diff --git a/src/Contracts/DataModels.ts b/src/Contracts/DataModels.ts
index fef85ab87..0510a7c23 100644
--- a/src/Contracts/DataModels.ts
+++ b/src/Contracts/DataModels.ts
@@ -275,8 +275,7 @@ export interface DataMaskingPolicy {
     startPosition: number;
     length: number;
   }>;
-  excludedPaths: string[];
-  isPolicyEnabled: boolean;
+  excludedPaths?: string[];
 }
 
 export interface MaterializedView {
diff --git a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsComponent.test.tsx b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsComponent.test.tsx
index 7dfd49b11..ff7485b5e 100644
--- a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsComponent.test.tsx
+++ b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsComponent.test.tsx
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ jest.mock("../../../Common/dataAccess/updateCollection", () => ({
     dataMaskingPolicy: {
       includedPaths: [],
       excludedPaths: ["/excludedPath"],
-      isPolicyEnabled: true,
     },
     indexes: [],
   }),
@@ -307,12 +306,10 @@ describe("SettingsComponent", () => {
       dataMaskingContent: {
         includedPaths: [],
         excludedPaths: ["/excludedPath"],
-        isPolicyEnabled: true,
       },
       dataMaskingContentBaseline: {
         includedPaths: [],
         excludedPaths: [],
-        isPolicyEnabled: false,
       },
       isDataMaskingDirty: true,
     });
@@ -326,7 +323,6 @@ describe("SettingsComponent", () => {
     expect(wrapper.state("dataMaskingContentBaseline")).toEqual({
       includedPaths: [],
       excludedPaths: ["/excludedPath"],
-      isPolicyEnabled: true,
     });
   });
 
@@ -340,7 +336,6 @@ describe("SettingsComponent", () => {
     const invalidPolicy: InvalidPolicy = {
       includedPaths: "invalid",
       excludedPaths: [],
-      isPolicyEnabled: false,
     };
     // Use type assertion since we're deliberately testing with invalid data
     settingsComponentInstance["onDataMaskingContentChange"](invalidPolicy as unknown as DataModels.DataMaskingPolicy);
@@ -349,7 +344,6 @@ describe("SettingsComponent", () => {
     expect(wrapper.state("dataMaskingContent")).toEqual({
       includedPaths: "invalid",
       excludedPaths: [],
-      isPolicyEnabled: false,
     });
     expect(wrapper.state("dataMaskingValidationErrors")).toEqual(["includedPaths must be an array"]);
 
@@ -364,7 +358,6 @@ describe("SettingsComponent", () => {
         },
       ],
       excludedPaths: ["/excludedPath"],
-      isPolicyEnabled: true,
     };
 
     settingsComponentInstance["onDataMaskingContentChange"](validPolicy);
@@ -388,7 +381,6 @@ describe("SettingsComponent", () => {
         },
       ],
       excludedPaths: ["/excludedPath1"],
-      isPolicyEnabled: false,
     };
 
     const modifiedPolicy = {
@@ -401,7 +393,6 @@ describe("SettingsComponent", () => {
         },
       ],
       excludedPaths: ["/excludedPath2"],
-      isPolicyEnabled: true,
     };
 
     // Set initial state
diff --git a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsComponent.tsx b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsComponent.tsx
index 475a7b14b..30d5ac3bc 100644
--- a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsComponent.tsx
+++ b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsComponent.tsx
@@ -695,14 +695,13 @@ export class SettingsComponent extends React.Component<SettingsComponentProps, S
     }
 
     const validationErrors = [];
-    if (!Array.isArray(newDataMasking.includedPaths)) {
+    if (newDataMasking.includedPaths === undefined || newDataMasking.includedPaths === null) {
+      validationErrors.push("includedPaths is required");
+    } else if (!Array.isArray(newDataMasking.includedPaths)) {
       validationErrors.push("includedPaths must be an array");
     }
-    if (!Array.isArray(newDataMasking.excludedPaths)) {
-      validationErrors.push("excludedPaths must be an array");
-    }
-    if (typeof newDataMasking.isPolicyEnabled !== "boolean") {
-      validationErrors.push("isPolicyEnabled must be a boolean");
+    if (newDataMasking.excludedPaths !== undefined && !Array.isArray(newDataMasking.excludedPaths)) {
+      validationErrors.push("excludedPaths must be an array if provided");
     }
 
     this.setState({
@@ -843,7 +842,6 @@ export class SettingsComponent extends React.Component<SettingsComponentProps, S
     const dataMaskingContent: DataModels.DataMaskingPolicy = {
       includedPaths: this.collection.dataMaskingPolicy?.()?.includedPaths || [],
       excludedPaths: this.collection.dataMaskingPolicy?.()?.excludedPaths || [],
-      isPolicyEnabled: this.collection.dataMaskingPolicy?.()?.isPolicyEnabled ?? true,
     };
     const conflictResolutionPolicy: DataModels.ConflictResolutionPolicy =
       this.collection.conflictResolutionPolicy && this.collection.conflictResolutionPolicy();
diff --git a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsSubComponents/DataMaskingComponent.test.tsx b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsSubComponents/DataMaskingComponent.test.tsx
index a51d55a32..4e25c1980 100644
--- a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsSubComponents/DataMaskingComponent.test.tsx
+++ b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsSubComponents/DataMaskingComponent.test.tsx
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ describe("DataMaskingComponent", () => {
       },
     ],
     excludedPaths: [],
-    isPolicyEnabled: false,
   };
 
   let changeContentCallback: () => void;
@@ -78,7 +77,7 @@ describe("DataMaskingComponent", () => {
       <DataMaskingComponent
         {...mockProps}
         dataMaskingContent={samplePolicy}
-        dataMaskingContentBaseline={{ ...samplePolicy, isPolicyEnabled: true }}
+        dataMaskingContentBaseline={{ ...samplePolicy, excludedPaths: ["/excluded"] }}
       />,
     );
 
