diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/start_keycloak b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/start_keycloak
index 4fcaedf88..e15315641 100755
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/start_keycloak
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/start_keycloak
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ docker run \
   -e KEYCLOAK_LOGLEVEL=ALL \
   -e ROOT_LOGLEVEL=ALL \
   -e KEYCLOAK_ADMIN=admin \
-  -e KEYCLOAK_ADMIN_PASSWORD=admin quay.io/keycloak/keycloak:18.0.2 start-dev \
+  -e KEYCLOAK_ADMIN_PASSWORD=admin quay.io/keycloak/keycloak:19.0.3 start-dev \
   -Dkeycloak.profile.feature.token_exchange=enabled \
   -Dkeycloak.profile.feature.admin_fine_grained_authz=enabled
 
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/config/permissions/demo.yml b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/config/permissions/demo.yml
index 73ccfc6c8..590d711fa 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/config/permissions/demo.yml
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/config/permissions/demo.yml
@@ -3,13 +3,57 @@ default_group: everybody
 groups:
   admin:
     users:
-      [jakub, kb, alex, dan, mike, jason, amir, jarrad, elizabeth, jon, natalia, harmeet, sasha, manuchehr]
+      [
+        jakub,
+        kb,
+        alex,
+        dan,
+        mike,
+        jason,
+        amir,
+        jarrad,
+        elizabeth,
+        jon,
+        natalia,
+        harmeet,
+        sasha,
+        manuchehr,
+      ]
 
   Finance Team:
-    users: [jakub, alex, dan, mike, jason, amir, jarrad, elizabeth, jon, natalia, harmeet, sasha, manuchehr]
+    users:
+      [
+        jakub,
+        alex,
+        dan,
+        mike,
+        jason,
+        amir,
+        jarrad,
+        elizabeth,
+        jon,
+        natalia,
+        harmeet,
+        sasha,
+        manuchehr,
+      ]
 
   Team Lead:
-    users: [jakub, alex, dan, mike, jason, jarrad, elizabeth, jon, natalia, harmeet, sasha, manuchehr]
+    users:
+      [
+        jakub,
+        alex,
+        dan,
+        mike,
+        jason,
+        jarrad,
+        elizabeth,
+        jon,
+        natalia,
+        harmeet,
+        sasha,
+        manuchehr,
+      ]
 
   hr:
     users: [manuchehr]
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py
index 2aca1ac67..70c38dbae 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ class ProcessInstanceProcessor:
             if not self.bpmn_process_instance._is_engine_task(task_spec):
                 ready_or_waiting_task.data["current_user"]["id"]
                 task_lane = "process_initiator"
-                if task_spec.lane is not None:
+                if task_spec.lane is not None and task_spec.lane != "":
                     task_lane = task_spec.lane
 
                 potential_owner_ids = []