diff --git a/src/examples/TimesliceExample/MyFileWriter.h b/src/examples/TimesliceExample/MyFileWriter.h
index be13c5f27..c7f1301e8 100644
--- a/src/examples/TimesliceExample/MyFileWriter.h
+++ b/src/examples/TimesliceExample/MyFileWriter.h
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ struct MyFileWriter : public JEventProcessor {
     Input<podio::Frame> m_evt_frame_in {this, {.name = "", 
                                                .level = JEventLevel::PhysicsEvent}};
 
-    // TODO: Support optional inputs
-    // Input<podio::Frame> m_ts_frame_in {this, "", JEventLevel::Timeslice};
+    Input<podio::Frame> m_ts_frame_in {this, {.name = "", 
+                                              .level = JEventLevel::Timeslice,
+                                              .is_optional = true }};
 
     std::unique_ptr<podio::ROOTFrameWriter> m_writer = nullptr;
     std::mutex m_mutex;
@@ -45,9 +46,7 @@ struct MyFileWriter : public JEventProcessor {
             auto ts_nr = ts.GetEventNumber();
 
             if (event->GetEventIndex() == 0) {
-                // m_writer->writeFrame(*(m_ts_frame_in().at(0)), "timeslices");
-                auto ts_frame_in = ts.Get<podio::Frame>();
-                m_writer->writeFrame(*(ts_frame_in.at(0)), "timeslices");
+                m_writer->writeFrame(*(m_ts_frame_in().at(0)), "timeslices");
             }
 
             LOG_DEBUG(GetLogger()) 
diff --git a/src/libraries/JANA/JEvent.h b/src/libraries/JANA/JEvent.h
index 29e601047..2fa573c4f 100644
--- a/src/libraries/JANA/JEvent.h
+++ b/src/libraries/JANA/JEvent.h
@@ -80,13 +80,13 @@ class JEvent : public std::enable_shared_from_this<JEvent>
         //OBJECTS
         // C style getters
         template<class T> JFactoryT<T>* Get(const T** item, const std::string& tag="") const;
-        template<class T> JFactoryT<T>* Get(std::vector<const T*> &vec, const std::string& tag = "") const;
+        template<class T> JFactoryT<T>* Get(std::vector<const T*> &vec, const std::string& tag = "", bool strict=true) const;
         template<class T> void GetAll(std::vector<const T*> &vec) const;
 
         // C++ style getters
         template<class T> const T* GetSingle(const std::string& tag = "") const;
         template<class T> const T* GetSingleStrict(const std::string& tag = "") const;
-        template<class T> std::vector<const T*> Get(const std::string& tag = "") const;
+        template<class T> std::vector<const T*> Get(const std::string& tag = "", bool strict=true) const;
         template<class T> typename JFactoryT<T>::PairType GetIterators(const std::string& aTag = "") const;
         template<class T> std::vector<const T*> GetAll() const;
         template<class T> std::map<std::pair<std::string,std::string>,std::vector<T*>> GetAllChildren() const;
@@ -336,9 +336,10 @@ JFactoryT<T>* JEvent::Get(const T** destination, const std::string& tag) const
 
 
 template<class T>
-JFactoryT<T>* JEvent::Get(std::vector<const T*>& destination, const std::string& tag) const
+JFactoryT<T>* JEvent::Get(std::vector<const T*>& destination, const std::string& tag, bool strict) const
 {
-    auto factory = GetFactory<T>(tag, true);
+    auto factory = GetFactory<T>(tag, strict);
+    if (factory == nullptr) return nullptr; // Will have thrown already if strict==true
     JCallGraphEntryMaker cg_entry(mCallGraph, factory); // times execution until this goes out of scope
     auto iterators = factory->CreateAndGetData(this->shared_from_this());
     for (auto it=iterators.first; it!=iterators.second; it++) {
@@ -392,12 +393,13 @@ template<class T> const T* JEvent::GetSingleStrict(const std::string& tag) const
 
 
 template<class T>
-std::vector<const T*> JEvent::Get(const std::string& tag) const {
+std::vector<const T*> JEvent::Get(const std::string& tag, bool strict) const {
 
