diff --git a/stellar/README.md b/stellar/README.md
index 839d41e6..97ee6671 100644
--- a/stellar/README.md
+++ b/stellar/README.md
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ node stellar/deploy-contract.js deploy axelar_gas_service --chain-name <CHAIN_NA
 ### Interchain Token Service
 
 Deploy Interchain Token wasm first.
+
 ```bash
 node stellar/deploy-contract.js deploy interchain_token --chain-name <CHAIN_NAME> --wasm-path ../axelar-cgp-soroban/target/wasm32-unknown-unknown/release/interchain_token.optimized.wasm
 node stellar/deploy-contract.js deploy interchain_token_service --chain-name <CHAIN_NAME> --wasm-path ../axelar-cgp-soroban/target/wasm32-unknown-unknown/release/interchain_token_service.optimized.wasm
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ node stellar/deploy-contract.js deploy example --chain-name <CHAIN_NAME> --wasm-
 ```
 
 ### Contract upgrades
+
 To facilitate contract upgrades, the `upgrader` contract needs to be deployed first.
 
 ```bash
@@ -112,8 +114,7 @@ After the `upgrader` is deployed, any other instantiated contract can be upgrade
 node stellar/deploy-contract.js upgrade <CONTRACT_NAME> --chain-name <CHAIN_NAME> --wasm-path ../axelar-cgp-soroban/target/wasm32-unknown-unknown/release/<CONTRACT_NAME>.optimized.wasm --new-version <NEW_VERSION> --migration-data <MIGRATION_DATA>
 ```
 
-where `<CONTRACT_NAME>` is the name of the contract to be upgraded and `--wasm-path` points to the upgraded bytecode. As a sanity check, `<NEW_VERSION>` must match the version number defined by the provided bytecode, so upgrading to the wrong version can be prevented. `<MIGRATION_DATA>` is the json encoded data that will be passed to the contract's `migrate` function.
-
+where `<CONTRACT_NAME>` is the name of the contract to be upgraded and `--wasm-path` points to the upgraded bytecode. As a sanity check, `<NEW_VERSION>` must match the version number defined by the provided bytecode, so upgrading to the wrong version can be prevented. `<MIGRATION_DATA>` is the json encoded data that will be passed to the contract's `migrate` function. If the flag is not provided, the default value `()` will be used, meaning that the migration data is of type `void`. The easiest way to generate the json data for complex types is to instantiate the rust type the contract expects and then use `serde_json::to_string` to convert it to json.
 
 ## Generate bindings
 
diff --git a/stellar/deploy-contract.js b/stellar/deploy-contract.js
index 998a29f5..8134da0e 100644
--- a/stellar/deploy-contract.js
+++ b/stellar/deploy-contract.js
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ function main() {
         .argument('<contract-name>', 'contract name to deploy')
         .addOption(new Option('--wasm-path <wasmPath>', 'path to the WASM file'))
         .addOption(new Option('--new-version <newVersion>', 'new version of the contract'))
-        .addOption(new Option('--migration-data <migrationData>', 'migration data'))
+        .addOption(new Option('--migration-data <migrationData>', 'migration data').default('()'))
         .action((contractName, options) => {
             mainProcessor(options, upgrade, contractName);
         });