diff --git a/crates/loader/src/local.rs b/crates/loader/src/local.rs
index 3541ce6be6..34a236bbdb 100644
--- a/crates/loader/src/local.rs
+++ b/crates/loader/src/local.rs
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ impl LocalLoader {
     ) -> Result<LockedApp> {
         spin_manifest::normalize::normalize_manifest(&mut manifest, profile)?;
 
+        manifest.validate_required_fields()?;
         manifest.validate_dependencies()?;
 
         let AppManifest {
diff --git a/crates/manifest/src/schema/v2.rs b/crates/manifest/src/schema/v2.rs
index 9aeb064a75..662a7f1d99 100644
--- a/crates/manifest/src/schema/v2.rs
+++ b/crates/manifest/src/schema/v2.rs
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ pub struct AppManifest {
     ///
     /// Example: `[[trigger.http]]`
     #[serde(rename = "trigger")]
+    #[serde(default)]
     #[schemars(with = "json_schema::TriggerSchema")]
     pub triggers: Map<String, Vec<Trigger>>,
     /// `[component.<id>]`
@@ -55,6 +56,15 @@ pub struct AppManifest {
 }
 
 impl AppManifest {
+    /// Ensures that required fields (where not enforced in the schema) are populated.
+    pub fn validate_required_fields(&self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        if self.triggers.is_empty() {
+            anyhow::bail!("The application must have at least one trigger");
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     /// This method ensures that the dependencies of each component are valid.
     pub fn validate_dependencies(&self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         for (component_id, component) in &self.components {
diff --git a/examples/spin-timer/Cargo.lock b/examples/spin-timer/Cargo.lock
index 11510ac248..e58d845f49 100644
--- a/examples/spin-timer/Cargo.lock
+++ b/examples/spin-timer/Cargo.lock
@@ -5037,8 +5037,8 @@ version = "4.2.0-pre0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "wac-graph",
- "wasm-encoder 0.247.0",
- "wasmparser 0.247.0",
+ "wasm-encoder 0.258.0",
+ "wasmparser 0.258.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -5060,11 +5060,11 @@ version = "4.2.0-pre0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "tracing",
- "wasm-encoder 0.247.0",
- "wasm-metadata 0.247.0",
- "wasmparser 0.247.0",
- "wit-component 0.247.0",
- "wit-parser 0.247.0",
+ "wasm-encoder 0.258.0",
+ "wasm-metadata 0.258.0",
+ "wasmparser 0.258.0",
+ "wit-component 0.258.0",
+ "wit-parser 0.258.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -6666,9 +6666,9 @@ checksum = "5c3082ca00d5a5ef149bb8b555a72ae84c9c59f7250f013ac822ac2e49b19c64"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "wac-graph"
-version = "0.10.1"
+version = "0.11.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "bdc8c5ffe944e002a24ba9d0fa67f51d4a761c1fc97718a17d1d7379753a6f8e"
+checksum = "0bf6c75ac6a3c0351b04ee506e6c39b5b01b4204364264b034e23f8df7cc9946"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "id-arena",
@@ -6678,23 +6678,23 @@ dependencies = [
  "semver",
  "thiserror 1.0.69",
  "wac-types",
- "wasm-encoder 0.247.0",
- "wasm-metadata 0.247.0",
- "wasmparser 0.247.0",
+ "wasm-encoder 0.258.0",
+ "wasm-metadata 0.258.0",
+ "wasmparser 0.258.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "wac-types"
-version = "0.10.1"
+version = "0.11.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "4b90654c08294d879e85f0b8b2c5a7efc3a7a10df3009dd1578d98902d1ec8a2"
+checksum = "fc44aa9e8f525d1f0c9800a4c082c33b4ac0781a84e83465923afdaf4a25755b"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "id-arena",
  "indexmap 2.14.0",
  "semver",
- "wasm-encoder 0.247.0",
- "wasmparser 0.247.0",
+ "wasm-encoder 0.258.0",
+ "wasmparser 0.258.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -6834,16 +6834,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "wat",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "wasm-encoder"
-version = "0.247.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "30b6733b8b91d010a6ac5b0fb237dc46a19650bc4c67db66857e2e787d437204"
-dependencies = [
- "leb128fmt",
- "wasmparser 0.247.0",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "wasm-encoder"
 version = "0.254.0"
@@ -6865,22 +6855,13 @@ dependencies = [
 ]
 
