diff --git a/pkg/config/vars.go b/pkg/config/vars.go
index e604ebfa9..d02a1affa 100644
--- a/pkg/config/vars.go
+++ b/pkg/config/vars.go
@@ -76,15 +76,7 @@ func (cfg Configuration) PerformVarSubstitutions(nw map[string]string) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("match value: %s string does not compile into a regex: %w", v.Match, err)
 		}
 
-		// Check if the regex matches at all
-		if !re.MatchString(from) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("var-transform %q failed: regex %q does not match input %q (no substitution will be performed)", v.To, v.Match, from)
-		}
-
 		output := re.ReplaceAllString(from, v.Replace)
-		if output == "" {
-			return fmt.Errorf("var-transform %q resulted in empty value (from=%q, match=%q, replace=%q) - transformed variables cannot be empty", v.To, from, v.Match, v.Replace)
-		}
 		nw[nk] = output
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/config/vars_test.go b/pkg/config/vars_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 4ed5e6432..000000000
--- a/pkg/config/vars_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,156 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2025 Chainguard, Inc.
-//
-// 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 config
-
-import (
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
-	"testing"
-
-	"github.com/chainguard-dev/clog/slogtest"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-)
-
-func Test_VarTransformValidation(t *testing.T) {
-	ctx := slogtest.Context(t)
-
-	tests := []struct {
-		name          string
-		config        string
-		errorContains []string
-	}{
-		{
-			name: "regex doesn't match input (grafana case)",
-			config: `
-package:
-  name: test-no-match
-  version: 12.0.3
-  epoch: 0
-
-var-transforms:
-  - from: ${{package.version}}
-    match: '^(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\.(\d+)$'
-    replace: '$1'
-    to: mangled-package-version
-
-pipeline:
-  - runs: echo "version is ${{vars.mangled-package-version}}"
-`,
-			errorContains: []string{
-				"var-transform \"mangled-package-version\" failed: regex",
-				"does not match input \"12.0.3\"",
-				"(no substitution will be performed)",
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "var-transform results in empty value",
-			config: `
-package:
-  name: test-empty-result
-  version: 1.2.3
-  epoch: 0
-
-var-transforms:
-  - from: ${{package.version}}
-    match: '^(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)$'
-    replace: ''
-    to: empty-version
-
-pipeline:
-  - runs: echo "This should not be reached"
-`,
-			errorContains: []string{
-				"var-transform \"empty-version\" resulted in empty value",
-				"transformed variables cannot be empty",
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "empty input with regex that matches empty string",
-			config: `
-package:
-  name: test-empty-input
-  version: 1.0.0
-  epoch: 0
-
-vars:
-  empty: ""
-
-var-transforms:
-  - from: ${{vars.empty}}
-    match: '^$'
-    replace: ''
-    to: still-empty
-
-pipeline:
-  - runs: echo "empty var"
-`,
-			errorContains: []string{
-				"var-transform \"still-empty\" resulted in empty value",
-				"transformed variables cannot be empty",
-			},
-		},
-	}
-
-	for _, tt := range tests {
-		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			fp := filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "melange-test-var-transform-"+tt.name)
-			if err := os.WriteFile(fp, []byte(tt.config), 0o644); err != nil {
-				t.Fatal(err)
-			}
-			defer os.Remove(fp)
-
-			_, err := ParseConfiguration(ctx, fp)
-			require.Error(t, err)
-			for _, expected := range tt.errorContains {
-				require.Contains(t, err.Error(), expected)
-			}
-		})
-	}
-}
-
-func Test_VarTransformSuccess(t *testing.T) {
-	ctx := slogtest.Context(t)
-
-	// Test case where var-transform works correctly
-	fp := filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "melange-test-var-transform-success")
-	if err := os.WriteFile(fp, []byte(`
-package:
-  name: test-success
-  version: 12.0.3.01
-  epoch: 0
-
-var-transforms:
-  - from: ${{package.version}}
-    match: '^(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\.(\d+)$'
-    replace: '$1'
-    to: mangled-package-version
-
-pipeline:
-  - runs: echo "version is ${{vars.mangled-package-version}}"
-`), 0o644); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer os.Remove(fp)
-
-	cfg, err := ParseConfiguration(ctx, fp)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
-	// Verify the transformed variable is set correctly
-	expectedVar := "${{vars.mangled-package-version}}"
-	nw := buildConfigMap(cfg)
-	err = cfg.PerformVarSubstitutions(nw)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.Equal(t, "12.0.3", nw[expectedVar])
-}