diff --git a/util/templates/template.go b/util/templates/template.go
index 247b07a4a..a667b26ff 100644
--- a/util/templates/template.go
+++ b/util/templates/template.go
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ func (t *Template) RenderResult(renderMode int, other map[string]any) ([]byte, m
 				}
 
 				// validate required fields from yaml
-				if s == "" && p.IsRequired() && (renderMode == RenderModeUnitTest || renderMode == RenderModeInstance && !testing.Testing()) {
+				if p.IsRequired() && p.IsZero(s) && (renderMode == RenderModeUnitTest || renderMode == RenderModeInstance && !testing.Testing()) {
 					// validate required per usage
 					if len(p.Usages) == 0 || slices.Contains(p.Usages, usage) {
 						return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("missing required `%s`", p.Name)
diff --git a/util/templates/template_test.go b/util/templates/template_test.go
index 6eb7967d6..8c3172280 100644
--- a/util/templates/template_test.go
+++ b/util/templates/template_test.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func TestPresets(t *testing.T) {
 	}, tmpl.Params)
 }
 
-func TestRequired(t *testing.T) {
+func TestRequiredString(t *testing.T) {
 	tmpl := &Template{
 		Params: []Param{
 			{
@@ -63,6 +63,43 @@ func TestRequired(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err, "docs: required present but nil")
 }
 
+func TestRequiredNumber(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpl := &Template{
+		Params: []Param{
+			{
+				Name:     "param",
+				Type:     TypeInt,
+				Required: true,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	_, _, err := tmpl.RenderResult(RenderModeUnitTest, map[string]any{
+		"Param": "1",
+	})
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "test: required present")
+
+	_, _, err = tmpl.RenderResult(RenderModeUnitTest, map[string]any{
+		"Param": "",
+	})
+	assert.Error(t, err, "test: required present but empty")
+
+	_, _, err = tmpl.RenderResult(RenderModeUnitTest, map[string]any{
+		"Param": "0",
+	})
+	assert.Error(t, err, "test: required present but zero value")
+
+	_, _, err = tmpl.RenderResult(RenderModeUnitTest, map[string]any{
+		"Param": nil,
+	})
+	assert.Error(t, err, "test: required present but nil")
+
+	_, _, err = tmpl.RenderResult(RenderModeDocs, map[string]any{
+		"Param": nil,
+	})
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "docs: required present but nil")
+}
+
 func TestRequiredDeprecated(t *testing.T) {
 	tmpl := &Template{
 		Params: []Param{
diff --git a/util/templates/types.go b/util/templates/types.go
index ebc259262..eff41e91e 100644
--- a/util/templates/types.go
+++ b/util/templates/types.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 	"dario.cat/mergo"
 	"github.com/gosimple/slug"
+	"github.com/spf13/cast"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -269,6 +270,19 @@ func (p *Param) IsDeprecated() bool {
 	return p.Deprecated
 }
 
+func (p *Param) IsZero(s string) bool {
+	switch p.Type {
+	case TypeInt:
+		return cast.ToInt64(s) == 0
+	case TypeFloat:
+		return cast.ToFloat64(s) == 0
+	case TypeDuration:
+		return cast.ToDuration(s) == 0
+	default:
+		return len(s) == 0
+	}
+}
+
 // yamlQuote quotes strings for yaml if they would otherwise by modified by the unmarshaler
 func (p *Param) yamlQuote(value string) string {
 	if p.Type != TypeString {