 [[package]]
-name = "wasm-metadata"
-version = "0.247.0"
+name = "wasm-encoder"
+version = "0.258.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "665fe59e56cc9b419ca6fcca56673e3421d1a5011e3b65caf6b726fd9e041d10"
+checksum = "e974fe6821a8cf64575d51ea2194e2c8f77e7b66e9afe7419ce8a97f9ee0d251"
 dependencies = [
- "anyhow",
- "auditable-serde",
- "flate2",
- "indexmap 2.14.0",
- "serde",
- "serde_derive",
- "serde_json",
- "spdx",
- "url",
- "wasm-encoder 0.247.0",
- "wasmparser 0.247.0",
+ "leb128fmt",
+ "wasmparser 0.258.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -6895,6 +6876,25 @@ dependencies = [
  "wasmparser 0.254.0",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "wasm-metadata"
+version = "0.258.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "18a11585adb92fe9b55ad1d760e8d8fb5d87e0d2e303cb8eed57f078d54293a2"
+dependencies = [
+ "anyhow",
+ "auditable-serde",
+ "flate2",
+ "indexmap 2.14.0",
+ "serde",
+ "serde_derive",
+ "serde_json",
+ "spdx",
+ "url",
+ "wasm-encoder 0.258.0",
+ "wasmparser 0.258.0",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "wasm-pkg-common"
 version = "0.11.0"
@@ -6927,9 +6927,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "wasmparser"
-version = "0.247.0"
+version = "0.254.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "8e6fb4c2bee46c5ea4d40f8cdb5c131725cd976718ec56f1c8e82fbde5fa2a80"
+checksum = "d5769a29f799fbab136aaf65b4fe5384cd7d93fe6fc9ba0dcb6c8382a1f16e27"
 dependencies = [
  "bitflags",
  "hashbrown 0.17.1",
@@ -6940,26 +6940,26 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "wasmparser"
-version = "0.254.0"
+version = "0.257.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "d5769a29f799fbab136aaf65b4fe5384cd7d93fe6fc9ba0dcb6c8382a1f16e27"
+checksum = "d92fc335fb6d48f46bda1d8b26b69e28320c15ac3272208333833d6e217e2b4a"
 dependencies = [
  "bitflags",
- "hashbrown 0.17.1",
  "indexmap 2.14.0",
  "semver",
- "serde",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "wasmparser"
-version = "0.257.1"
+version = "0.258.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "d92fc335fb6d48f46bda1d8b26b69e28320c15ac3272208333833d6e217e2b4a"
+checksum = "d9a61719f93a87b16d325921e251800c4833f8fab50fa21c7de73aed50086313"
 dependencies = [
  "bitflags",
+ "hashbrown 0.17.1",
  "indexmap 2.14.0",
  "semver",
+ "serde",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -7771,9 +7771,9 @@ checksum = "1ebf944e87a7c253233ad6766e082e3cd714b5d03812acc24c318f549614536e"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "wit-component"
-version = "0.247.0"
+version = "0.254.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "9d567162a6b9843080e5e0053f696623ff694bae8ae017c9ec536d1873bbe3d8"
+checksum = "b0e65bb94c369b3c4741ce3d1d2704b1fec93db7c540df0e521a097e7ceeb5be"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "bitflags",
@@ -7782,17 +7782,17 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde",
  "serde_derive",
  "serde_json",
- "wasm-encoder 0.247.0",
- "wasm-metadata 0.247.0",
- "wasmparser 0.247.0",
- "wit-parser 0.247.0",
+ "wasm-encoder 0.254.0",
+ "wasm-metadata 0.254.0",
+ "wasmparser 0.254.0",
+ "wit-parser 0.254.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "wit-component"
-version = "0.254.0"
+version = "0.258.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "b0e65bb94c369b3c4741ce3d1d2704b1fec93db7c540df0e521a097e7ceeb5be"
+checksum = "481b5c47b2ecce0389b5e08a05557d6a190c9cd761773b8880a8017ee04dc7ef"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "bitflags",
@@ -7801,17 +7801,17 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde",
  "serde_derive",
  "serde_json",
- "wasm-encoder 0.254.0",
- "wasm-metadata 0.254.0",
- "wasmparser 0.254.0",
- "wit-parser 0.254.0",
+ "wasm-encoder 0.258.0",
+ "wasm-metadata 0.258.0",
+ "wasmparser 0.258.0",
+ "wit-parser 0.258.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "wit-parser"
-version = "0.247.0"
+version = "0.254.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "8ffe4064318cdf3c08cb99343b44c039fcefe61ccdf58aa9975285f13d74d1fc"
+checksum = "1655131e4f7d3f0cb141f6eca71315ca40eff0f3d4de7cff0a82bacedd8c89b4"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "hashbrown 0.17.1",
@@ -7822,15 +7822,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde",
  "serde_derive",
  "serde_json",
- "unicode-xid",
- "wasmparser 0.247.0",
+ "unicode-ident",
+ "wasmparser 0.254.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "wit-parser"
-version = "0.254.0"
+version = "0.258.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "1655131e4f7d3f0cb141f6eca71315ca40eff0f3d4de7cff0a82bacedd8c89b4"
+checksum = "ff4daaa3cd97ae49ecd0a99dc009d453f93e0f083dd3be38c0f24a83a93e37ac"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "hashbrown 0.17.1",
@@ -7842,7 +7842,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde_derive",
  "serde_json",
  "unicode-ident",
- "wasmparser 0.254.0",
+ "wasmparser 0.258.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
diff --git a/templates/http-empty/content/spin.toml b/templates/http-empty/content/spin.toml
index e662f2f1c9..4044706b28 100644
--- a/templates/http-empty/content/spin.toml
+++ b/templates/http-empty/content/spin.toml
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#:schema https://schemas.spinframework.dev/spin/manifest-v2/latest.json
+
 spin_manifest_version = 2
 
 [application]
diff --git a/tests/integration.rs b/tests/integration.rs
index 990081e0ba..a5675331df 100644
--- a/tests/integration.rs
+++ b/tests/integration.rs
@@ -597,8 +597,8 @@ mod integration_tests {
             },
         )?;
 
-        let expected = "Error: No triggers in app\n";
-        assert_eq!(env.runtime_mut().stderr(), expected);
+        let expected = "application must have at least one trigger";
+        assert!(env.runtime_mut().stderr().contains(expected));
 
         Ok(())
     }