-    auto factory = GetFactory<T>(tag, true);
+    auto factory = GetFactory<T>(tag, strict);
+    std::vector<const T*> vec;
+    if (factory == nullptr) return vec; // Will have thrown already if strict==true
     JCallGraphEntryMaker cg_entry(mCallGraph, factory); // times execution until this goes out of scope
     auto iters = factory->CreateAndGetData(this->shared_from_this());
-    std::vector<const T*> vec;
     for (auto it=iters.first; it!=iters.second; ++it) {
         vec.push_back(*it);
     }
diff --git a/src/libraries/JANA/Omni/JHasInputs.h b/src/libraries/JANA/Omni/JHasInputs.h
index 84e4dcedb..10211cc7d 100644
--- a/src/libraries/JANA/Omni/JHasInputs.h
+++ b/src/libraries/JANA/Omni/JHasInputs.h
@@ -102,20 +102,22 @@ struct JHasInputs {
         void GetCollection(const JEvent& event) {
             auto& level = this->levels[0];
             if (level == event.GetLevel() || level == JEventLevel::None) {
-                m_data = event.Get<T>(this->names[0]);
+                m_data = event.Get<T>(this->names[0], !this->is_optional);
             }
             else {
-                m_data = event.GetParent(level).template Get<T>(this->names[0]);
+                if (this->is_optional && !event.HasParent(level)) return;
+                m_data = event.GetParent(level).template Get<T>(this->names[0], !this->is_optional);
             }
         }
         void PrefetchCollection(const JEvent& event) {
             auto& level = this->levels[0];
             auto& name = this->names[0];
             if (level == event.GetLevel() || level == JEventLevel::None) {
-                event.Get<T>(name);
+                event.Get<T>(name, !this->is_optional);
             }
             else {
-                event.GetParent(level).template Get<T>(name);
+                if (this->is_optional && !event.HasParent(level)) return;
+                event.GetParent(level).template Get<T>(name, !this->is_optional);
             }
         }
     };
@@ -142,10 +144,11 @@ struct JHasInputs {
             auto& level = this->levels[0];
             auto& name = this->names[0];
             if (level == event.GetLevel() || level == JEventLevel::None) {
-                m_data = event.GetCollection<PodioT>(name);
+                m_data = event.GetCollection<PodioT>(name, !this->is_optional);
             }
             else {
-                m_data = event.GetParent(level).template GetCollection<PodioT>(name);
+                if (this->is_optional && !event.HasParent(level)) return;
+                m_data = event.GetParent(level).template GetCollection<PodioT>(name, !this->is_optional);
             }
         }
 
@@ -153,10 +156,11 @@ struct JHasInputs {
             auto& level = this->levels[0];
             auto& name = this->names[0];
             if (level == event.GetLevel() || level == JEventLevel::None) {
-                event.GetCollection<PodioT>(name);
+                event.GetCollection<PodioT>(name, !this->is_optional);
             }
             else {
-                event.GetParent(level).template GetCollection<PodioT>(name);
+                if (this->is_optional && !event.HasParent(level)) return;
+                event.GetParent(level).template GetCollection<PodioT>(name, !this->is_optional);
             }
         }
     };
@@ -189,10 +193,11 @@ struct JHasInputs {
                 auto& coll_name = names[i];
                 auto& level = levels[i];
                 if (level == event.GetLevel() || level == JEventLevel::None) {
-                    m_data.push_back(event.GetCollection<PodioT>(coll_name));
+                    m_data.push_back(event.GetCollection<PodioT>(coll_name, !this->is_optional));
                 }
                 else {
-                    m_data.push_back(event.GetParent(level).GetCollection<PodioT>(coll_name));
+                    if (this->is_optional && !event.HasParent(level)) return;
+                    m_data.push_back(event.GetParent(level).GetCollection<PodioT>(coll_name, !this->is_optional));
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -205,10 +210,11 @@ struct JHasInputs {
                 auto& coll_name = names[i];
                 auto& level = levels[i];
                 if (level == event.GetLevel() || level == JEventLevel::None) {
-                    event.GetCollection<PodioT>(coll_name);
+                    event.GetCollection<PodioT>(coll_name, !this->is_optional);
                 }
                 else {
-                    event.GetParent(level).GetCollection<PodioT>(coll_name);
+                    if (this->is_optional && !event.HasParent(level)) return;
+                    event.GetParent(level).GetCollection<PodioT>(coll_name, !this->is_optional);
                 }
             }
         }