diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 83d27db13f..e1e3deffa4 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ Usage:
 * Fix #2110: Add new helm dependency update goal task (`k8s:helm-dependency-update` for maven and `k8sHelmDependencyUpdate` for gradle)
 * Fix #3122: JKube should also pass project directory in `buildpacks` build strategy
 * Fix #2467: Add support for specifying imagePullSecrets via resource configuration
+* Fix #3220: ImageEnricher#mergeEnvVariables causes error for empty env
 
 _**Note**_:
 - `defaultStorageClass` and `useStorageClassAnnotation` fields have been removed from VolumePermissionEnricher (`jkube-volume-permission`). Users are advised to use these fields from PersistentVolumeClaimStorageClassEnricher (`jkube-persistentvolumeclaim-storageclass`) instead.
diff --git a/jkube-kit/enricher/generic/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jkube/enricher/generic/ImageEnricher.java b/jkube-kit/enricher/generic/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jkube/enricher/generic/ImageEnricher.java
index 400fb11d1b..d95f7e4da5 100644
--- a/jkube-kit/enricher/generic/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jkube/enricher/generic/ImageEnricher.java
+++ b/jkube-kit/enricher/generic/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jkube/enricher/generic/ImageEnricher.java
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ private void mergeEnvVariables(Container container) {
                 EnvVar newEnvVar =
                     new EnvVarBuilder()
                         .withName(resourceEnvEntry.getKey())
-                        .withValue(resourceEnvEntry.getValue())
+                        .withValue(Optional.ofNullable(resourceEnvEntry.getValue()).orElse(""))
                         .build();
 
                 EnvVar oldEnvVar = containerEnvVars.stream()
diff --git a/kubernetes-maven-plugin/it/src/it/env-metadata/expected/kubernetes.yml b/kubernetes-maven-plugin/it/src/it/env-metadata/expected/kubernetes.yml
index 202f788b7f..2fa8f68809 100644
--- a/kubernetes-maven-plugin/it/src/it/env-metadata/expected/kubernetes.yml
+++ b/kubernetes-maven-plugin/it/src/it/env-metadata/expected/kubernetes.yml
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ items:
       spec:
         containers:
         - env:
+          - name: MY_ENV_empty
           - name: MY_ENV_key
             value: MY_ENV_value
           - name: KUBERNETES_NAMESPACE
diff --git a/kubernetes-maven-plugin/it/src/it/env-metadata/pom.xml b/kubernetes-maven-plugin/it/src/it/env-metadata/pom.xml
index 608ad233a5..8e05cf4245 100644
--- a/kubernetes-maven-plugin/it/src/it/env-metadata/pom.xml
+++ b/kubernetes-maven-plugin/it/src/it/env-metadata/pom.xml
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
         <configuration>
           <resources>
             <env>
+              <MY_ENV_empty></MY_ENV_empty>
               <MY_ENV_key>MY_ENV_value</MY_ENV_key>
               <KUBERNETES_NAMESPACE>this_will_not_be_overridden</KUBERNETES_NAMESPACE>
             </env>