diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 695dc16..ce34aa1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 ## Change Log
 
+### 0.21.8
+
+- Support triggering templates without a `state.json` file
+
 ### 0.21.7
 
 - Added trigger command
diff --git a/client/package.json b/client/package.json
index 7b4607a..7a76959 100755
--- a/client/package.json
+++ b/client/package.json
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 	"description": "Accord Project extension for Visual Studio Code, providing tools for template development.",
 	"author": "Accord Project",
 	"license": "Apache-2.0",
-	"version": "0.21.7",
+	"version": "0.21.8",
 	"publisher": "accordproject",
 	"repository": {
 		"type": "git",
diff --git a/client/src/commandHandlers.ts b/client/src/commandHandlers.ts
index 7463a9d..121ee4c 100755
--- a/client/src/commandHandlers.ts
+++ b/client/src/commandHandlers.ts
@@ -116,13 +116,6 @@ export async function triggerClause(file: vscode.Uri) {
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		const statePath = path.join(file.path, 'state.json');
-
-		if(!fs.existsSync(statePath)) {
-			vscode.window.showErrorMessage('Cannot trigger: /state.json file was not found.');
-			return false;
-		}
-
 		const sampleText = fs.readFileSync( samplePath, 'utf8');
 		clause.parse(sampleText);
 		const parseResult = clause.getData();
@@ -144,14 +137,22 @@ export async function triggerClause(file: vscode.Uri) {
 		outputChannel.appendLine( JSON.stringify(request, null, 2) );
 		outputChannel.appendLine( '' );
 
-		const state = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync( requestPath, 'utf8'));
+		const statePath = path.join(file.path, 'state.json');
+		const engine = new Engine();
+		let state = null;
+
+		if(!fs.existsSync(statePath)) {
+			const initResult = await engine.init(clause, null);
+			state = initResult.state;
+		} else {
+			state = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync( statePath, 'utf8'));
+		}
 
 		outputChannel.appendLine( 'state.json' );
 		outputChannel.appendLine( '==========' );
 		outputChannel.appendLine( JSON.stringify(state, null, 2) );
 		outputChannel.appendLine( '' );	
 
-		const engine = new Engine();
 		const result = await engine.trigger(clause, request, state, null );
 
 		outputChannel.appendLine( 'response' );
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 41828ea..89a6642 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 	"description": "Accord Project extension for Visual Studio Code, providing tools for template development.",
 	"author": "Accord Project",
 	"license": "Apache-2.0",
-	"version": "0.21.7",
+	"version": "0.21.8",
 	"icon": "icon.png",
 	"repository": {
 		"type": "git",
diff --git a/server/package.json b/server/package.json
index 63b83ff..96839fe 100755
--- a/server/package.json
+++ b/server/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
 	"name": "cicero-vscode-extension-server",
 	"description": "A language server for Accord Project templates",
-	"version": "0.21.7",
+	"version": "0.21.8",
 	"license": "Apache-2.0",
 	"engines": {
 		"node": "*"