diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/gradle/tasks/bundling/BootBuildImage.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/gradle/tasks/bundling/BootBuildImage.java
index 98055f5c360..f0a2751b887 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/gradle/tasks/bundling/BootBuildImage.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/gradle/tasks/bundling/BootBuildImage.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2023 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2024 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ public abstract class BootBuildImage extends DefaultTask {
 		this.launchCache = getProject().getObjects().newInstance(CacheSpec.class);
 		this.docker = getProject().getObjects().newInstance(DockerSpec.class);
 		this.pullPolicy = getProject().getObjects().property(PullPolicy.class);
+		getSecurityOptions().convention((Iterable<? extends String>) null);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -464,9 +465,11 @@ public abstract class BootBuildImage extends DefaultTask {
 	}
 
 	private BuildRequest customizeSecurityOptions(BuildRequest request) {
-		List<String> securityOptions = getSecurityOptions().getOrNull();
-		if (securityOptions != null) {
-			return request.withSecurityOptions(securityOptions);
+		if (getSecurityOptions().isPresent()) {
+			List<String> securityOptions = getSecurityOptions().getOrNull();
+			if (securityOptions != null) {
+				return request.withSecurityOptions(securityOptions);
+			}
 		}
 		return request;
 	}
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/gradle/tasks/bundling/BootBuildImageTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/gradle/tasks/bundling/BootBuildImageTests.java
index 33dac8a784e..c5ef89486d6 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/gradle/tasks/bundling/BootBuildImageTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/gradle/tasks/bundling/BootBuildImageTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2023 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2024 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package org.springframework.boot.gradle.tasks.bundling;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
@@ -294,4 +295,23 @@ class BootBuildImageTests {
 				ImageReference.of("example.com/my-app:0.0.1-SNAPSHOT"), ImageReference.of("example.com/my-app:latest"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void whenSecurityOptionsAreNotConfiguredThenRequestHasNoSecurityOptions() {
+		assertThat(this.buildImage.createRequest().getSecurityOptions()).isNull();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void whenSecurityOptionsAreEmptyThenRequestHasEmptySecurityOptions() {
+		this.buildImage.getSecurityOptions().set(Collections.emptyList());
+		assertThat(this.buildImage.createRequest().getSecurityOptions()).isEmpty();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void whenSecurityOptionsAreConfiguredThenRequestHasSecurityOptions() {
+		this.buildImage.getSecurityOptions().add("label=user:USER");
+		this.buildImage.getSecurityOptions().add("label=role:ROLE");
+		assertThat(this.buildImage.createRequest().getSecurityOptions()).containsExactly("label=user:USER",
+				"label=role:ROLE");
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-maven-plugin/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/maven/ImageTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-maven-plugin/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/maven/ImageTests.java
index 1ec018db860..5d0aa9b86a5 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-maven-plugin/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/maven/ImageTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-maven-plugin/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/maven/ImageTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2023 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2024 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -235,6 +235,13 @@ class ImageTests {
 		assertThat(request.getApplicationDirectory()).isEqualTo("/application");
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void getBuildRequestWhenHasNoSecurityOptionsUsesNoSecurityOptions() {
+		Image image = new Image();
+		BuildRequest request = image.getBuildRequest(createArtifact(), mockApplicationContent());
+		assertThat(request.getSecurityOptions()).isNull();
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	void getBuildRequestWhenHasSecurityOptionsUsesSecurityOptions() {
 		Image image = new Image();