diff --git a/crates/cargo-util-schemas/src/manifest/mod.rs b/crates/cargo-util-schemas/src/manifest/mod.rs
index 4fbdd3921..c1d10e4b5 100644
--- a/crates/cargo-util-schemas/src/manifest/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/cargo-util-schemas/src/manifest/mod.rs
@@ -243,15 +243,12 @@ impl TomlPackage {
     }
 
     pub fn resolved_readme(&self) -> Result<Option<&String>, UnresolvedError> {
-        self.readme
-            .as_ref()
-            .map(|v| {
-                v.resolved().and_then(|sb| match sb {
-                    StringOrBool::Bool(_) => Err(UnresolvedError),
-                    StringOrBool::String(value) => Ok(value),
-                })
-            })
-            .transpose()
+        let readme = self.readme.as_ref().ok_or(UnresolvedError)?;
+        readme.resolved().and_then(|sb| match sb {
+            StringOrBool::Bool(false) => Ok(None),
+            StringOrBool::Bool(true) => Err(UnresolvedError),
+            StringOrBool::String(value) => Ok(Some(value)),
+        })
     }
 
     pub fn resolved_keywords(&self) -> Result<Option<&Vec<String>>, UnresolvedError> {
diff --git a/src/cargo/util/toml/mod.rs b/src/cargo/util/toml/mod.rs
index d89829e04..9c93f650f 100644
--- a/src/cargo/util/toml/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/util/toml/mod.rs
@@ -553,7 +553,10 @@ fn resolve_package_toml<'a>(
                 .transpose()?
                 .as_ref(),
         )
-        .map(|s| manifest::InheritableField::Value(StringOrBool::String(s))),
+        .map(|s| manifest::InheritableField::Value(StringOrBool::String(s)))
+        .or(Some(manifest::InheritableField::Value(StringOrBool::Bool(
+            false,
+        )))),
         keywords: original_package
             .keywords
             .clone()
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/artifact_dep.rs b/tests/testsuite/artifact_dep.rs
index fd36a8386..1f7d87fde 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/artifact_dep.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/artifact_dep.rs
@@ -2217,6 +2217,7 @@ authors = []
 description = "foo"
 homepage = "foo"
 documentation = "foo"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 repository = "foo"
 resolver = "2"
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/features2.rs b/tests/testsuite/features2.rs
index 18a365624..c9b824fc0 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/features2.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/features2.rs
@@ -1705,6 +1705,7 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 authors = ["Zzz"]
 description = "foo"
 homepage = "https://example.com/"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 resolver = "2"
 "#,
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/features_namespaced.rs b/tests/testsuite/features_namespaced.rs
index b53637547..340f60e03 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/features_namespaced.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/features_namespaced.rs
@@ -987,6 +987,7 @@ name = "foo"
 version = "0.1.0"
 description = "foo"
 homepage = "https://example.com/"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 
 [dependencies.opt-dep1]
@@ -1105,6 +1106,7 @@ name = "foo"
 version = "0.1.0"
 description = "foo"
 homepage = "https://example.com/"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 
 [dependencies.bar]
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/inheritable_workspace_fields.rs b/tests/testsuite/inheritable_workspace_fields.rs
index a84d4cdf4..059766106 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/inheritable_workspace_fields.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/inheritable_workspace_fields.rs
@@ -227,6 +227,7 @@ publish = true
 description = "This is a crate"
 homepage = "https://www.rust-lang.org"
 documentation = "https://www.rust-lang.org/learn"
+readme = false
 keywords = ["cli"]
 categories = ["development-tools"]
 license = "MIT"
@@ -383,6 +384,7 @@ edition = "2015"
 name = "bar"
 version = "0.2.0"
 authors = []
+readme = false
 
 [dependencies.dep]
 version = "0.1"
@@ -514,6 +516,7 @@ edition = "2015"
 name = "bar"
 version = "0.2.0"
 authors = []
+readme = false
 
 [dependencies.dep]
 version = "0.1.2"
@@ -927,6 +930,7 @@ edition = "2015"
 name = "bar"
 version = "0.2.0"
 authors = []
+readme = false
 
 [dependencies.dep]
 version = "0.1"
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/package.rs b/tests/testsuite/package.rs
index 835a9cb8e..0908e0ce0 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/package.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/package.rs
@@ -1219,6 +1219,7 @@ version = "0.0.1"
 authors = []
 exclude = ["*.txt"]
 description = "foo"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 
 [package.metadata]
@@ -1293,6 +1294,7 @@ edition = "2015"
 name = "bar"
 version = "0.1.0"
 authors = []
+readme = false
 "#,
         cargo::core::manifest::MANIFEST_PREAMBLE
     );
@@ -1360,6 +1362,7 @@ fn package_public_dep() {
 edition = "2015"
 name = "foo"
 version = "0.0.1"
+readme = false
 
