diff --git a/include/cpputils/env_var.h b/include/cpputils/env_var.h
index b3a85c1..e000f00 100644
--- a/include/cpputils/env_var.h
+++ b/include/cpputils/env_var.h
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class EnvVarRegistry {
   };
 };
 
-#define DEFINE_ENV_VAR_STRING(name, DEFAULT_VALUE, MIN_LEN)               \
+#define DEFINE_ENV_VAR_STRING_LEN(name, DEFAULT_VALUE, MIN_LEN)           \
   namespace EnvVars {                                                     \
   struct name {                                                           \
     static constexpr char const* DEFAULT = DEFAULT_VALUE;                 \
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class EnvVarRegistry {
     static char const* GET() {                                            \
       auto c = std::getenv(#name);                                        \
       if (c) {                                                            \
-        if (std::strlen(c) > MIN_LEN) {                                   \
+        if (std::strlen(c) >= MIN_LEN) {                                  \
           return c;                                                       \
         }                                                                 \
       }                                                                   \
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ class EnvVarRegistry {
   };                                                                      \
   }
 
+#define DEFINE_ENV_VAR_STRING(name, DEFAULT_VALUE) \
+  DEFINE_ENV_VAR_STRING_LEN(name, DEFAULT_VALUE, 1)
+
 #define DEFINE_ENV_VAR_INT(TYPE, name, DEFAULT_VALUE)                       \
   namespace EnvVars {                                                       \
   struct name {                                                             \