diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cc9ec49..69163c7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -190,6 +190,19 @@ for (DotenvEntry e : dotenv.entries()) {
 	  .load();
 	```
 
+### *optional* `ignoreEmpty`
+
+* Treat empty or blank values as `null`.
+
+  **example**
+
+  ```java
+  Dotenv
+    .configure()
+    .ignoreEmpty()
+    .load();
+  ```
+
 ### *optional* `systemProperties` 
 
 * Load environment variables into System properties, thus making all environment variables accessible via `System.getProperty(...)`
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/github/cdimascio/dotenv/DotenvBuilder.java b/src/main/java/io/github/cdimascio/dotenv/DotenvBuilder.java
index c7b025c..136eb9a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/github/cdimascio/dotenv/DotenvBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/github/cdimascio/dotenv/DotenvBuilder.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ public class DotenvBuilder {
     private String filename = ".env";
     private String directoryPath = "./";
     private boolean systemProperties = false;
+    private boolean ignoreEmpty = false;
     private boolean throwIfMissing = true;
     private boolean throwIfMalformed = true;
 
@@ -37,6 +38,15 @@ public DotenvBuilder filename(final String name) {
         return this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns `null` for empty or blank values.
+     * @return this {@link DotenvBuilder}
+     */
+    public DotenvBuilder ignoreEmpty() {
+        ignoreEmpty = true;
+        return this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Does not throw an exception when .env is missing.
      * @return this {@link DotenvBuilder}
@@ -70,10 +80,12 @@ public DotenvBuilder systemProperties() {
      * @throws DotenvException when an error occurs
      */
     public Dotenv load() throws DotenvException {
-        final var reader = new DotenvParser(
-                                new DotenvReader(directoryPath, filename),
-                                throwIfMissing, throwIfMalformed);
-        final List<DotenvEntry> env = reader.parse();
+        DotenvParser reader = new DotenvParser(
+            new DotenvReader(directoryPath, filename),
+            ignoreEmpty,
+            throwIfMissing,
+            throwIfMalformed);
+        List<DotenvEntry> env = reader.parse();
         if (systemProperties) {
             env.forEach(it -> System.setProperty(it.getKey(), it.getValue()));
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/github/cdimascio/dotenv/internal/DotenvParser.java b/src/main/java/io/github/cdimascio/dotenv/internal/DotenvParser.java
index c244a7b..a3913fc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/github/cdimascio/dotenv/internal/DotenvParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/github/cdimascio/dotenv/internal/DotenvParser.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ public class DotenvParser {
     private static final Pattern DOTENV_ENTRY_REGEX = Pattern.compile("^\\s*([\\w.\\-]+)\\s*(=)\\s*(['][^']*[']|[\"][^\"]*[\"]|[^#]*)?\\s*(#.*)?$"); //"^\\s*([\\w.\\-]+)\\s*(=)\\s*([^#]*)?\\s*(#.*)?$"); // ^\s*([\w.\-]+)\s*(=)\s*([^#]*)?\s*(#.*)?$
 
     private final DotenvReader reader;
+    private final boolean ignoreEmtpy;
     private final boolean throwIfMissing;
     private final boolean throwIfMalformed;
 
@@ -41,13 +42,14 @@ public class DotenvParser {
 
     /**
      * Creates a dotenv parser
-     *
-     * @param reader           the dotenv reader
-     * @param throwIfMissing   if true, throws when the .env file is missing
+     * @param reader the dotenv reader
+     * @param ignoreEmpty if true, returns `null` for empty or blank values
+     * @param throwIfMissing if true, throws when the .env file is missing
      * @param throwIfMalformed if true, throws when the .env file is malformed
      */
-    public DotenvParser(final DotenvReader reader, final boolean throwIfMissing, final boolean throwIfMalformed) {
+    public DotenvParser(DotenvReader reader, boolean ignoreEmpty, boolean throwIfMissing, boolean throwIfMalformed) {
         this.reader = reader;
+        this.ignoreEmtpy = ignoreEmpty;
         this.throwIfMissing = throwIfMissing;
         this.throwIfMalformed = throwIfMalformed;
     }
@@ -82,6 +84,7 @@ public List<DotenvEntry> parse() throws DotenvException {
                 currentEntry += "\n";
                 continue;
             }
+
             if (!QuotedStringValidator.isValid(entry.getValue())) {
                 if (throwIfMalformed)
                     throw new DotenvException("Malformed entry, unmatched quotes " + line);
@@ -90,6 +93,11 @@ public List<DotenvEntry> parse() throws DotenvException {
             }
             final var key = entry.getKey();
             value = QuotedStringValidator.stripQuotes(entry.getValue());
+
+            if (value.isEmpty() && ignoreEmtpy) {
+                continue;
+            }
+          
             entries.add(new DotenvEntry(key, value));
             currentEntry = "";
         }
diff --git a/src/test/java/tests/DotenvTests.java b/src/test/java/tests/DotenvTests.java
index a8e5b30..8ad6336 100644
--- a/src/test/java/tests/DotenvTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/tests/DotenvTests.java
@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+
 
 class DotenvTests {
     private Map<String, String> envVars;
@@ -102,7 +106,17 @@ void configureWithIgnoreMissingAndMalformed() {
         assertNotNull(dotenv.get("PATH"));
     }
 
-        @Test
+    @Test
+    void configureWithIgnoreMalformedAndEmpty() {
+        Dotenv dotenv = Dotenv.configure()
+            .ignoreIfMalformed()
+            .ignoreEmpty()
+            .load();
+
+        assertNull(dotenv.get("WITHOUT_VALUE"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
     void malformedWithUncloseQuote() {
         final var dotenv = Dotenv.configure()
             .directory("/unclosed.quote")