diff --git a/http-generator-helidon/src/main/java/io/avaje/http/generator/helidon/nima/ControllerWriter.java b/http-generator-helidon/src/main/java/io/avaje/http/generator/helidon/nima/ControllerWriter.java
index c2a39d2e8..78f90f972 100644
--- a/http-generator-helidon/src/main/java/io/avaje/http/generator/helidon/nima/ControllerWriter.java
+++ b/http-generator-helidon/src/main/java/io/avaje/http/generator/helidon/nima/ControllerWriter.java
@@ -202,7 +202,11 @@ private void writeClassStart() {
 
     if (reader.isIncludeValidator()) {
       writer.append("  private String language(ServerRequest req) {").eol();
-      writer.append("    return req.headers().first(HEADER_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE).orElse(null);").eol();
+      writer.append("    var headers = req.headers();").eol();
+      writer.append("    if (headers.contains(HEADER_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE)) {").eol();
+      writer.append("      return headers.get(HEADER_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE).get();").eol();
+      writer.append("    }").eol();
+      writer.append("    return null;").eol();
       writer.append("  }").eol().eol();
     }
   }
diff --git a/http-generator-helidon/src/main/java/io/avaje/http/generator/helidon/nima/NimaPlatformAdapter.java b/http-generator-helidon/src/main/java/io/avaje/http/generator/helidon/nima/NimaPlatformAdapter.java
index 83790aefc..03d211896 100644
--- a/http-generator-helidon/src/main/java/io/avaje/http/generator/helidon/nima/NimaPlatformAdapter.java
+++ b/http-generator-helidon/src/main/java/io/avaje/http/generator/helidon/nima/NimaPlatformAdapter.java
@@ -67,16 +67,16 @@ private void addRoleImports(List<String> roles, ControllerReader controller) {
   @Override
   public void writeReadParameter(Append writer, ParamType paramType, String paramName) {
     switch (paramType) {
-      case PATHPARAM -> writer.append("pathParams.first(\"%s\").get()", paramName);
+      case PATHPARAM -> writer.append("pathParams.contains(\"%s\") ? pathParams.get(\"%s\") : null", paramName, paramName);
 
-      case QUERYPARAM -> writer.append("req.query().first(\"%s\").orElse(null)", paramName);
+      case QUERYPARAM -> writer.append("req.query().contains(\"%s\") ? req.query().get(\"%s\") : null", paramName, paramName);
 
-      case FORMPARAM -> writer.append("formParams.first(\"%s\").orElse(null)", paramName);
+      case FORMPARAM -> writer.append("formParams.contains(\"%s\") ? formParams.get(\"%s\") : null", paramName, paramName);
 
       case HEADER -> writer.append(
           "req.headers().value(HeaderNames.create(\"%s\")).orElse(null)", paramName);
 
-      case COOKIE -> writer.append("req.headers().cookies().first(\"%s\").orElse(null)", paramName);
+      case COOKIE -> writer.append("req.headers().cookies().contains(\"%s\") ? req.headers().cookies().get(\"%s\") : null", paramName, paramName);
 
       default -> writer.append("null // TODO req.%s().param(\"%s\")", paramType.type(), paramName);
     }
@@ -86,19 +86,19 @@ public void writeReadParameter(Append writer, ParamType paramType, String paramN
   public void writeReadParameter(Append writer, ParamType paramType, String paramName, String paramDefault) {
     switch (paramType) {
       case PATHPARAM -> writer.append(
-          "pathParams.first(\"%s\").orElse(\"%s\")", paramName, paramDefault);
+          "pathParams.contains(\"%s\") ? pathParams.get(\"%s\") : \"%s\"", paramName, paramName, paramDefault);
 
       case QUERYPARAM -> writer.append(
-          "req.query().first(\"%s\").orElse(\"%s\")", paramName, paramDefault);
+          "req.query().contains(\"%s\") ? req.query().get(\"%s\") : \"%s\"", paramName, paramName, paramDefault);
 
       case FORMPARAM -> writer.append(
-          "formParams.first(\"%s\").orElse(\"%s\")", paramName, paramDefault);
+          "formParams.contains(\"%s\") ? formParams.get(\"%s\") : \"%s\"", paramName, paramName, paramDefault);
 
       case HEADER -> writer.append(
           "req.headers().value(Http.Header.create(\"%s\").orElse(\"%s\")", paramName, paramDefault);
 
       case COOKIE -> writer.append(
-          "req.headers().cookies().first(\"%s\").orElse(\"%s\")", paramName, paramDefault);
+          "req.headers().cookies().contains(\"%s\") ? req.headers().cookies().get(\"%s\") : \"%s\"", paramName, paramName, paramDefault);
 
       default -> writer.append("null // TODO req.%s().param(\"%s\")", paramType.type(), paramName);
     }