diff --git a/.github/workflows/check.yml b/.github/workflows/check.yml
index a46b7a0..b298223 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check.yml
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           stale-label: stale
           days-before-close: 7
+          close-message: Closing this issue as it has become stale.
           dry-run: true
 
       - name: Check output
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index d4574a5..3f55395 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -13,19 +13,20 @@ inputs:
     default: ${{ github.token }}
   github-repo:
     required: true
-    description: GitHub `author/repository` for which stale issues are paused
+    description: GitHub `owner/repository` for which stale issues are paused
     default: ${{ github.repository }}
   stale-label:
     required: true
     description: Label which marks an issue as stale
   days-before-close:
     required: true
-    description: Days before an issue is closed after the stale label has been added it
+    description: Days before an issue is closed after the stale label has been added to it
   close-comment:
+    required: true
     description: Comment which will be added to issues when closing
   dry-run:
     description: Run the action without effectively closing stale issues
-    default: false
+    default: 'false'
 
 outputs:
   closed-issues:
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index 1916334..b2b3d7d 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ Support boolean input list: \`true | True | TRUE | false | False | FALSE\``)}S.g
 							}
 						}
 					}
-				`,{issue:n,cursor:c});if(E=l.nodes.find(({label:{name:C}})=>C===t),!l.pageInfo.hasPreviousPage)break;c=l.pageInfo.startCursor}while(!E);if(!E){xs.default.warning(`Couldn't get labeling date for issue #${a} (${g})`);continue}let Q=(0,qt.default)(E.createdAt);if(Q.isSameOrBefore(s)){let l=Q.from(s,!0);yield{number:a,url:g,staleSince:l}}else{let l=Q.to(s,!0);xs.default.info(`Issue #${a} (${g}) is not yet stale, will become stale in ${l}`)}}}var bc=Fe(_r(),1);async function Gh({octokit:A,ownerRepo:e,closeMessage:t,dryRun:r},{number:s,url:o,staleSince:n}){if(r){bc.default.info(`Issue #${s} (${o}) is stale since ${n} and would have been closed (dry-run)`);return}t&&await A.rest.issues.createComment({...e,issue_number:s,body:t}),await A.rest.issues.update({...e,issue_number:s,state:"closed",state_reason:"not_planned"}),bc.default.info(`Issue #${s} (${o}) is stale since ${n} and has been closed`)}var ff=Fe(df(),1),mt=Fe(_r(),1);async function pf(){let A=ff.default.getOctokit(mt.default.getInput("github-token")),[e,t]=mt.default.getInput("github-repo").split("/");if(!e||!t)throw new Error('"github-repo" must be provided in form of "<owner>/<repo>"');let r={owner:e,repo:t},s=mt.default.getBooleanInput("dry-run"),o=mt.default.getInput("stale-label");try{await A.request("GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/labels/{name}",{...r,name:o,headers:{"X-GitHub-Api-Version":"2022-11-28"}})}catch{let a=`"stale-label" doesn't refer to an existing label or repository cannot be accessed`;if(s)mt.default.warning(a);else throw new Error(a)}let n=Number.parseInt(mt.default.getInput("days-before-close"));if(Number.isNaN(n))throw new TypeError('"days-before-close" must be a number');let i=mt.default.getInput("close-message")||null;return{octokit:A,ownerRepo:r,staleLabel:o,daysBeforeClose:n,closeMessage:i,dryRun:s}}try{let A=await pf(),e=Uh(A),t=[];for await(let r of e)await Gh(A,r),t.push(r.number);Wc.default.setOutput("closed-issues",t)}catch(A){let e=A instanceof Error?A.message:String(A);Wc.default.setFailed(e)}
+				`,{issue:n,cursor:c});if(E=l.nodes.find(({label:{name:C}})=>C===t),!l.pageInfo.hasPreviousPage)break;c=l.pageInfo.startCursor}while(!E);if(!E){xs.default.warning(`Couldn't get labeling date for issue #${a} (${g})`);continue}let Q=(0,qt.default)(E.createdAt);if(Q.isSameOrBefore(s)){let l=Q.from(s,!0);yield{number:a,url:g,staleSince:l}}else{let l=Q.to(s,!0);xs.default.info(`Issue #${a} (${g}) is not yet stale, will become stale in ${l}`)}}}var bc=Fe(_r(),1);async function Gh({dryRun:A,octokit:e,ownerRepo:t,closeMessage:r},{number:s,url:o,staleSince:n}){if(A){bc.default.info(`Issue #${s} (${o}) is stale since ${n} and would have been closed (dry-run)`);return}await e.rest.issues.createComment({...t,issue_number:s,body:r}),await e.rest.issues.update({...t,issue_number:s,state:"closed",state_reason:"not_planned"}),bc.default.info(`Issue #${s} (${o}) is stale since ${n} and has been closed`)}var ff=Fe(df(),1),mt=Fe(_r(),1);async function pf(){let A=ff.default.getOctokit(mt.default.getInput("github-token")),[e,t]=mt.default.getInput("github-repo").split("/");if(!e||!t)throw new Error('"github-repo" must be provided in form of "<owner>/<repo>"');let r={owner:e,repo:t},s=mt.default.getBooleanInput("dry-run"),o=mt.default.getInput("stale-label");try{await A.request("GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/labels/{name}",{...r,name:o,headers:{"X-GitHub-Api-Version":"2022-11-28"}})}catch{let a=`"stale-label" doesn't refer to an existing label or repository cannot be accessed`;if(s)mt.default.warning(a);else throw new Error(a)}let n=Number.parseInt(mt.default.getInput("days-before-close"));if(Number.isNaN(n))throw new TypeError('"days-before-close" must be a number');let i=mt.default.getInput("close-message");return{octokit:A,ownerRepo:r,staleLabel:o,daysBeforeClose:n,closeMessage:i,dryRun:s}}try{let A=await pf(),e=Uh(A),t=[];for await(let r of e)await Gh(A,r),t.push(r.number);Wc.default.setOutput("closed-issues",t)}catch(A){let e=A instanceof Error?A.message:String(A);Wc.default.setFailed(e)}
 /*! Bundled license information:
 
