diff --git a/scpt/mkarchiso b/scpt/mkarchiso
index 5b08ab0..c6f8d55 100755
--- a/scpt/mkarchiso
+++ b/scpt/mkarchiso
@@ -1335,17 +1335,19 @@ _validate_requirements_buildmode_bootstrap() {
     local bootstrap_pkg_list_from_file=()
 
     # Check if packages for the bootstrap image are specified
-    if [[ -e "${bootstrap_packages}" ]]; then
-        mapfile -t bootstrap_pkg_list_from_file < \
-            <(sed '/^[[:blank:]]*#.*/d;s/#.*//;/^[[:blank:]]*$/d' "${bootstrap_packages}")
-        bootstrap_pkg_list+=("${bootstrap_pkg_list_from_file[@]}")
-        if (( ${#bootstrap_pkg_list_from_file[@]} < 1 )); then
+    if [[ -n "${bootstrap_packages}" ]]; then
+        if [[ -e "${bootstrap_packages}" ]]; then
+            mapfile -t bootstrap_pkg_list_from_file < \
+                <(sed '/^[[:blank:]]*#.*/d;s/#.*//;/^[[:blank:]]*$/d' "${bootstrap_packages}")
+            bootstrap_pkg_list+=("${bootstrap_pkg_list_from_file[@]}")
+            if (( ${#bootstrap_pkg_list_from_file[@]} < 1 )); then
+                (( validation_error=validation_error+1 ))
+                _msg_error "No package specified in '${bootstrap_packages}'." 0
+            fi
+        else
             (( validation_error=validation_error+1 ))
-            _msg_error "No package specified in '${bootstrap_packages}'." 0
+            _msg_error "Bootstrap packages file '${bootstrap_packages}' does not exist." 0
         fi
-    else
-        (( validation_error=validation_error+1 ))
-        _msg_error "Bootstrap packages file '${bootstrap_packages}' does not exist." 0
     fi
 
     _validate_common_requirements_buildmode_all