inputModel,
 		CommandTemplateName: flags.FlagToStringValue(p, cmd, commandTemplateNameFlag),
 		Params:              flags.FlagToStringToStringPointer(p, cmd, paramsFlag),
 	}
-	parsedParams, err := runcommandUtils.ParseScriptParams(*model.Params)
+
+	var err error
+	model.Params, err = runcommandUtils.ParseScriptParams(model.Params)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, &cliErr.FlagValidationError{
 			Flag:    paramsFlag,
 			Details: err.Error(),
 		}
 	}
-	model.Params = &parsedParams
 
 	p.DebugInputModel(model)
 	return &model, nil
diff --git a/internal/cmd/server/command/create/create_test.go b/internal/cmd/server/command/create/create_test.go
index 5b19bf508..8029d65e5 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/server/command/create/create_test.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/server/command/create/create_test.go
@@ -105,6 +105,16 @@ func TestParseInput(t *testing.T) {
 			flagValues:  map[string]string{},
 			isValid:     false,
 		},
+		{
+			description: "params flag missing",
+			flagValues: fixtureFlagValues(func(flagValues map[string]string) {
+				delete(flagValues, paramsFlag)
+			}),
+			isValid: true,
+			expectedModel: fixtureInputModel(func(model *inputModel) {
+				model.Params = nil
+			}),
+		},
 		{
 			description: "project id missing",
 			flagValues: fixtureFlagValues(func(flagValues map[string]string) {
diff --git a/internal/pkg/services/runcommand/utils/utils.go b/internal/pkg/services/runcommand/utils/utils.go
index d6775f373..358e27c59 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/services/runcommand/utils/utils.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/services/runcommand/utils/utils.go
@@ -5,13 +5,15 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 )
 
-func ParseScriptParams(params map[string]string) (map[string]string, error) {
+func ParseScriptParams(params *map[string]string) (*map[string]string, error) { //nolint:gocritic // flag value is a map pointer
 	if params == nil {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
+
 	parsed := map[string]string{}
-	for k, v := range params {
+	for k, v := range *params {
 		parsed[k] = v
+
 		if k == "script" && strings.HasPrefix(v, "@{") && strings.HasSuffix(v, "}") {
 			// Check if a script file path was specified, like: --params script=@{/tmp/test.sh}
 			fileContents, err := os.ReadFile(v[2 : len(v)-1])
@@ -21,5 +23,6 @@ func ParseScriptParams(params map[string]string) (map[string]string, error) {
 			parsed[k] = string(fileContents)
 		}
 	}
-	return parsed, nil
+
+	return &parsed, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/pkg/services/runcommand/utils/utils_test.go b/internal/pkg/services/runcommand/utils/utils_test.go
index 5b1d1c69f..320bac18c 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/services/runcommand/utils/utils_test.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/services/runcommand/utils/utils_test.go
@@ -2,26 +2,34 @@ package utils
 
 import (
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 )
 
 func TestParseScriptParams(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		description    string
-		input          map[string]string
-		expectedOutput map[string]string
+		input          *map[string]string
+		expectedOutput *map[string]string
 		isValid        bool
 	}{
 		{
-			"base-ok",
-			map[string]string{"script": "ls /"},
-			map[string]string{"script": "ls /"},
-			true,
+			description:    "base-ok",
+			input:          &map[string]string{"script": "ls /"},
+			expectedOutput: &map[string]string{"script": "ls /"},
+			isValid:        true,
+		},
+		{
+			description:    "nil input",
+			input:          nil,
+			expectedOutput: nil,
+			isValid:        true,
 		},
 		{
-			"not-ok-nonexistant-file-specified-for-script",
-			map[string]string{"script": "@{/some/file/which/does/not/exist/and/thus/fails}"},
-			nil,
-			false,
+			description:    "not-ok-nonexistant-file-specified-for-script",
+			input:          &map[string]string{"script": "@{/some/file/which/does/not/exist/and/thus/fails}"},
+			expectedOutput: nil,
+			isValid:        false,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -38,8 +46,9 @@ func TestParseScriptParams(t *testing.T) {
 			if !tt.isValid {
 				return
 			}
-			if output["script"] != tt.expectedOutput["script"] {
-				t.Errorf("expected output to be %s, got %s", tt.expectedOutput["script"], output["script"])
+			diff := cmp.Diff(output, tt.expectedOutput)
+			if diff != "" {
+				t.Fatalf("ParseScriptParams() output mismatch (-want +got):\n%s", diff)
 			}
 		})
 	}