diff --git a/CRM/Contact/Form/Task/PDFTrait.php b/CRM/Contact/Form/Task/PDFTrait.php
index 36734bcd8c36..61e4faad36d9 100644
--- a/CRM/Contact/Form/Task/PDFTrait.php
+++ b/CRM/Contact/Form/Task/PDFTrait.php
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ public function formatMessage(&$message) {
       ],
     ];
 
-    $htmlMsg = preg_split($newLineOperators['p']['pattern'], ($message ?? ''));
+    $htmlMsg = preg_split($newLineOperators['p']['pattern'], $message);
     foreach ($htmlMsg as $k => & $m) {
       $messages = preg_split($newLineOperators['br']['pattern'], $m);
       foreach ($messages as $key => & $msg) {
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/CRM/Contact/Form/Task/PDFLetterCommonTest.php b/tests/phpunit/CRM/Contact/Form/Task/PDFLetterCommonTest.php
index 3e7fd38c6566..9b7974585cf3 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/CRM/Contact/Form/Task/PDFLetterCommonTest.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/CRM/Contact/Form/Task/PDFLetterCommonTest.php
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ public function testFilenameIsAssigned(?string $pdfFileName, ?string $activitySu
     $form = $this->getPDFForm([
       'pdf_file_name' => $pdfFileName,
       'subject' => $activitySubject,
+      'html_message' => '<p></p>',
     ], [$this->contactId], $isLiveMode);
     $fileNameAssigned = $this->submitForm($form)['fileName'];
     $this->assertEquals($expectedFilename, $fileNameAssigned);