 undici/lib/fetch/body.js:
diff --git a/src/lib/close-issue.ts b/src/lib/close-issue.ts
index ad3de06..bf67db9 100644
--- a/src/lib/close-issue.ts
+++ b/src/lib/close-issue.ts
@@ -3,19 +3,17 @@ import core from '@actions/core';
 import type { Config } from './get-config.js';
 import type { Issue } from './get-stale-issues.js';
 
-export async function closeIssue({ octokit, ownerRepo, closeMessage, dryRun }: Config, { number, url, staleSince }: Issue) {
+export async function closeIssue({ dryRun, octokit, ownerRepo, closeMessage }: Config, { number, url, staleSince }: Issue) {
 	if (dryRun) {
 		core.info(`Issue #${number} (${url}) is stale since ${staleSince} and would have been closed (dry-run)`);
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (closeMessage) {
-		await octokit.rest.issues.createComment({
-			...ownerRepo,
-			issue_number: number,
-			body: closeMessage,
-		});
-	}
+	await octokit.rest.issues.createComment({
+		...ownerRepo,
+		issue_number: number,
+		body: closeMessage,
+	});
 
 	await octokit.rest.issues.update({
 		...ownerRepo,
diff --git a/src/lib/get-config.ts b/src/lib/get-config.ts
index 083ef01..b46649e 100644
--- a/src/lib/get-config.ts
+++ b/src/lib/get-config.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ export interface Config {
 	ownerRepo: { owner: string; repo: string };
 	staleLabel: string;
 	daysBeforeClose: number;
-	closeMessage: string | null;
+	closeMessage: string;
 	dryRun: boolean;
 }
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export async function getConfig(): Promise<Config> {
 		throw new TypeError('"days-before-close" must be a number');
 	}
 
-	const closeMessage = core.getInput('close-message') || null;
+	const closeMessage = core.getInput('close-message');
 
 	return {
 		octokit,