diff --git a/nullplatform/service_definition/README.md b/nullplatform/service_definition/README.md
index 3a76ad27..59ec4ea9 100644
--- a/nullplatform/service_definition/README.md
+++ b/nullplatform/service_definition/README.md
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ resource "example_resource" "this" {
 | <a name="input_available_actions"></a> [available\_actions](#input\_available\_actions) | List of action template names to fetch from the service spec repository | `list(string)` | `[]` | no |
 | <a name="input_available_links"></a> [available\_links](#input\_available\_links) | List of link template names to fetch from the service spec repository | `list(string)` | <pre>[<br/>  "connect"<br/>]</pre> | no |
 | <a name="input_bitbucket_email"></a> [bitbucket\_email](#input\_bitbucket\_email) | Bitbucket account email, used only when git\_provider = "bitbucket". Set it when repository\_token is an Atlassian API token: those authenticate ONLY via HTTP Basic "email:api\_token" and return 401 with a Bearer header. Leave null when repository\_token is a Bitbucket workspace/repository access token, which is sent as a Bearer token. | `string` | `null` | no |
-| <a name="input_dimensions"></a> [dimensions](#input\_dimensions) | Key-value pairs for dimensions to be associated with the service specification | `map(string)` | `{}` | no |
+| <a name="input_dimensions"></a> [dimensions](#input\_dimensions) | Dimensions for the service specification, used when the spec template does not declare its own. The API accepts both a map of values and the required-flag form, e.g. {"environment": {"required": true}}, so this is intentionally untyped. | `any` | `{}` | no |
 | <a name="input_extra_visibile_to_nrns"></a> [extra\_visibile\_to\_nrns](#input\_extra\_visibile\_to\_nrns) | Additional NRNs that should have visibility to the created service specification | `list(string)` | `[]` | no |
 | <a name="input_git_provider"></a> [git\_provider](#input\_git\_provider) | Git provider to fetch service specs from. Supported values: "github", "gitlab", "bitbucket", "local". | `string` | `"github"` | no |
 | <a name="input_gitlab_host"></a> [gitlab\_host](#input\_gitlab\_host) | GitLab host. Only used when git\_provider = "gitlab". Override for self-hosted instances (e.g. "gitlab.mycompany.com"). | `string` | `"gitlab.com"` | no |
diff --git a/nullplatform/service_definition/main.tf b/nullplatform/service_definition/main.tf
index b0696d77..0a781d4e 100644
--- a/nullplatform/service_definition/main.tf
+++ b/nullplatform/service_definition/main.tf
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ resource "nullplatform_service_specification" "from_template" {
     provider     = local.service_spec_parsed.selectors.provider
     sub_category = local.service_spec_parsed.selectors.sub_category
   }
-  dimensions = jsonencode(var.dimensions)
+  dimensions = jsonencode(try(local.service_spec_parsed.dimensions, var.dimensions))
 }
 
 resource "nullplatform_action_specification" "from_templates" {
diff --git a/nullplatform/service_definition/variables.tf b/nullplatform/service_definition/variables.tf
index a4cbaf84..2dd0615f 100644
--- a/nullplatform/service_definition/variables.tf
+++ b/nullplatform/service_definition/variables.tf
@@ -95,9 +95,9 @@ variable "extra_visibile_to_nrns" {
 }
 
 variable "dimensions" {
-  type        = map(string)
+  type        = any
   default     = {}
-  description = "Key-value pairs for dimensions to be associated with the service specification"
+  description = "Dimensions for the service specification, used when the spec template does not declare its own. The API accepts both a map of values and the required-flag form, e.g. {\"environment\": {\"required\": true}}, so this is intentionally untyped."
 }
 
 variable "repository_ref_type" {