Working around Entity Framework Core's query problem with nullable Boolean values in LINQ queries

In EF Core 2.x, queries involving nullable Boolean properties can sometimes fail to translate correctly to SQL. This usually happens when you mix bool? columns with == true or == false checks.

For example, let's you have the following LINQ query:

var q = db.Users.Where(u => u.IsActive == true);

Depending on the database provider, EF Core may not generate the expected SQL (WHERE IsActive = 1) but instead something that mishandles null values.

The workaround is to use the HasValue and Value properties of nullable types explicitly:

var q = db.Users.Where(u => u.IsActive.HasValue && u.IsActive.Value);

This ensures EF Core translates it cleanly. You can also coalesce the value:

var q = db.Users.Where(u => (u.IsActive ?? false) == true);

Most things in Entity Framework are very intuitive, but some gotchas exist. Keeping this specific pattern in mind avoids unexpected query results.