diff --git a/build-logic/convention/src/main/kotlin/com/oliverspryn/gradle/delegate/EnvironmentVariableDelegate.kt b/build-logic/convention/src/main/kotlin/com/oliverspryn/gradle/delegate/EnvironmentVariableDelegate.kt
index 9da761e..f84656a 100644
--- a/build-logic/convention/src/main/kotlin/com/oliverspryn/gradle/delegate/EnvironmentVariableDelegate.kt
+++ b/build-logic/convention/src/main/kotlin/com/oliverspryn/gradle/delegate/EnvironmentVariableDelegate.kt
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ class EnvironmentVariableDelegate(
 /**
  * Gets an environment variable in one of two ways:
  * ```kotlin
- * val JAVA_HOME: String by envVar() // Fetches the environment variable named "JAVA_HOME"
- * val javaHome: String by envVar("JAVA_HOME") // Fetches the environment variable named "JAVA_HOME"
+ * val JAVA_HOME by envVar() // Fetches the environment variable named "JAVA_HOME" as a String
+ * val javaHome by envVar("JAVA_HOME") // Fetches the environment variable named "JAVA_HOME" as a String
  * ```
  *
  * @param variableName The name of the environment variable to fetch. If
diff --git a/build-logic/convention/src/main/kotlin/com/oliverspryn/gradle/delegate/GradlePropertyDelegate.kt b/build-logic/convention/src/main/kotlin/com/oliverspryn/gradle/delegate/GradlePropertyDelegate.kt
index 1ffe515..1941c02 100644
--- a/build-logic/convention/src/main/kotlin/com/oliverspryn/gradle/delegate/GradlePropertyDelegate.kt
+++ b/build-logic/convention/src/main/kotlin/com/oliverspryn/gradle/delegate/GradlePropertyDelegate.kt
@@ -4,34 +4,28 @@ import kotlin.properties.ReadOnlyProperty
 import kotlin.reflect.KProperty
 import org.gradle.api.Project
 
-class GradlePropertyDelegate<T>(
+class GradlePropertyDelegate(
     private val project: Project,
     private val variableName: String? = null
-) : ReadOnlyProperty<Any?, T> {
-    @Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
-    override fun getValue(thisRef: Any?, property: KProperty<*>): T {
+) : ReadOnlyProperty<Any?, String> {
+    override fun getValue(thisRef: Any?, property: KProperty<*>): String {
         val nameToUse = variableName ?: property.name
-        val outcome = project.findProperty(nameToUse) as T
-
-        if (outcome == null) {
-            throw IllegalStateException("Gradle property variable '$nameToUse' is not set.")
-        } else {
-            return outcome
-        }
+        val outcome = project.findProperty(nameToUse) as String?
+        return outcome ?: ""
     }
 }
 
 /**
  * Gets a Gradle property in one of two ways:
  * ```kotlin
- * val propertyName: String by propertyValue() // Fetches the value of "propertyName" in gradle.properties
- * val property: String by propertyValue("propertyName") // Fetches the value of "propertyName" in gradle.properties
+ * val propertyName by propertyValue() // Fetches the Gradle Property value of "propertyName" as a String
+ * val property by propertyValue("propertyName") // Fetches the Gradle Property value of "propertyName" as a String
  * ```
  *
  * @param propertyName The name of the property to fetch. If `null`, the
  *     name of the Kotlin variable will be used.
- * @return The value of the Gradle property.
- * @throws IllegalStateException If the Gradle property is not set.
+ * @return The value of the Gradle property or an empty string if it is
+ *     not set.
  */
-fun <T> Project.propertyValue(propertyName: String? = null) =
-    GradlePropertyDelegate<T>(this, propertyName)
+fun Project.propertyValue(propertyName: String? = null) =
+    GradlePropertyDelegate(this, propertyName)
diff --git a/build-logic/convention/src/main/kotlin/com/oliverspryn/gradle/plugin/CentralRepositoryConventionPlugin.kt b/build-logic/convention/src/main/kotlin/com/oliverspryn/gradle/plugin/CentralRepositoryConventionPlugin.kt
index e243877..6ae2471 100644
--- a/build-logic/convention/src/main/kotlin/com/oliverspryn/gradle/plugin/CentralRepositoryConventionPlugin.kt
+++ b/build-logic/convention/src/main/kotlin/com/oliverspryn/gradle/plugin/CentralRepositoryConventionPlugin.kt
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package com.oliverspryn.gradle.plugin
 import com.android.build.api.dsl.LibraryExtension
 import com.oliverspryn.gradle.BuildConfig
 import com.oliverspryn.gradle.CentralRepositoryConfig
-import com.oliverspryn.gradle.delegate.envVar
+import com.oliverspryn.gradle.delegate.propertyValue
 import com.oliverspryn.gradle.extension.plugins
 import org.gradle.api.Plugin
 import org.gradle.api.Project
@@ -101,8 +101,8 @@ class CentralRepositoryConventionPlugin : Plugin<Project> {
             }
 
             extensions.configure<SigningExtension> {
-                val gpgSigningKey: String by envVar("GPG_SIGNING_KEY")
-                val gpgSigningKeyPassword: String by envVar("GPG_SIGNING_KEY_PASSWORD")
+                val gpgSigningKey by propertyValue("GPG_SIGNING_KEY")
+                val gpgSigningKeyPassword by propertyValue("GPG_SIGNING_KEY_PASSWORD")
 
                 useInMemoryPgpKeys(gpgSigningKey, gpgSigningKeyPassword)
                 sign(extensions.getByType<PublishingExtension>().publications[CentralRepositoryConfig.LIBRARY_NAME])