If you can treat blank values as missing, and can use SpEL and the Elvis operator

@Value("#{'${some.value:}' ?: null}")
private String someValue;

This works because a missing some.value will lead to an empty string which is "falsy" and then the elvis operator goes with the fallback. In the SpEL expression - so in the #{...} scope - null means null and not the string "null".

As compared to @EpicPandaForce's answer:

• This does not require a custom PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer

• but requires a SpEL expression

• and is not global - so each property like that will need the adjustment

• Blank values are treated as "missing" too - which may be a pro or a con