diff --git a/core-common/src/main/java/org/glassfish/jersey/internal/inject/ParamConverters.java b/core-common/src/main/java/org/glassfish/jersey/internal/inject/ParamConverters.java
index 8fdfca9de06..3247d2425d3 100644
--- a/core-common/src/main/java/org/glassfish/jersey/internal/inject/ParamConverters.java
+++ b/core-common/src/main/java/org/glassfish/jersey/internal/inject/ParamConverters.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2012, 2021 Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2012, 2022 Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2018 Payara Foundation and/or its affiliates.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
@@ -279,11 +279,15 @@ public T fromString(String value) {
                     } else {
                         final List<ClassTypePair> ctps = ReflectionHelper.getTypeArgumentAndClass(genericType);
                         final ClassTypePair ctp = (ctps.size() == 1) ? ctps.get(0) : null;
-
+                        final boolean empty = value.isEmpty();
                         for (ParamConverterProvider provider : Providers.getProviders(manager, ParamConverterProvider.class)) {
                             final ParamConverter<?> converter = provider.getConverter(ctp.rawClass(), ctp.type(), annotations);
                             if (converter != null) {
-                                return (T) Optional.of(value).map(s -> converter.fromString(value));
+                                if (empty) {
+                                    return (T) Optional.empty();
+                                } else {
+                                    return (T) Optional.of(value).map(s -> converter.fromString(value));
+                                }
                             }
                         }
                         /*
@@ -322,7 +326,7 @@ public <T> ParamConverter<T> getConverter(Class<T> rawType, Type genericType, An
 
                 @Override
                 public T fromString(String value) {
-                    if (value == null) {
+                    if (value == null || value.isEmpty()) {
                         return (T) optionals.empty();
                     } else {
                         return (T) optionals.of(value);
diff --git a/tests/e2e-server/src/test/java/org/glassfish/jersey/tests/e2e/server/OptionalParamConverterTest.java b/tests/e2e-server/src/test/java/org/glassfish/jersey/tests/e2e/server/OptionalParamConverterTest.java
index 0734c550fcb..695fbed4325 100644
--- a/tests/e2e-server/src/test/java/org/glassfish/jersey/tests/e2e/server/OptionalParamConverterTest.java
+++ b/tests/e2e-server/src/test/java/org/glassfish/jersey/tests/e2e/server/OptionalParamConverterTest.java
@@ -156,8 +156,8 @@ public void fromOptionalDate() {
         Response invalid = target("/OptionalResource/fromDate").queryParam(PARAM_NAME, "invalid").request().get();
         assertEquals(200, missing.getStatus());
         assertEquals(new Date(1609459200000L), missing.readEntity(Date.class));
-        assertEquals(404, empty.getStatus());
-        assertFalse(empty.hasEntity());
+        assertEquals(200, empty.getStatus());
+        assertEquals(new Date(1609459200000L), empty.readEntity(Date.class));
         assertEquals(200, notEmpty.getStatus());
         assertEquals(new Date(1619870400000L), notEmpty.readEntity(Date.class));
         assertEquals(404, invalid.getStatus());
@@ -173,8 +173,8 @@ public void fromOptionalInstant() {
         Response invalid = target("/OptionalResource/fromInstant").queryParam(PARAM_NAME, "invalid").request().get();
         assertEquals(200, missing.getStatus());
         assertEquals("2021-01-01T00:00:00Z", missing.readEntity(String.class));
-        assertEquals(404, empty.getStatus());
-        assertFalse(empty.hasEntity());
+        assertEquals(200, empty.getStatus());
+        assertEquals("2021-01-01T00:00:00Z", empty.readEntity(String.class));
         assertEquals(200, notEmpty.getStatus());
         assertEquals("2021-05-01T12:00:00Z", notEmpty.readEntity(String.class));
         assertEquals(404, invalid.getStatus());