diff --git a/services/actions/workflow.go b/services/actions/workflow.go
index 73a805164b7..17fce34ba1a 100644
--- a/services/actions/workflow.go
+++ b/services/actions/workflow.go
@@ -144,6 +144,11 @@ func DispatchActionWorkflow(ctx reqctx.RequestContext, doer *user_model.User, re
 	if err = processInputs(workflowDispatch, inputsWithDefaults); err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
+	// The dispatch callbacks fill boolean inputs as the strings "true"/"false". Normalize them to
+	// native JSON booleans so `type: boolean` inputs match GitHub, whose `inputs` context preserves
+	// booleans as booleans. Without this, a server-side needs-gated job `if: inputs.flag == true`
+	// evaluates against the string "true" and never matches, leaving the job blocked forever.
+	coerceDispatchInputTypes(workflowDispatch, inputsWithDefaults)
 
 	// ctx.Req.PostForm -> WorkflowDispatchPayload.Inputs -> ActionRun.EventPayload -> runner: ghc.Event
 	// https://docs.github.com/en/actions/learn-github-actions/contexts#github-context
@@ -169,6 +174,23 @@ func DispatchActionWorkflow(ctx reqctx.RequestContext, doer *user_model.User, re
 	return run.ID, nil
 }
 
+// coerceDispatchInputTypes normalizes workflow_dispatch input values to the JSON types declared by
+// the workflow. Only booleans are coerced, matching GitHub, whose `inputs` context "preserves
+// Boolean values as Booleans instead of converting them to strings" while every other type stays a
+// string. workflow_dispatch has no `number` type (its input types are string, choice, boolean and
+// environment), so booleans are the complete set to coerce here.
+// A value that is already a bool is left untouched, so the coercion is idempotent.
+func coerceDispatchInputTypes(dispatch *model.WorkflowDispatch, inputs map[string]any) {
+	for name, cfg := range dispatch.Inputs {
+		if cfg.Type != "boolean" {
+			continue
+		}
+		if s, ok := inputs[name].(string); ok {
+			inputs[name] = s == "true"
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // resolveDispatchWorkflowContent returns the YAML for a dispatched workflow and records its source on the run.
 //   - Repo-level: from the consumer's runTargetCommit.
 //   - Scoped: from the source repo's default branch.
diff --git a/services/actions/workflow_test.go b/services/actions/workflow_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..62f760b8db7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/actions/workflow_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package actions
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/model"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestCoerceDispatchInputTypes(t *testing.T) {
+	dispatch := &model.WorkflowDispatch{
+		Inputs: map[string]model.WorkflowDispatchInput{
+			"build_server": {Type: "boolean"},
+			"dry_run":      {Type: "boolean"},
+			"already_bool": {Type: "boolean"},
+			"version":      {Type: "string"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	inputs := map[string]any{
+		// dispatch callbacks fill booleans as strconv.FormatBool(...) strings
+		"build_server": "true",
+		"dry_run":      "false",
+		// already-native booleans are passed through unchanged (coercion is idempotent)
+		"already_bool": true,
+		// non-boolean inputs must be left untouched
+		"version": "1.2.3",
+	}
+
+	coerceDispatchInputTypes(dispatch, inputs)
+
+	// Regression: without coercion these stay strings, and a server-side needs-gated
+	// job `if: inputs.build_server == true` never matches, leaving the job blocked.
+	assert.Equal(t, true, inputs["build_server"])
+	assert.Equal(t, false, inputs["dry_run"])
+	assert.Equal(t, true, inputs["already_bool"])
+	assert.Equal(t, "1.2.3", inputs["version"])
+}
diff --git a/tests/integration/actions_trigger_test.go b/tests/integration/actions_trigger_test.go
index aef0f3c2cc7..bea15994f40 100644
--- a/tests/integration/actions_trigger_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/actions_trigger_test.go
@@ -1162,7 +1162,7 @@ jobs:
 		assert.Contains(t, dispatchPayload.Inputs, "myinput3")
 		assert.Equal(t, "val0", dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput"])
 		assert.Equal(t, "def2", dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput2"])
-		assert.Equal(t, "true", dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput3"])
+		assert.Equal(t, true, dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput3"])
 	})
 }
 
@@ -1342,7 +1342,7 @@ jobs:
 		assert.Contains(t, dispatchPayload.Inputs, "myinput3")
 		assert.Equal(t, "val0", dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput"])
 		assert.Equal(t, "def2", dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput2"])
-		assert.Equal(t, "true", dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput3"])
+		assert.Equal(t, true, dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput3"])
 	})
 }
 
@@ -1473,7 +1473,7 @@ jobs:
 		assert.Contains(t, dispatchPayload.Inputs, "myinput3")
 		assert.Equal(t, "val0", dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput"])
 		assert.Equal(t, "def2", dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput2"])
-		assert.Equal(t, "true", dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput3"])
+		assert.Equal(t, true, dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput3"])
 	})
 }
 
@@ -1670,7 +1670,7 @@ jobs:
 		assert.Contains(t, dispatchPayload.Inputs, "myinput3")
 		assert.Equal(t, "val0", dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput"])
 		assert.Equal(t, "def2", dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput2"])
-		assert.Equal(t, "true", dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput3"])
+		assert.Equal(t, true, dispatchPayload.Inputs["myinput3"])
 	})
 }