diff --git a/connectors/citrus-openapi/src/main/java/org/citrusframework/openapi/model/v3/Oas30ModelHelper.java b/connectors/citrus-openapi/src/main/java/org/citrusframework/openapi/model/v3/Oas30ModelHelper.java
index 614b2de512..39bdd2486e 100644
--- a/connectors/citrus-openapi/src/main/java/org/citrusframework/openapi/model/v3/Oas30ModelHelper.java
+++ b/connectors/citrus-openapi/src/main/java/org/citrusframework/openapi/model/v3/Oas30ModelHelper.java
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ public static Map<String, OasSchema> getRequiredHeaders(Oas30Response response)
 
         return response.headers.entrySet()
                 .stream()
-                .filter(entry -> entry.getValue().required)
+                .filter(entry -> Boolean.TRUE.equals(entry.getValue().required))
                 .collect(Collectors.toMap(Map.Entry::getKey, entry -> entry.getValue().schema));
     }
 
diff --git a/connectors/citrus-openapi/src/test/java/org/citrusframework/openapi/model/v3/Oas30ModelHelperTest.java b/connectors/citrus-openapi/src/test/java/org/citrusframework/openapi/model/v3/Oas30ModelHelperTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..38d8b13fde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/connectors/citrus-openapi/src/test/java/org/citrusframework/openapi/model/v3/Oas30ModelHelperTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package org.citrusframework.openapi.model.v3;
+
+import io.apicurio.datamodels.openapi.models.OasSchema;
+import io.apicurio.datamodels.openapi.v3.models.Oas30Header;
+import io.apicurio.datamodels.openapi.v3.models.Oas30Response;
+import io.apicurio.datamodels.openapi.v3.models.Oas30Schema;
+import org.testng.Assert;
+import org.testng.annotations.Test;
+
+import java.util.Map;
+
+public class Oas30ModelHelperTest {
+
+    @Test
+    public void shouldNotFindRequiredHeadersWithoutRequiredAttribute() {
+        var header = new Oas30Header("X-TEST");
+        header.schema = new Oas30Schema();
+        header.required = null; // explicitely assigned because this is test case
+        var response = new Oas30Response("200");
+        response.headers.put(header.getName(), header);
+
+        Map<String, OasSchema> result = Oas30ModelHelper.getRequiredHeaders(response);
+
+        Assert.assertEquals(result.size(), 0);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void shouldFindRequiredHeaders() {
+        var header = new Oas30Header("X-TEST");
+        header.schema = new Oas30Schema();
+        header.required = Boolean.TRUE; // explicitely assigned because this is test case
+        var response = new Oas30Response("200");
+        response.headers.put(header.getName(), header);
+
+        Map<String, OasSchema> result = Oas30ModelHelper.getRequiredHeaders(response);
+
+        Assert.assertEquals(result.size(), 1);
+        Assert.assertSame(result.get(header.getName()), header.schema);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void shouldNotFindOptionalHeaders() {
+        var header = new Oas30Header("X-TEST");
+        header.schema = new Oas30Schema();
+        header.required = Boolean.FALSE; // explicitely assigned because this is test case
+        var response = new Oas30Response("200");
+        response.headers.put(header.getName(), header);
+
+        Map<String, OasSchema> result = Oas30ModelHelper.getRequiredHeaders(response);
+
+        Assert.assertEquals(result.size(), 0);
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file