diff --git a/modules/programs/less.nix b/modules/programs/less.nix
index 03fc1f26f..a82adc46c 100644
--- a/modules/programs/less.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/less.nix
@@ -34,6 +34,6 @@ in
   config = lib.mkIf cfg.enable {
     home.packages = lib.mkIf (cfg.package != null) [ cfg.package ];
 
-    xdg.configFile."lesskey".text = cfg.keys;
+    xdg.configFile."lesskey" = lib.mkIf (cfg.keys != "") { text = cfg.keys; };
   };
 }
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/less/less-with-custom-keys.nix b/tests/modules/programs/less/custom-keys.nix
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/modules/programs/less/less-with-custom-keys.nix
rename to tests/modules/programs/less/custom-keys.nix
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/less/default.nix b/tests/modules/programs/less/default.nix
index f5fd77feb..9e56f6ab9 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/less/default.nix
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/less/default.nix
@@ -1 +1,4 @@
-{ less-with-custom-keys = ./less-with-custom-keys.nix; }
+{
+  less-custom-keys = ./custom-keys.nix;
+  less-no-keys = ./no-keys.nix;
+}
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/less/no-keys.nix b/tests/modules/programs/less/no-keys.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4021ec321
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/less/no-keys.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  programs.less.enable = true;
+
+  nmt.script = ''
+    assertPathNotExists home-files/.config/lesskey
+  '';
+}