diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/annotations/Any.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/annotations/Any.java
index 6ecf6fe6a8..242ad2da2c 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/annotations/Any.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/annotations/Any.java
@@ -102,6 +102,10 @@ public @interface Any {
 
 	/**
 	 * Whether the association is optional.
+	 * <p>
+	 * If the discriminator {@link jakarta.persistence.Column Column} or the
+	 * {@link jakarta.persistence.JoinColumn JoinColumn} are not nullable the
+	 * association is always considered non-optional, regardless of this value.
 	 *
 	 * @return {@code false} if the association cannot be null.
 	 */
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/boot/model/internal/AnyBinder.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/boot/model/internal/AnyBinder.java
index 44243b9f62..b8742a3bd4 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/boot/model/internal/AnyBinder.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/boot/model/internal/AnyBinder.java
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ public class AnyBinder {
 		}
 
 		final boolean lazy = any.fetch() == FetchType.LAZY;
+		final boolean optional = any.optional();
 		final Any value = BinderHelper.buildAnyValue(
 				property.getAnnotation( Column.class ),
 				getOverridableAnnotation( property, Formula.class, context ),
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ public class AnyBinder {
 				nullability,
 				propertyHolder,
 				entityBinder,
-				any.optional(),
+				optional,
 				context
 		);
 
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ public class AnyBinder {
 		binder.setCascade( cascadeStrategy );
 		binder.setBuildingContext( context );
 		Property prop = binder.makeProperty();
+		prop.setOptional( optional && value.isNullable() );
 		//composite FK columns are in the same table, so it's OK
 		propertyHolder.addProperty( prop, columns, inferredData.getDeclaringClass() );
 	}