diff --git a/dev/tests/verification/Resources/functionalSuiteHooks.txt b/dev/tests/verification/Resources/functionalSuiteHooks.txt
index 3b5f6bae0..041b088b1 100644
--- a/dev/tests/verification/Resources/functionalSuiteHooks.txt
+++ b/dev/tests/verification/Resources/functionalSuiteHooks.txt
@@ -53,14 +53,33 @@ class functionalSuiteHooks extends \Codeception\GroupObject
                     $webDriver->_initializeSession();
                 }
                 $webDriver->amOnPage("some.url"); // stepKey: before
-                $createFields['someKey'] = "dataHere";
+                $createOneFields['someKey'] = "dataHere";
                 PersistedObjectHandler::getInstance()->createEntity(
-                    "create",
+                    "createOne",
                     "suite",
-                    "createThis",
-                     $createFields
+                    "createEntityOne",
+                    [],
+                    $createOneFields
                 );
-                $webDriver->click(PersistedObjectHandler::getInstance()->retrieveEntityField('create', 'data', 'suite')); // stepKey: clickWithData
+                PersistedObjectHandler::getInstance()->createEntity(
+                    "createTwo",
+                    "suite",
+                    "createEntityTwo",
+                    ["createEntityOne"]
+                );
+                PersistedObjectHandler::getInstance()->createEntity(
+                    "createThree",
+                    "suite",
+                    "createEntityThree",
+                    []
+                );
+                PersistedObjectHandler::getInstance()->createEntity(
+                    "createFour",
+                    "suite",
+                    "createEntityFour",
+                    ["createEntityTwo", "createEntityThree"]
+                );
+                $webDriver->click(PersistedObjectHandler::getInstance()->retrieveEntityField('createTwo', 'data', 'suite')); // stepKey: clickWithData
                 print("Entering Action Group [AC] actionGroupWithTwoArguments");
                 $webDriver->see("John", msq("uniqueData") . "John"); // stepKey: seeFirstNameAC
                 print("Exiting Action Group [AC] actionGroupWithTwoArguments");
diff --git a/dev/tests/verification/Resources/functionalSuiteWithComments.txt b/dev/tests/verification/Resources/functionalSuiteWithComments.txt
index c8523d0c1..6c646dd18 100644
--- a/dev/tests/verification/Resources/functionalSuiteWithComments.txt
+++ b/dev/tests/verification/Resources/functionalSuiteWithComments.txt
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ class functionalSuiteWithComments extends \Codeception\GroupObject
                     "create",
                     "suite",
                     "createThis",
-                     $createFields
+                    [],
+                    $createFields
                 );
                 print("<click stepKey=\"comment with element\" userInput=\"helloworld\"/>");
                 $webDriver->click(PersistedObjectHandler::getInstance()->retrieveEntityField('create', 'data', 'suite')); // stepKey: clickWithData
diff --git a/dev/tests/verification/TestModule/Suite/functionalSuiteHooks.xml b/dev/tests/verification/TestModule/Suite/functionalSuiteHooks.xml
index 4fc459e7d..b4dca7f8d 100644
--- a/dev/tests/verification/TestModule/Suite/functionalSuiteHooks.xml
+++ b/dev/tests/verification/TestModule/Suite/functionalSuiteHooks.xml
@@ -13,10 +13,18 @@
         </include>
         <before>
             <amOnPage url="some.url" stepKey="before"/>
-            <createData entity="createThis" stepKey="create">
+            <createData entity="createEntityOne" stepKey="createOne">
                 <field key="someKey">dataHere</field>
             </createData>
-            <click stepKey="clickWithData" userInput="$create.data$"/>
+            <createData entity="createEntityTwo" stepKey="createTwo">
+                <requiredEntity createDataKey="createEntityOne"/>
+            </createData>
+            <createData entity="createEntityThree" stepKey="createThree"/>
+            <createData entity="createEntityFour" stepKey="createFour">
+                <requiredEntity createDataKey="createEntityTwo"/>
+                <requiredEntity createDataKey="createEntityThree"/>
+            </createData>
+            <click stepKey="clickWithData" userInput="$createTwo.data$"/>
             <actionGroup ref="actionGroupWithTwoArguments" stepKey="AC">
                 <argument name="somePerson" value="simpleData"/>
                 <argument name="anotherPerson" value="uniqueData"/>
diff --git a/src/Magento/FunctionalTestingFramework/Suite/Generators/GroupClassGenerator.php b/src/Magento/FunctionalTestingFramework/Suite/Generators/GroupClassGenerator.php
index 67930f09a..bb0157152 100644
--- a/src/Magento/FunctionalTestingFramework/Suite/Generators/GroupClassGenerator.php
+++ b/src/Magento/FunctionalTestingFramework/Suite/Generators/GroupClassGenerator.php
@@ -225,16 +225,16 @@ private function buildPersistenceMustacheArray($action, $entityArray)
             $action->getCustomActionAttributes()[TestGenerator::REQUIRED_ENTITY_REFERENCE];
 
         // append entries for any required entities to this entry
-        if (array_key_exists('requiredEntities', $action->getCustomActionAttributes())) {
-            $entityArray[self::REQUIRED_ENTITY_KEY] =
-                $this->buildReqEntitiesMustacheArray($action->getCustomActionAttributes());
+        $requiredEntities = $this->buildReqEntitiesMustacheArray($action->getCustomActionAttributes());
+        if (!array_key_exists(-1, $requiredEntities)) {
+            $entityArray[self::REQUIRED_ENTITY_KEY] = $requiredEntities;
         }
 
         // append entries for customFields if specified by the user.
         if (array_key_exists('customFields', $action->getCustomActionAttributes())) {
             $entityArray['customFields'] = $action->getStepKey() . 'Fields';
         }
-        
+
         return $entityArray;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Magento/FunctionalTestingFramework/Suite/views/partials/testActions.mustache b/src/Magento/FunctionalTestingFramework/Suite/views/partials/testActions.mustache
index 73079f169..eaa0959cb 100644
--- a/src/Magento/FunctionalTestingFramework/Suite/views/partials/testActions.mustache
+++ b/src/Magento/FunctionalTestingFramework/Suite/views/partials/testActions.mustache
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ if ($webDriver->webDriver != null) {
 PersistedObjectHandler::getInstance()->createEntity(
     "{{stepKey}}",
     "suite",
-    "{{entityName}}"{{#requiredEntities}},
-    [$this->{{entityName}}{{^last}}, {{/last}}]{{/requiredEntities}}{{#customFields}},
-     ${{customFields}}{{/customFields}}
+    "{{entityName}}",
+    [{{#requiredEntities}}"{{entityName}}"{{^last}}, {{/last}}{{/requiredEntities}}]{{#customFields}},
+    ${{customFields}}{{/customFields}}
 );
 {{/createData}}
 {{#deleteData}}