diff --git a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/config/YamlProcessor.java b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/config/YamlProcessor.java
index fa393d32b36..31b46cf7186 100644
--- a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/config/YamlProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/config/YamlProcessor.java
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ public abstract class YamlProcessor {
 	 * @since 4.1.3
 	 */
 	protected final Map<String, Object> getFlattenedMap(Map<String, Object> source) {
-		return getFlattenedMap(source, false);
+		return getFlattenedMap(source, false, null);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -313,21 +313,25 @@ public abstract class YamlProcessor {
 	 * source. When called with the Map from a {@link MatchCallback} the result will
 	 * contain the same values as the {@link MatchCallback} Properties.
 	 * @param source the source map
-	 * @param includeNulls if {@code null} entries can be included in the result
+	 * @param includeEmpty if empty entries should be included in the result
+	 * @param emptyValue the value used to represent empty entries (e.g. {@code null} or an empty {@code String}
 	 * @return a flattened map
 	 * @since 7.0.4
 	 */
-	protected final Map<String, Object> getFlattenedMap(Map<String, Object> source, boolean includeNulls) {
+	protected final Map<String, Object> getFlattenedMap(Map<String, Object> source, boolean includeEmpty,
+			@Nullable Object emptyValue) {
+
 		Map<String, Object> result = new LinkedHashMap<>();
-		buildFlattenedMap(result, source, null, includeNulls);
+		buildFlattenedMap(result, source, null, includeEmpty, emptyValue);
 		return result;
 	}
 
 	@SuppressWarnings({"rawtypes", "unchecked"})
 	private void buildFlattenedMap(Map<String, Object> result, Map<String, Object> source, @Nullable String path,
-			boolean includeNulls) {
-		if (includeNulls && source.isEmpty()) {
-			result.put(path, null);
+			boolean includeEmpty, @Nullable Object emptyValue) {
+
+		if (includeEmpty && source.isEmpty()) {
+			result.put(path, emptyValue);
 			return;
 		}
 		source.forEach((key, value) -> {
@@ -344,7 +348,7 @@ public abstract class YamlProcessor {
 			}
 			else if (value instanceof Map map) {
 				// Need a compound key
-				buildFlattenedMap(result, map, key, includeNulls);
+				buildFlattenedMap(result, map, key, includeEmpty, emptyValue);
 			}
 			else if (value instanceof Collection collection) {
 				// Need a compound key
@@ -355,12 +359,12 @@ public abstract class YamlProcessor {
 					int count = 0;
 					for (Object object : collection) {
 						buildFlattenedMap(result, Collections.singletonMap(
-								"[" + (count++) + "]", object), key, includeNulls);
+								"[" + (count++) + "]", object), key, includeEmpty, emptyValue);
 					}
 				}
 			}
 			else {
-				result.put(key, (value != null ? value : ""));
+				result.put(key, (value != null ? value : (includeEmpty ? emptyValue : "")));
 			}
 		});
 	}
diff --git a/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/config/YamlProcessorTests.java b/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/config/YamlProcessorTests.java
index a134b6bf697..693df504b12 100644
--- a/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/config/YamlProcessorTests.java
+++ b/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/config/YamlProcessorTests.java
@@ -183,16 +183,34 @@ class YamlProcessorTests {
 
 	@Test
 	void processAndFlattenWithoutIncludedNulls() {
-		setYaml("foo: bar\nbar:\n spam: {}");
-		Map<String, Object> flattened = this.processor.processAndFlatten(false);
-		assertThat(flattened).containsEntry("foo", "bar").doesNotContainKey("bar.spam").hasSize(1);
+		setYaml("avalue: value\nanull: null\natilde: ~\nparent:\n  anempty: {}\n");
+		Map<String, Object> flattened = this.processor.processAndFlatten(false, null);
+		assertThat(flattened).containsOnly(
+				entry("avalue", "value"),
+				entry("anull", ""),
+				entry("atilde", ""));
 	}
 
 	@Test
 	void processAndFlattenWithIncludedNulls() {
-		setYaml("foo: bar\nbar:\n spam: {}");
-		Map<String, Object> flattened = this.processor.processAndFlatten(true);
-		assertThat(flattened).containsEntry("foo", "bar").containsEntry("bar.spam", null).hasSize(2);
+		setYaml("avalue: value\nanull: null\natilde: ~\nparent:\n  anempty: {}\n");
+		Map<String, Object> flattened = this.processor.processAndFlatten(true, null);
+		assertThat(flattened).containsOnly(
+				entry("avalue", "value"),
+				entry("anull", null),
+				entry("atilde", null),
+				entry("parent.anempty", null));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void processAndFlattenWithIncludedBlankString() {
+		setYaml("avalue: value\nanull: null\natilde: ~\nparent:\n  anempty: {}\n");
+		Map<String, Object> flattened = this.processor.processAndFlatten(true, "");
+		assertThat(flattened).containsOnly(
+				entry("avalue", "value"),
+				entry("anull", ""),
+				entry("atilde", ""),
+				entry("parent.anempty", ""));
 	}
 
 	private void setYaml(String yaml) {
@@ -201,9 +219,9 @@ class YamlProcessorTests {
 
 	private static class TestYamlProcessor extends YamlProcessor {
 
-		Map<String, Object> processAndFlatten(boolean includeNulls) {
+		Map<String, Object> processAndFlatten(boolean includeEmpty, Object emptyValue) {
 			Map<String, Object> flattened = new LinkedHashMap<>();
-			process((properties, map) -> flattened.putAll(getFlattenedMap(map, includeNulls)));
+			process((properties, map) -> flattened.putAll(getFlattenedMap(map, includeEmpty, emptyValue)));
 			return flattened;
 		}