 [dependencies.bar]
 version = "1.0.0"
@@ -1378,6 +1381,7 @@ version = "1.0.0"
 edition = "2015"
 name = "foo"
 version = "0.0.1"
+readme = false
 
 [dependencies.bar]
 version = "1.0.0"
@@ -2855,6 +2859,7 @@ fn workspace_overrides_resolver() {
 edition = "2021"
 name = "bar"
 version = "0.1.0"
+readme = false
 resolver = "1"
 "#,
         cargo::core::manifest::MANIFEST_PREAMBLE
@@ -2874,6 +2879,7 @@ resolver = "1"
 edition = "2015"
 name = "baz"
 version = "0.1.0"
+readme = false
 "#,
         cargo::core::manifest::MANIFEST_PREAMBLE
     );
@@ -2938,6 +2944,7 @@ authors = []
 exclude = ["*.txt"]
 description = "foo"
 homepage = "https://example.com/"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 "#,
         cargo::core::manifest::MANIFEST_PREAMBLE
@@ -3032,6 +3039,7 @@ version = "0.0.1"
 authors = []
 description = "foo"
 documentation = "https://example.com/"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 "#,
         cargo::core::manifest::MANIFEST_PREAMBLE
@@ -3139,6 +3147,7 @@ version = "0.0.1"
 authors = []
 description = "foo"
 homepage = "https://example.com/"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 "#,
         cargo::core::manifest::MANIFEST_PREAMBLE
@@ -3319,6 +3328,7 @@ version = "0.0.1"
 authors = []
 exclude = ["*.txt"]
 description = "foo"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 
 [[test]]
@@ -3819,6 +3829,7 @@ include = [
 ]
 description = "foo"
 documentation = "docs.rs/foo"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 "#,
         )],
@@ -3885,6 +3896,7 @@ authors = []
 include = ["src/lib.rs"]
 description = "foo"
 documentation = "docs.rs/foo"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 "#,
         )],
@@ -3956,6 +3968,7 @@ include = [
 ]
 description = "foo"
 documentation = "docs.rs/foo"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 "#,
         )],
@@ -4070,6 +4083,7 @@ include = [
 ]
 description = "foo"
 documentation = "docs.rs/foo"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 "#,
         )],
@@ -4136,6 +4150,7 @@ authors = []
 include = ["src/main.rs"]
 description = "foo"
 documentation = "docs.rs/foo"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 "#,
         )],
@@ -4214,6 +4229,7 @@ include = [
 ]
 description = "foo"
 documentation = "docs.rs/foo"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 
 [lib]
@@ -4342,6 +4358,7 @@ include = [
 ]
 description = "foo"
 documentation = "docs.rs/foo"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 "#,
         )],
@@ -4411,6 +4428,7 @@ authors = []
 include = ["src/lib.rs"]
 description = "foo"
 documentation = "docs.rs/foo"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 "#,
         )],
@@ -4507,6 +4525,7 @@ include = [
 ]
 description = "foo"
 documentation = "docs.rs/foo"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 
 [[bin]]
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/publish.rs b/tests/testsuite/publish.rs
index f61818326..e54e1ec2b 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/publish.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/publish.rs
@@ -1561,6 +1561,7 @@ You may press ctrl-c [..]
                      version = \"0.1.0\"\n\
                      authors = []\n\
                      description = \"foo\"\n\
+                     readme = false\n\
                      license = \"MIT\"\n\
                      \n\
                      [dependencies.dep1]\n\
@@ -1675,6 +1676,7 @@ authors = []
 description = "foo"
 homepage = "foo"
 documentation = "foo"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 repository = "foo"
 
@@ -1934,6 +1936,7 @@ authors = []
 description = "foo"
 homepage = "foo"
 documentation = "foo"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 repository = "foo"
 
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/weak_dep_features.rs b/tests/testsuite/weak_dep_features.rs
index 069550193..ef0c503e1 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/weak_dep_features.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/weak_dep_features.rs
@@ -632,6 +632,7 @@ name = "foo"
 version = "0.1.0"
 description = "foo"
 homepage = "https://example.com/"
+readme = false
 license = "MIT"
 
 [dependencies.bar]