diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/components/schema-theme-setting/types/models.gjs b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/components/schema-theme-setting/types/models.gjs
index 485ce0f0378..2fe0bb61737 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/components/schema-theme-setting/types/models.gjs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/addon/components/schema-theme-setting/types/models.gjs
@@ -29,9 +29,15 @@ export default class SchemaThemeSettingTypeModels extends Component {
       return;
     }
 
+    const isValueBlank = isBlank(this.value);
+
+    if (!this.required && isValueBlank) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (
       (this.min && this.value.length < this.min) ||
-      (this.required && isBlank(this.value))
+      (this.required && isValueBlank)
     ) {
       return I18n.t(
         `admin.customize.theme.schema.fields.${this.type}.at_least`,
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/helpers/select-kit-helper.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/helpers/select-kit-helper.js
index 5e08b918de9..43d97f88fe4 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/helpers/select-kit-helper.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/helpers/select-kit-helper.js
@@ -308,6 +308,12 @@ export default function selectKit(selector) {
       await click(`${selector} .selected-content [data-name="${name}"]`);
     },
 
+    async deselectItemByIndex(index) {
+      await click(
+        queryAll(`${selector} .selected-content .selected-choice`)[index]
+      );
+    },
+
     exists() {
       return exists(selector);
     },
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/admin-schema-theme-setting/editor-test.gjs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/admin-schema-theme-setting/editor-test.gjs
index a33f2f824c6..163a87c9975 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/admin-schema-theme-setting/editor-test.gjs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/admin-schema-theme-setting/editor-test.gjs
@@ -667,6 +667,81 @@ module(
       assert.strictEqual(enumSelector.header().value(), "nice");
     });
 
+    test("input fields of type categories that is not required with min and max validations", async function (assert) {
+      const setting = ThemeSettings.create({
+        setting: "objects_setting",
+        objects_schema: {
+          name: "something",
+          properties: {
+            not_required_category: {
+              type: "categories",
+              validations: {
+                min: 2,
+                max: 3,
+              },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        metadata: {
+          categories: {
+            6: {
+              id: 6,
+              name: "some category",
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        value: [{}],
+      });
+
+      await render(<template>
+        <AdminSchemaThemeSettingEditor @themeId="1" @setting={{setting}} />
+      </template>);
+
+      const inputFields = new InputFieldsFromDOM();
+
+      assert
+        .dom(inputFields.fields.not_required_category.labelElement)
+        .hasText("not_required_category");
+
+      const categorySelector = selectKit(
+        `${inputFields.fields.not_required_category.selector} .select-kit`
+      );
+
+      assert.strictEqual(categorySelector.header().value(), null);
+
+      await categorySelector.expand();
+      await categorySelector.selectRowByIndex(1);
+      await categorySelector.collapse();
+
+      inputFields.refresh();
+
+      assert.dom(inputFields.fields.not_required_category.errorElement).hasText(
+        I18n.t("admin.customize.theme.schema.fields.categories.at_least", {
+          count: 2,
+        })
+      );
+
+      await categorySelector.expand();
+      await categorySelector.selectRowByIndex(2);
+      await categorySelector.selectRowByIndex(3);
+      await categorySelector.selectRowByIndex(4);
+
+      assert
+        .dom(categorySelector.error())
+        .hasText("You can only select 3 items.");
+
+      await categorySelector.deselectItemByIndex(0);
+      await categorySelector.deselectItemByIndex(0);
+      await categorySelector.deselectItemByIndex(0);
+      await categorySelector.collapse();
+
+      inputFields.refresh();
+
+      assert
+        .dom(inputFields.fields.not_required_category.errorElement)
+        .doesNotExist();
+    });
+
     test("input fields of type categories", async function (assert) {
       const setting = ThemeSettings.create({
         setting: "objects_setting",
@@ -678,13 +753,6 @@ module(
               type: "categories",
               required: true,
             },
-            not_required_category: {
-              type: "categories",
-              validations: {
-                min: 2,
-                max: 3,
-              },
-            },
           },
         },
         metadata: {
@@ -729,37 +797,6 @@ module(
           count: 1,
         })
       );
-
-      assert
-        .dom(inputFields.fields.not_required_category.labelElement)
-        .hasText("not_required_category");
-
-      categorySelector = selectKit(
-        `${inputFields.fields.not_required_category.selector} .select-kit`
-      );
-
-      assert.strictEqual(categorySelector.header().value(), null);
-
-      await categorySelector.expand();
-      await categorySelector.selectRowByIndex(1);
-      await categorySelector.collapse();
-
-      inputFields.refresh();
-
-      assert.dom(inputFields.fields.not_required_category.errorElement).hasText(
-        I18n.t("admin.customize.theme.schema.fields.categories.at_least", {
-          count: 2,
-        })
-      );
-
-      await categorySelector.expand();
-      await categorySelector.selectRowByIndex(2);
-      await categorySelector.selectRowByIndex(3);
-      await categorySelector.selectRowByIndex(4);
-
-      assert
-        .dom(categorySelector.error())
-        .hasText("You can only select 3 items.");
     });
 
     test("input fields of type tags which is required", async function (assert) {