fix(values): erase parent-defined subchart defaults when user sets null

When a parent chart defines a value for a subchart in its own values.yaml, and the user supplies null for that key via --values, the null should erase the parent-defined default per documented Helm behavior. Previously, childChartMergeTrue correctly preserved null values through the parent coalesce pass so they could be erased during subchart-level coalescing (when the subchart itself has a default for that key). However, when the key only exists in the parent chart's values.yaml and not in the subchart's own values.yaml, no cleanup occurred — the nil persisted in the final result. Fix: after coalescing each subchart dependency, call eraseNullsWithParentDefaults to remove any remaining nil values where the parent chart defined a non-nil default. This covers the gap without disturbing keys already cleaned up at subchart level. Fixes #31919 Signed-off-by: Abhay Chaurasiya <abhaychaurasiya19@gmail.com> Signed-off-by: abhay1999 <abhaychaurasiya19@gmail.com>
abhay1999 · Mar 28, 2026 · Mar 28, 2026 · Mar 28, 2026 · 11b6255e3e3d6cb2809ff886b78ca7b17506f02b · Copilot
commit 11b6255e3e3d6cb2809ff886b78ca7b17506f02b
diff --git a/pkg/chart/common/util/coalesce.go b/pkg/chart/common/util/coalesce.go
@@ -129,6 +129,19 @@ func coalesceDeps(printf printFn, chrt chart.Charter, dest map[string]any, prefi
 			if err != nil {
 				return dest, err
 			}
+			// When coalescing, erase any remaining nil values in the subchart result
+			// that were user-supplied null overrides of parent-chart defaults.
+			// These are not erased at subchart level because the subchart has no
+			// default for the key; without this pass they would persist as nil.
+			if !merge {
+				if subMap, ok := dest[sub.Name()].(map[string]any); ok {
+					if parentVals, ok := ch.Values()[sub.Name()]; ok {
+						if parentValsMap, ok := parentVals.(map[string]any); ok {
+							eraseNullsWithParentDefaults(subMap, parentValsMap)
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return dest, nil
@@ -189,6 +202,25 @@ func coalesceGlobals(printf printFn, dest, src map[string]any, prefix string, _
 	dest[common.GlobalKey] = dg
 }
 
+// eraseNullsWithParentDefaults removes nil-valued keys from dst where the
+// corresponding parent chart default was non-nil. This handles the case where
+// a user sets a subchart key to null to erase a parent-defined default, but
+// the subchart itself has no default for that key (so subchart-level null
+// erasure never runs).
+func eraseNullsWithParentDefaults(dst, parentDefs map[string]any) {
+	for key, dv := range dst {
+		pdv, inParent := parentDefs[key]
+		if !inParent {
+			continue
+		}
+		if dv == nil && pdv != nil {
+			delete(dst, key)
+		} else if istable(dv) && istable(pdv) {
+			eraseNullsWithParentDefaults(dv.(map[string]any), pdv.(map[string]any))
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func copyMap(src map[string]any) map[string]any {
 	m := make(map[string]any, len(src))
 	maps.Copy(m, src)
@@ -249,6 +281,8 @@ func coalesceValues(printf printFn, c chart.Charter, v map[string]any, prefix st
 					}
 				} else {
 					// If the key is a child chart, coalesce tables with Merge set to true
+					// to preserve user-supplied null values so they can be erased at the
+					// subchart level (where subchart defaults are processed).
 					merge := childChartMergeTrue(c, key, merge)
 
 					// Because v has higher precedence than nv, dest values override src

diff --git a/pkg/chart/common/util/coalesce_test.go b/pkg/chart/common/util/coalesce_test.go
@@ -732,6 +732,85 @@ func TestConcatPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "a.b", concatPrefix("a", "b"))
 }
 
+// TestCoalesceValuesNullErasureInSubchart tests that a user-supplied null value
+// erases a key defined in the parent chart's values.yaml for a subchart,
+// even when that key has no default in the subchart's own values.yaml.
+// Regression test for https://github.com/helm/helm/issues/31919
+func TestCoalesceValuesNullErasureInSubchart(t *testing.T) {
+	is := assert.New(t)
+
+	// Parent chart defines "key" for subchart in its own values.yaml.
+	// The subchart itself does NOT define "key" in its values.yaml.
+	subchart := &chart.Chart{
+		Metadata: &chart.Metadata{Name: "mysubchart"},
+		Values: map[string]any{
+			"other": "subchart_default",
+		},
+	}
+	parent := withDeps(&chart.Chart{
+		Metadata: &chart.Metadata{Name: "parent"},
+		Values: map[string]any{
+			"mysubchart": map[string]any{
+				"key": "parent_defined_value",
+			},
+		},
+	}, subchart)
+
+	// User passes null for mysubchart.key to erase the parent-defined default.
+	vals := map[string]any{
+		"mysubchart": map[string]any{
+			"key": nil,
+		},
+	}
+
+	v, err := CoalesceValues(parent, vals)
+	is.NoError(err)
+
+	sub, ok := v["mysubchart"].(map[string]any)
+	is.True(ok, "mysubchart is not a map")
+
+	// "other" should still be present (subchart default)
+	is.Equal("subchart_default", sub["other"])
+
+	// "key" should be removed — user explicitly set it to null to erase the parent default
+	_, present := sub["key"]
+	is.False(present, "Expected mysubchart.key to be erased by user null, but it is still present")
+}
+
+// TestCoalesceValuesNullErasurePreservesUserValues ensures that when a parent chart
+// defines a null for a subchart key, the user's non-nil value is still preserved.
+func TestCoalesceValuesNullErasurePreservesUserValues(t *testing.T) {
+	is := assert.New(t)
+
+	subchart := &chart.Chart{
+		Metadata: &chart.Metadata{Name: "mysubchart"},
+		Values:   map[string]any{},
+	}
+	parent := withDeps(&chart.Chart{
+		Metadata: &chart.Metadata{Name: "parent"},
+		Values: map[string]any{
+			"mysubchart": map[string]any{
+				"key": nil, // parent chart defaults this to null
+			},
+		},
+	}, subchart)
+
+	// User provides a real value — should not be erased by the parent's null default
+	vals := map[string]any{
+		"mysubchart": map[string]any{
+			"key": "user_value",
+		},
+	}
+
+	v, err := CoalesceValues(parent, vals)
+	is.NoError(err)
+
+	sub, ok := v["mysubchart"].(map[string]any)
+	is.True(ok, "mysubchart is not a map")
+
+	is.Equal("user_value", sub["key"], "user value should not be overwritten by parent null default")
+}
+
 // TestCoalesceValuesEmptyMapWithNils tests the full CoalesceValues scenario
 // from issue #31643 where chart has data: {} and user provides data: {foo: bar, baz: ~}
 func TestCoalesceValuesEmptyMapWithNils(t *testing.T) {