diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetFieldValidator.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetFieldValidator.java
index 6d3fda2812d..96378e87795 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetFieldValidator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetFieldValidator.java
@@ -59,10 +59,26 @@ public boolean isValid(DatasetField value, ConstraintValidatorContext context) {
         }
 
         // if value is not primitive or not empty
-        if (!dsfType.isPrimitive() || !StringUtils.isBlank(value.getValue())) {
+        // For controlled vocabulary fields, check that actual CV values are selected,
+        // not just that datasetFieldValues contains something (which might be an invalid N/A placeholder)
+        // See https://github.com/IQSS/dataverse/issues/11900
+        if (!dsfType.isPrimitive()) {
             return true;
         }
-       
+
+        if (dsfType.isControlledVocabulary()) {
+            // For CV fields, check if there are actual controlled vocabulary values selected
+            if (value.getControlledVocabularyValues() != null && !value.getControlledVocabularyValues().isEmpty()) {
+                return true;
+            }
+            // If no CV values, fall through to required field check below
+        } else {
+            // For non-CV primitive fields, check if value is not blank
+            if (!StringUtils.isBlank(value.getValue())) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
         if (value.isRequired()) { 
             String errorMessage = null;
             DatasetFieldCompoundValue parent = value.getParentDatasetFieldCompoundValue();
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetPage.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetPage.java
index 5738ff8cfa9..85d39abd77a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetPage.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetPage.java
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@
 import org.primefaces.event.FileUploadEvent;
 import org.primefaces.model.file.UploadedFile;
 
-import jakarta.validation.ConstraintViolation;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import jakarta.faces.model.SelectItem;
@@ -4039,8 +4038,8 @@ public String save() {
             dataset.setOwner(ownerId != null ? dataverseService.find(ownerId) : null);
         }
         // Validate
-        Set<ConstraintViolation> constraintViolations = workingVersion.validate();
-        if (!constraintViolations.isEmpty()) {
+        workingVersion.validate(); // add validation messages to dataset fields
+        if (!workingVersion.isValid()) {
             FacesContext.getCurrentInstance().validationFailed();
             return "";
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/imports/ImportServiceBean.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/imports/ImportServiceBean.java
index 0b5fae8ee31..bbd8260e3fe 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/imports/ImportServiceBean.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/imports/ImportServiceBean.java
@@ -7,20 +7,7 @@
 
 import com.google.gson.Gson;
 import com.google.gson.GsonBuilder;
-import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.Dataset;
-import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.DatasetField;
-import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.DatasetFieldConstant;
-import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.DatasetFieldServiceBean;
-import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.DatasetFieldType;
-import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.DatasetFieldValue;
-import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.DatasetServiceBean;
-import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.DatasetVersion;
-import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.Dataverse;
-import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.DataverseContact;
-import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.DataverseServiceBean;
-import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.EjbDataverseEngine;
-import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.GlobalId;
-import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.MetadataBlockServiceBean;
+import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.*;
 import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.api.dto.DatasetDTO;
 import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.api.imports.ImportUtil.ImportType;
 import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.dataset.DatasetTypeServiceBean;
@@ -768,13 +755,22 @@ private boolean validateVersionMetadata(DatasetVersion version, boolean sanitize
                 Object invalid = v.getRootBean();
                 String msg = "";
                 if (invalid instanceof DatasetField) {
-                    DatasetField f = (DatasetField) invalid; 
-                    
-                    msg += "Missing required field: " + f.getDatasetFieldType().getDisplayName() + ";";                  
+                    DatasetField f = (DatasetField) invalid;
+
+                    msg += "Missing required field: " + f.getDatasetFieldType().getDisplayName() + ";";
                     if (sanitize) {
-                        msg += " populated with '" + DatasetField.NA_VALUE + "'";
-                        f.setSingleValue(DatasetField.NA_VALUE);
-                        fixed = true;
+                        if (f.getDatasetFieldType().isControlledVocabulary()) {
+                            ControlledVocabularyValue naValue = datasetfieldService.findNAControlledVocabularyValue();
+                            if (naValue != null) {
+                                f.setControlledVocabularyValues(List.of(naValue));
+                                msg += " populated with '" + DatasetField.NA_VALUE + "'";
+                                fixed = true;
+                            }
+                        } else {
+                            f.setSingleValue(DatasetField.NA_VALUE);
+                            msg += " populated with '" + DatasetField.NA_VALUE + "'";
+                            fixed = true;
+                        }
                     }
                 } else if (invalid instanceof DatasetFieldValue) {
                     DatasetFieldValue fv = (DatasetFieldValue) invalid;
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/engine/command/impl/AbstractDatasetCommand.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/engine/command/impl/AbstractDatasetCommand.java
index 2d09b22925f..096238f5637 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/engine/command/impl/AbstractDatasetCommand.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/engine/command/impl/AbstractDatasetCommand.java
@@ -110,10 +110,14 @@ protected void validateOrDie(DatasetVersion dsv, Boolean lenient) throws Command
         Set<ConstraintViolation> constraintViolations = dsv.validate();
         if (!constraintViolations.isEmpty()) {
             if (lenient) {
-                // populate invalid fields with N/A
+                // populate invalid primitive fields with N/A
+                // Note: controlled vocabulary fields should NOT get N/A values in datasetfieldvalue,
+                // as this creates an inconsistent state where the CV field appears valid but is empty.
+                // See https://github.com/IQSS/dataverse/issues/11900
                 constraintViolations.stream()
                     .filter(cv -> cv.getRootBean() instanceof DatasetField)
                     .map(cv -> ((DatasetField) cv.getRootBean()))
+                    .filter(f -> !f.getDatasetFieldType().isControlledVocabulary())
                     .forEach(f -> f.setSingleValue(DatasetField.NA_VALUE));
 
             } else {