diff --git a/flag_impl.go b/flag_impl.go
index 410f7f0875..56941e77e4 100644
--- a/flag_impl.go
+++ b/flag_impl.go
@@ -155,15 +155,14 @@ func (f *FlagBase[T, C, V]) PostParse() error {
 				continue
 			}
 
-			if val != "" || kind == reflect.String {
-				if err := f.Set(f.Name, val); err != nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf(
-						"could not parse %[1]q as %[2]T value from %[3]s for flag %[4]s: %[5]s",
-						val, f.Value, source, f.Name, err,
-					)
-				}
-			} else {
-				_ = f.Set(f.Name, "false")
+			if val == "" && kind == reflect.Bool {
+				val = "false"
+			}
+			if err := f.Set(f.Name, val); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf(
+					"could not parse %[1]q as %[2]T value from %[3]s for flag %[4]s: %[5]s",
+					val, f.Value, source, f.Name, err,
+				)
 			}
 
 			f.hasBeenSet = true
diff --git a/flag_test.go b/flag_test.go
index 9dca7de7b8..a699465d3c 100644
--- a/flag_test.go
+++ b/flag_test.go
@@ -734,6 +734,17 @@ func TestFlagsFromEmptyEnv(t *testing.T) {
 			wantValue: false,
 			wantIsSet: true,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "an empty bool still runs the validator",
+			env:  map[string]string{"DEBUG": ""},
+			fl: &BoolFlag{Name: "debug", Value: true, Sources: EnvVars("DEBUG"), Validator: func(b bool) error {
+				if !b {
+					return errors.New("debug must be true")
+				}
+				return nil
+			}},
+			errContains: "debug must be true",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {