diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/bulk_product_update.js.coffee b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/bulk_product_update.js.coffee
index 7df51e7711..d32977b8c0 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/bulk_product_update.js.coffee
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/bulk_product_update.js.coffee
@@ -126,8 +126,11 @@ angular.module("ofn.admin").controller "AdminProductEditCtrl", ($scope, $timeout
     DisplayProperties.setShowVariants 0, showVariants
 
   $scope.addVariant = (product) ->
+    # Set new variant category to same as last product variant category to keep compactibility with deleted variant callback to set new variant category
+    newVariantId = $scope.nextVariantId();
+    newVariantCategoryId = product.variants[product.variants.length - 1]?.category_id
     product.variants.push
-      id: $scope.nextVariantId()
+      id: newVariantId
       unit_value: null
       unit_description: null
       on_demand: false
@@ -136,8 +139,9 @@ angular.module("ofn.admin").controller "AdminProductEditCtrl", ($scope, $timeout
       on_hand: null
       price: null
       tax_category_id: null
-      category_id: null
+      category_id: newVariantCategoryId
     DisplayProperties.setShowVariants product.id, true
+    DirtyProducts.addVariantProperty(product.id, newVariantId, 'category_id', newVariantCategoryId)
 
 
   $scope.nextVariantId = ->
diff --git a/app/models/spree/variant.rb b/app/models/spree/variant.rb
index 00340f49d7..5950886104 100644
--- a/app/models/spree/variant.rb
+++ b/app/models/spree/variant.rb
@@ -87,7 +87,6 @@ module Spree
     before_validation :ensure_unit_value
     before_validation :update_weight_from_unit_value, if: ->(v) { v.product.present? }
     before_validation :convert_variant_weight_to_decimal
-    before_validation :assign_related_taxon, if: ->(v) { v.primary_taxon.blank? }
 
     before_save :assign_units, if: ->(variant) {
       variant.new_record? || variant.changed_attributes.keys.intersection(NAME_FIELDS).any?
@@ -217,10 +216,6 @@ module Spree
 
     private
 
-    def assign_related_taxon
-      self.primary_taxon ||= product.variants.last&.primary_taxon
-    end
-
     def check_currency
       return unless currency.nil?
 
diff --git a/app/views/admin/products_v3/_variant_row.html.haml b/app/views/admin/products_v3/_variant_row.html.haml
index a1244e1d47..5fc7777cb6 100644
--- a/app/views/admin/products_v3/_variant_row.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/admin/products_v3/_variant_row.html.haml
@@ -37,20 +37,24 @@
       = f.label :on_demand do
         = f.check_box :on_demand, 'data-action': 'change->toggle-control#disableIfPresent change->popout#closeIfChecked'
         = t(:on_demand)
-%td.col-producer.naked_inputs
+%td.col-producer.field.naked_inputs
   = render(SearchableDropdownComponent.new(form: f,
       name: :supplier_id,
       aria_label: t('.producer_field_name'),
       options: producer_options,
       selected_option: variant.supplier_id,
-      placeholder_value: t('admin.products_v3.filters.search_for_producers')))
+      include_blank: t('admin.products_v3.filters.select_producer'),
+      placeholder_value: t('admin.products_v3.filters.select_producer')))
+  = error_message_on variant, :supplier
 %td.col-category.field.naked_inputs
   = render(SearchableDropdownComponent.new(form: f,
       name: :primary_taxon_id,
       options: category_options,
       selected_option: variant.primary_taxon_id,
       aria_label: t('.category_field_name'),
-      placeholder_value: t('admin.products_v3.filters.search_for_categories')))
+      include_blank: t('admin.products_v3.filters.select_category'),
+      placeholder_value: t('admin.products_v3.filters.select_category')))
+  = error_message_on variant, :primary_taxon
 %td.col-tax_category.field.naked_inputs
   = render(SearchableDropdownComponent.new(form: f,
       name: :tax_category_id,
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index d0764b7a91..2528e78bc9 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -868,8 +868,10 @@ en:
       filters:
         search_products: Search for products
         search_for_producers: Search for producers
+        select_producer: Select producer
         all_producers: All producers
         search_for_categories: Search for categories
+        select_category: Select category
         all_categories: All categories
         producers:
           label: Producers
diff --git a/spec/system/admin/products_v3/update_spec.rb b/spec/system/admin/products_v3/update_spec.rb
index 0b184f4353..33232f7a93 100644
--- a/spec/system/admin/products_v3/update_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/system/admin/products_v3/update_spec.rb
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ RSpec.describe 'As an enterprise user, I can update my products' do
   let(:tax_categories_search_selector) { 'input[placeholder="Search for tax categories"]' }
 
   describe "updating" do
+    let!(:taxon) { create(:taxon) }
     let!(:variant_a1) {
       product_a.variants.first.tap{ |v|
         v.update! display_name: "Medium box", sku: "APL-01", price: 5.25, on_hand: 5,
@@ -349,6 +350,9 @@ RSpec.describe 'As an enterprise user, I can update my products' do
 
           click_on "On Hand" # activate popout
           fill_in "On Hand", with: "3"
+
+          select producer.name, from: 'Producer'
+          select taxon.name, from: 'Category'
         end
 
         expect {
@@ -541,6 +545,9 @@ RSpec.describe 'As an enterprise user, I can update my products' do
 
             click_on "Unit" # activate popout
             fill_in "Unit value", with: "200"
+
+            select producer.name, from: 'Producer'
+            select taxon.name, from: 'Category'
           end
 
           expect {