diff --git a/conformance/conformance.go b/conformance/conformance.go
index ce264a9441..ebca201162 100644
--- a/conformance/conformance.go
+++ b/conformance/conformance.go
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ func DefaultOptions(t *testing.T) suite.ConformanceOptions {
 		ExemptFeatures:             exemptFeatures,
 		ManifestFS:                 []fs.FS{&Manifests},
 		GatewayClassName:           *flags.GatewayClassName,
+		AddressType:                *flags.AddressType,
 		Implementation:             implementation,
 		Mode:                       *flags.Mode,
 		NamespaceAnnotations:       namespaceAnnotations,
diff --git a/conformance/tests/gateway-optional-address-value.go b/conformance/tests/gateway-optional-address-value.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..71d6e2721f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conformance/tests/gateway-optional-address-value.go
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2025 The Kubernetes Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package tests
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
+
+	v1 "sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api/apis/v1"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api/conformance/utils/kubernetes"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api/conformance/utils/suite"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api/pkg/features"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	ConformanceTests = append(ConformanceTests, GatewayOptionalAddressValue)
+}
+
+var GatewayOptionalAddressValue = suite.ConformanceTest{
+	ShortName:   "GatewayOptionalAddressValue",
+	Description: "Check Gateway Support for GatewayAddressEmpty feature",
+	Features: []features.FeatureName{
+		features.SupportGateway,
+		features.SupportGatewayAddressEmpty,
+	},
+	Provisional: true,
+	Manifests: []string{
+		"tests/gateway-optional-address-value.yaml",
+	},
+	Test: func(t *testing.T, s *suite.ConformanceTestSuite) {
+		ns := "gateway-conformance-infra"
+
+		kubernetes.NamespacesMustBeReady(t, s.Client, s.TimeoutConfig, []string{ns})
+
+		gwNN := types.NamespacedName{
+			Name:      "gateway-without-address-value",
+			Namespace: "gateway-conformance-infra",
+		}
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), s.TimeoutConfig.DefaultTestTimeout)
+		defer cancel()
+
+		t.Logf("waiting for namespace %s and Gateway %s to be ready for testing", gwNN.Namespace, gwNN.Name)
+		kubernetes.GatewayMustHaveLatestConditions(t, s.Client, s.TimeoutConfig, gwNN)
+
+		t.Logf("retrieving Gateway %s/%s", gwNN.Namespace, gwNN.Name)
+		currentGW := &v1.Gateway{}
+		err := s.Client.Get(ctx, gwNN, currentGW)
+		require.NoError(t, err, "error getting Gateway: %v", err)
+		t.Logf("verifying that the Gateway %s/%s is accepted", gwNN.Namespace, gwNN.Name)
+		_, err = kubernetes.WaitForGatewayAddress(t, s.Client, s.TimeoutConfig, kubernetes.NewGatewayRef(gwNN, "http"))
+		require.NoError(t, err, "timed out waiting for Gateway address to be assigned")
+	},
+}
diff --git a/conformance/tests/gateway-optional-address-value.yaml b/conformance/tests/gateway-optional-address-value.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..90d901ab1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conformance/tests/gateway-optional-address-value.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+---
+apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
+kind: Gateway
+metadata:
+  name: gateway-without-address-value
+  namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+spec:
+  gatewayClassName: "{GATEWAY_CLASS_NAME}"
+  addresses:
+  # This indicates an address type that will be substituted within the test suite
+  # It's currently inputted via the `address-type` flag
+  - type: "PLACEHOLDER_ADDRESS_TYPE"
+
+  listeners:
+  - name: http
+    port: 8080
+    protocol: HTTP
diff --git a/conformance/utils/flags/flags.go b/conformance/utils/flags/flags.go
index 95da9eaad1..9fdb2442a1 100644
--- a/conformance/utils/flags/flags.go
+++ b/conformance/utils/flags/flags.go
@@ -49,4 +49,5 @@ var (
 	ConformanceProfiles        = flag.String("conformance-profiles", "", "Comma-separated list of the conformance profiles to run")
 	ReportOutput               = flag.String("report-output", "", "The file where to write the conformance report")
 	SkipProvisionalTests       = flag.Bool("skip-provisional-tests", false, "Whether to skip provisional tests")
+	AddressType                = flag.String("address-type", "IPAddress", "Type of address in the gateway spec")
 )
diff --git a/conformance/utils/kubernetes/apply.go b/conformance/utils/kubernetes/apply.go
index 1b3b01d5aa..f2f8e994f2 100644
--- a/conformance/utils/kubernetes/apply.go
+++ b/conformance/utils/kubernetes/apply.go
@@ -139,6 +139,25 @@ func (a Applier) prepareGateway(t *testing.T, uObj *unstructured.Unstructured) {
 		err = unstructured.SetNestedSlice(uObj.Object, primOverlayAddrs, "spec", "addresses")
 		require.NoError(t, err, "could not overlay static addresses on Gateway %s/%s", ns, name)
 	}
+
+	//  This is being done in order to support the injection of implementation-specific address types
+	// into the test suite
+	var addresses []interface{}
+	for _, add := range gwspec.Addresses {
+		if *add.Type == "PLACEHOLDER_ADDRESS_TYPE" {
+			addresses = append(addresses, map[string]interface{}{
+				"type": a.AddressType,
+			},
+			)
+		} else {
+			addresses = append(addresses, add)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(addresses) > 0 {
+		err = unstructured.SetNestedSlice(uObj.Object, addresses, "spec", "addresses")
+		require.NoError(t, err, "could not overlay address type on Gateway %s/%s", ns, name)
+	}
 }
 
 // prepareGatewayClass adjust the spec.controllerName on the resource
diff --git a/conformance/utils/kubernetes/helpers.go b/conformance/utils/kubernetes/helpers.go
index 2b43828c09..dd5b45dc17 100644
--- a/conformance/utils/kubernetes/helpers.go
+++ b/conformance/utils/kubernetes/helpers.go
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ func WaitForGatewayAddress(t *testing.T, client client.Client, timeoutConfig con
 		port = strconv.FormatInt(int64(listener.Port), 10)
 
 		for _, address := range gw.Status.Addresses {
-			if address.Type != nil && (*address.Type == gatewayv1.IPAddressType || *address.Type == v1alpha2.HostnameAddressType) {
+			if address.Type != nil {
 				ipAddr = address.Value
 				return true, nil
 			}