diff --git a/src/axolotl/prompt_strategies/orpo/chatml.py b/src/axolotl/prompt_strategies/orpo/chat_template.py
similarity index 96%
rename from src/axolotl/prompt_strategies/orpo/chatml.py
rename to src/axolotl/prompt_strategies/orpo/chat_template.py
index 91be41cbb2..7455ce1069 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/prompt_strategies/orpo/chatml.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/prompt_strategies/orpo/chat_template.py
@@ -29,11 +29,13 @@ def load(
     chatml transforms for datasets with system, input, chosen, rejected
     """
 
-    chat_template = "chatml"
+    chat_template = chat_templates("chatml", system_message=cfg.default_system_message)
     if ds_cfg and "chat_template" in ds_cfg:
         chat_template = ds_cfg["chat_template"]
         try:
-            chat_template = chat_templates(chat_template)
+            chat_template = chat_templates(
+                chat_template, system_message=cfg.default_system_message
+            )
         except ValueError:
             pass
 
diff --git a/src/axolotl/utils/chat_templates.py b/src/axolotl/utils/chat_templates.py
index 89ed680a91..26af42e19d 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/utils/chat_templates.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/utils/chat_templates.py
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@
 This module provides functionality for selecting chat templates based on user choices.
 These templates are used for formatting messages in a conversation.
 """
+from typing import Optional
 
 
-def chat_templates(user_choice: str):
+def chat_templates(user_choice: str, system_message: Optional[str] = None):
     """
     Finds the correct chat_template for the tokenizer_config.
 
@@ -18,6 +19,11 @@ def chat_templates(user_choice: str):
         ValueError: If the user_choice is not found in the templates.
     """
 
+    default_system_message = "You are a helpful assistant."
+    template_system_message: str = (
+        system_message if system_message is not None else default_system_message
+    )
+
     templates = {
         "alpaca": "{% for message in messages %}{% if message['role'] == 'user' %}{{ '### Instruction: ' + message['content'] + '\n\n' }}{% elif message['role'] == 'assistant' %}{{ '### Response: ' + message['content'] + eos_token}}{% endif %}{% endfor %}",
         "inst": "{{ bos_token }}{% for message in messages %}{% if (message['role'] == 'user') != (loop.index0 % 2 == 0) %}{{ raise_exception('Conversation roles must alternate user/assistant/user/assistant/...') }}{% endif %}{% if message['role'] == 'user' %}{{ '[INST] ' + message['content'] + ' [/INST]' }}{% elif message['role'] == 'assistant' %}{{ message['content'] + eos_token}}{% else %}{{ raise_exception('Only user and assistant roles are supported!') }}{% endif %}{% endfor %}",  # I don't know what this one is called. Used by Mistral/Mixtral.
@@ -26,6 +32,9 @@ def chat_templates(user_choice: str):
     }
 
     if user_choice in templates:
-        return templates[user_choice]
+        template = templates[user_choice]
+        if default_system_message in template:
+            template = template.replace(default_system_message, template_system_message)
+        return template
 
     raise ValueError(f"Template '{user_choice}' not found.")
diff --git a/src/axolotl/utils/config/__init__.py b/src/axolotl/utils/config/__init__.py
index 9151f288a8..3e743bda9f 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/utils/config/__init__.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/utils/config/__init__.py
@@ -191,6 +191,11 @@ def normalize_cfg_datasets(cfg):
                         f"updating dataset {ds_cfg.path} with `conversation: chatml` to match your chat_template"
                     )
                     cfg.datasets[idx].conversation = "chatml"
+                if ds_cfg.type == "orpo.chat_template" and not ds_cfg.chat_template:
+                    LOG.info(
+                        f"updating dataset {ds_cfg.path} with `chat_template: chatml` to match your chat_template"
+                    )
+                    cfg.datasets[idx].chat_template = "chatml"
 
 
 def validate_config(cfg: DictDefault, capabilities: Optional[dict] = None):
diff --git a/tests/test_prompt_tokenizers.py b/tests/test_prompt_tokenizers.py
index c7dd87b24b..4e659006fe 100644
--- a/tests/test_prompt_tokenizers.py
+++ b/tests/test_prompt_tokenizers.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
     Llama2ChatPrompter,
     LLama2ChatTokenizingStrategy,
 )
-from axolotl.prompt_strategies.orpo.chatml import load
+from axolotl.prompt_strategies.orpo.chat_template import load
 from axolotl.prompt_strategies.sharegpt import GlaiveShareGPTPromptTokenizingStrategy
 from axolotl.prompt_tokenizers import (
     AlpacaPromptTokenizingStrategy,