diff --git a/data/schema/filters/abilities.cfg b/data/schema/filters/abilities.cfg
index 55860ca7c5a78..ff8c84be63f73 100644
--- a/data/schema/filters/abilities.cfg
+++ b/data/schema/filters/abilities.cfg
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
 	{SIMPLE_KEY divide s_real_range_list}
 	{SIMPLE_KEY affect_adjacent s_bool}
 	{SIMPLE_KEY affect_self s_bool}
-	{DEFAULT_KEY affect_allies affect_allies_filter empty}
+	{SIMPLE_KEY affect_allies bool_or_empty}
 	{SIMPLE_KEY affect_enemies s_bool}
-	{DEFAULT_KEY type_value value_type empty}
+	{SIMPLE_KEY type_value value_type}
 	{FILTER_BOOLEAN_OPS abilities}
 [/tag]
diff --git a/data/schema/game_config.cfg b/data/schema/game_config.cfg
index 966017b66c3f1..543a5b504eaef 100644
--- a/data/schema/game_config.cfg
+++ b/data/schema/game_config.cfg
@@ -42,11 +42,15 @@
     [/type]
     [type]
         name="value_type"
-        value="|value|add|sub|multiply|divide"
+        value="value|add|sub|multiply|divide"
     [/type]
     [type]
-        name="affect_allies_filter"
-        value="empty|yes|no"
+        name="bool_or_empty"
+        [list]
+            [element]
+                value="true|false|yes|no|empty"
+            [/element]
+        [/list]
     [/type]
     [type]
         name="addon_type"
@@ -431,6 +435,7 @@
     {SUBST_TYPE anim_hits}
     {SUBST_TYPE f_int}
     {SUBST_TYPE alignment}
+	{SUBST_TYPE bool_or_empty}
     [type]
         name="global"
         value="global"
diff --git a/src/units/unit.cpp b/src/units/unit.cpp
index bee19fc83ec95..0ca44c68df60a 100644
--- a/src/units/unit.cpp
+++ b/src/units/unit.cpp
@@ -1429,15 +1429,15 @@ static bool type_value_if_present(const config& filter, const config& cfg)
 
 	std::string cfg_type_value;
 	const std::vector<std::string> filter_attribute = utils::split(filter["type_value"]);
-	if(!cfg["value"].empty()){
+	if(cfg.has_attribute("value")){
 		cfg_type_value ="value";
-	} else if(!cfg["add"].empty()){
+	} else if(cfg.has_attribute("add")){
 		cfg_type_value ="add";
-	} else if(!cfg["sub"].empty()){
+	} else if(cfg.has_attribute("sub")){
 		cfg_type_value ="sub";
-	} else if(!cfg["multiply"].empty()){
+	} else if(cfg.has_attribute("multiply")){
 		cfg_type_value ="multiply";
-	} else if(!cfg["divide"].empty()){
+	} else if(cfg.has_attribute("divide")){
 		cfg_type_value ="divide";
 	}
 	return ( std::find(filter_attribute.begin(), filter_attribute.end(), cfg_type_value) != filter_attribute.end() );
@@ -1457,13 +1457,8 @@ static bool matches_ability_filter(const config & cfg, const std::string& tag_na
 	if(!bool_matches_if_present(filter, cfg, "affect_self", true))
 		return false;
 
-	if(!filter["affect_allies"].empty() && !cfg["affect_allies"].empty()){
-		if(!bool_matches_if_present(filter, cfg, "affect_allies", true)){
-			return false;
-		}
-	} else if(!filter["affect_allies"].empty() && filter["affect_allies"].str() != "empty"){
+	if(!bool_or_empty(filter, cfg, "affect_allies"))
 		return false;
-	}
 
 	if(!bool_matches_if_present(filter, cfg, "affect_enemies", false))
 		return false;
diff --git a/src/utils/config_filters.cpp b/src/utils/config_filters.cpp
index a5ca9f1d38f91..ce86571793cf4 100644
--- a/src/utils/config_filters.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/config_filters.cpp
@@ -95,3 +95,23 @@ bool utils::config_filters::double_matches_if_present(const config& filter, cons
 
 	return in_ranges<double>(cfg[attribute].to_double(def), utils::parse_ranges_real(filter[attribute].str()));
 }
+
+bool utils::config_filters::bool_or_empty(const config& filter, const config& cfg, const std::string& attribute)
+{
+	if(filter[attribute].empty()) {
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	std::string cfg_bool_value;
+	const std::vector<std::string> filter_attribute = utils::split(filter[attribute]);
+	if(cfg.has_attribute(attribute)){
+		if(!cfg[attribute].to_bool()){
+			cfg_bool_value = "no";
+		} else if(cfg[attribute].to_bool()){
+			cfg_bool_value = "yes";
+		}
+	} else {
+		cfg_bool_value = "empty";
+	}
+	return ( std::find(filter_attribute.begin(), filter_attribute.end(), cfg_bool_value) != filter_attribute.end() );
+}
diff --git a/src/utils/config_filters.hpp b/src/utils/config_filters.hpp
index b351cc3604785..e656106192524 100644
--- a/src/utils/config_filters.hpp
+++ b/src/utils/config_filters.hpp
@@ -61,4 +61,6 @@ bool int_matches_if_present_or_negative(
 bool string_matches_if_present(
 	const config& filter, const config& cfg, const std::string& attribute, const std::string& def);
 
+bool bool_or_empty(const config& filter, const config& cfg, const std::string& attribute);
+
 } // namespace utils::config_filters