@@ -123,7 +122,7 @@ describe("DataMaskingComponent", () => {
   });
 
   it("resets content when shouldDiscardDataMasking is true", async () => {
-    const baselinePolicy = { ...samplePolicy, isPolicyEnabled: true };
+    const baselinePolicy = { ...samplePolicy, excludedPaths: ["/excluded"] };
 
     const wrapper = mount(
       <DataMaskingComponent
@@ -159,7 +158,7 @@ describe("DataMaskingComponent", () => {
     wrapper.update();
 
     // Update baseline to trigger componentDidUpdate
-    const newBaseline = { ...samplePolicy, isPolicyEnabled: true };
+    const newBaseline = { ...samplePolicy, excludedPaths: ["/excluded"] };
     wrapper.setProps({ dataMaskingContentBaseline: newBaseline });
 
     expect(mockProps.onDataMaskingDirtyChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
@@ -174,7 +173,6 @@ describe("DataMaskingComponent", () => {
     const invalidPolicy: Record<string, unknown> = {
       includedPaths: "not an array",
       excludedPaths: [] as string[],
-      isPolicyEnabled: "not a boolean",
     };
 
     mockGetValue.mockReturnValue(JSON.stringify(invalidPolicy));
@@ -197,7 +195,7 @@ describe("DataMaskingComponent", () => {
     wrapper.update();
 
     // First change
-    const modifiedPolicy1 = { ...samplePolicy, isPolicyEnabled: true };
+    const modifiedPolicy1 = { ...samplePolicy, excludedPaths: ["/path1"] };
     mockGetValue.mockReturnValue(JSON.stringify(modifiedPolicy1));
     changeContentCallback();
     expect(mockProps.onDataMaskingDirtyChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
diff --git a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsSubComponents/DataMaskingComponent.tsx b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsSubComponents/DataMaskingComponent.tsx
index 6e316fea6..2dcc0f458 100644
--- a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsSubComponents/DataMaskingComponent.tsx
+++ b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsSubComponents/DataMaskingComponent.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import * as React from "react";
 import * as DataModels from "../../../../Contracts/DataModels";
 import { loadMonaco } from "../../../LazyMonaco";
 import { titleAndInputStackProps, unsavedEditorWarningMessage } from "../SettingsRenderUtils";
-import { isDataMaskingEnabled, isDirty as isContentDirty } from "../SettingsUtils";
+import { isDirty as isContentDirty, isDataMaskingEnabled } from "../SettingsUtils";
 
 export interface DataMaskingComponentProps {
   shouldDiscardDataMasking: boolean;
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ const emptyDataMaskingPolicy: DataModels.DataMaskingPolicy = {
     },
   ],
   excludedPaths: [],
-  isPolicyEnabled: true,
 };
 
 export class DataMaskingComponent extends React.Component<DataMaskingComponentProps, DataMaskingComponentState> {
diff --git a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/TestUtils.tsx b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/TestUtils.tsx
index f30e84709..c3b3f8b84 100644
--- a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/TestUtils.tsx
+++ b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/TestUtils.tsx
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ export const collection = {
   dataMaskingPolicy: ko.observable<DataModels.DataMaskingPolicy>({
     includedPaths: [],
     excludedPaths: ["/excludedPath"],
-    isPolicyEnabled: true,
   }),
   readSettings: () => {
     return;
diff --git a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/__snapshots__/SettingsComponent.test.tsx.snap b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/__snapshots__/SettingsComponent.test.tsx.snap
index c03e0e9ad..7f8452ddf 100644
--- a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/__snapshots__/SettingsComponent.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/__snapshots__/SettingsComponent.test.tsx.snap
@@ -638,7 +638,6 @@ exports[`SettingsComponent renders 1`] = `
                   "/excludedPath",
                 ],
                 "includedPaths": [],
-                "isPolicyEnabled": true,
               }
             }
             dataMaskingContentBaseline={
@@ -647,7 +646,6 @@ exports[`SettingsComponent renders 1`] = `
                   "/excludedPath",
                 ],
                 "includedPaths": [],
-                "isPolicyEnabled": true,
               }
             }
             onDataMaskingContentChange={[Function]}
diff --git a/src/Explorer/Tree/Collection.ts b/src/Explorer/Tree/Collection.ts
index e4382de53..f5308e6ea 100644
--- a/src/Explorer/Tree/Collection.ts
+++ b/src/Explorer/Tree/Collection.ts
@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@ export default class Collection implements ViewModels.Collection {
     const defaultDataMaskingPolicy: DataModels.DataMaskingPolicy = {
       includedPaths: Array<{ path: string; strategy: string; startPosition: number; length: number }>(),
       excludedPaths: Array<string>(),
-      isPolicyEnabled: true,
     };
     const observablePolicy = ko.observable(data.dataMaskingPolicy || defaultDataMaskingPolicy);
     observablePolicy.subscribe(() => {});