diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index b8ea4f11a..fcad64247 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ repos:
           - "eslint@8.24.0"
           - "eslint-plugin-jsdoc@"
   - repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit-hooks
-    rev: v4.3.0
+    rev: v6.0.0
     hooks:
       - id: trailing-whitespace
         # exclude autogenerated files
diff --git a/product_variant_default_code/models/product.py b/product_variant_default_code/models/product.py
index 698b0a823..a9e578cce 100644
--- a/product_variant_default_code/models/product.py
+++ b/product_variant_default_code/models/product.py
@@ -232,6 +232,8 @@ def _generate_default_code(self):
         else:
             product_attrs = defaultdict(str)
             reference_mask = ReferenceMask(self.product_tmpl_id.reference_mask)
+            if reference_mask.template is False:
+                reference_mask.template = ""
             main_lang = self.product_tmpl_id._guess_main_lang()
             for attr in self.product_template_attribute_value_ids:
                 value = attr.product_attribute_value_id
diff --git a/product_variant_default_code/tests/test_variant_default_code.py b/product_variant_default_code/tests/test_variant_default_code.py
index 962f7e346..212468af4 100644
--- a/product_variant_default_code/tests/test_variant_default_code.py
+++ b/product_variant_default_code/tests/test_variant_default_code.py
@@ -384,3 +384,15 @@ def test_18_both_prefix_and_mask_changing(self):
                 ).name[0:2]
             )
             self.assertEqual(product.default_code, expected_code)
+
+    def test_19_mask_template_is_false(self):
+        self.env.user.groups_id |= self.group_default_code
+        self.template1.write({"reference_mask": False})
+        self.assertFalse(self.template1.reference_mask)
+        for product in self.template1.product_variant_ids:
+            generated_code = product._generate_default_code()
+            self.assertEqual(
+                generated_code,
+                "",
+                "The default_code should be an empty string if the reference_mask is False.",
+            )