diff --git a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2311.section.md b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2311.section.md
index 83fd6028ec6d..6f770757edba 100644
--- a/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2311.section.md
+++ b/nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-2311.section.md
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 
 ## Backward Incompatibilities {#sec-release-23.11-incompatibilities}
 
+- `writeTextFile` now requires `executable` to be boolean, values like `null` or `""` will now fail to evaluate.
+
 - The latest version of `clonehero` now stores custom content in `~/.clonehero`. See the [migration instructions](https://clonehero.net/2022/11/29/v23-to-v1-migration-instructions.html). Typically, these content files would exist along side the binary, but the previous build used a wrapper script that would store them in `~/.config/unity3d/srylain Inc_/Clone Hero`.
 
 - `python3.pkgs.fetchPypi` (and `python3Packages.fetchPypi`) has been deprecated in favor of top-level `fetchPypi`.
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders/default.nix
index 7152f9a1be41..d3cb22a1f535 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/trivial-builders/default.nix
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ rec {
     runCommand name
       { inherit text executable checkPhase allowSubstitutes preferLocalBuild;
         passAsFile = [ "text" ];
-        meta = lib.optionalAttrs (toString executable != "" && matches != null) {
+        meta = lib.optionalAttrs (executable && matches != null) {
           mainProgram = lib.head matches;
         } // meta;
       }