diff --git a/command/agent/http.go b/command/agent/http.go
index ac76dedc7bc..37371f9350b 100644
--- a/command/agent/http.go
+++ b/command/agent/http.go
@@ -709,13 +709,17 @@ func parseWait(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request, b *structs.QueryOpti
 func parseConsistency(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request, b *structs.QueryOptions) {
 	query := req.URL.Query()
 	if staleVal, ok := query["stale"]; ok {
+		if len(staleVal) == 0 || staleVal[0] == "" {
+			b.AllowStale = true
+			return
+		}
 		staleQuery, err := strconv.ParseBool(staleVal[0])
 		if err != nil {
 			resp.WriteHeader(400)
-			resp.Write([]byte(fmt.Sprintf("Expect `true` or `false` for `stale` query string parameter, got %s", staleVal[0])))
+			_, _ = resp.Write([]byte(fmt.Sprintf("Expect `true` or `false` for `stale` query string parameter, got %s", staleVal[0])))
+			return
 		}
-
-		b.AllowStale = staleQuery || staleVal[0] == ""
+		b.AllowStale = staleQuery
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/command/operator_debug_test.go b/command/operator_debug_test.go
index 945c0abf59e..9409c08b665 100644
--- a/command/operator_debug_test.go
+++ b/command/operator_debug_test.go
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ func runTestCases(t *testing.T, cases testCases) {
 			require.Equalf(t, code, c.expectedCode, "expected exit code %d, got: %d: %s", c.expectedCode, code, outerr)
 			for _, expectedOutput := range c.expectedOutputs {
 				require.Contains(t, out, expectedOutput, "expected output %q, got %q", expectedOutput, out)
+
 			}
 			require.Containsf(t, outerr, c.expectedError, "expected error %q, got %q", c.expectedError, outerr)
 		})