diff --git a/crates/cargo-util-schemas/manifest.schema.json b/crates/cargo-util-schemas/manifest.schema.json
index 3b17f3267..ec63f68ee 100644
--- a/crates/cargo-util-schemas/manifest.schema.json
+++ b/crates/cargo-util-schemas/manifest.schema.json
@@ -1031,9 +1031,13 @@
       "type": "object",
       "properties": {
         "mostly-unused": {
-          "type": [
-            "boolean",
-            "null"
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "$ref": "#/$defs/TomlValue"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
           ]
         }
       }
diff --git a/crates/cargo-util-schemas/src/manifest/mod.rs b/crates/cargo-util-schemas/src/manifest/mod.rs
index bf42b3275..2aafcb4bc 100644
--- a/crates/cargo-util-schemas/src/manifest/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/cargo-util-schemas/src/manifest/mod.rs
@@ -1650,7 +1650,11 @@ pub enum TomlLintLevel {
 #[serde(rename_all = "kebab-case")]
 #[cfg_attr(feature = "unstable-schema", derive(schemars::JsonSchema))]
 pub struct Hints {
-    pub mostly_unused: Option<bool>,
+    #[cfg_attr(
+        feature = "unstable-schema",
+        schemars(with = "Option<TomlValueWrapper>")
+    )]
+    pub mostly_unused: Option<toml::Value>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug)]
diff --git a/src/cargo/core/compiler/mod.rs b/src/cargo/core/compiler/mod.rs
index 8ae261f2a..8915f16f8 100644
--- a/src/cargo/core/compiler/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/core/compiler/mod.rs
@@ -1135,7 +1135,7 @@ fn build_base_args(
         strip,
         rustflags: profile_rustflags,
         trim_paths,
-        hint_mostly_unused,
+        hint_mostly_unused: profile_hint_mostly_unused,
         ..
     } = unit.profile.clone();
     let hints = unit.pkg.hints().cloned().unwrap_or_default();
@@ -1327,15 +1327,29 @@ fn build_base_args(
         opt(cmd, "-C", "incremental=", Some(dir));
     }
 
-    if hint_mostly_unused.or(hints.mostly_unused).unwrap_or(false) {
+    let pkg_hint_mostly_unused = match hints.mostly_unused {
+        None => None,
+        Some(toml::Value::Boolean(b)) => Some(b),
+        Some(v) => {
+            bcx.gctx.shell().warn(format!(
+                "ignoring unsupported value type ({}) for 'hints.mostly-unused', which expects a boolean",
+                v.type_str()
+            ))?;
+            None
+        }
+    };
+    if profile_hint_mostly_unused
+        .or(pkg_hint_mostly_unused)
+        .unwrap_or(false)
+    {
         if bcx.gctx.cli_unstable().profile_hint_mostly_unused {
             cmd.arg("-Zhint-mostly-unused");
         } else {
-            if hint_mostly_unused.is_some() {
+            if profile_hint_mostly_unused.is_some() {
                 bcx.gctx
                     .shell()
                     .warn("ignoring 'hint-mostly-unused' profile option, pass `-Zprofile-hint-mostly-unused` to enable it")?;
-            } else if hints.mostly_unused.is_some() {
+            } else if pkg_hint_mostly_unused.is_some() {
                 bcx.gctx
                     .shell()
                     .warn("ignoring 'hints.mostly-unused', pass `-Zprofile-hint-mostly-unused` to enable it")?;
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/hints.rs b/tests/testsuite/hints.rs
index 319615e13..6cbfedacb 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/hints.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/hints.rs
@@ -91,19 +91,17 @@ fn hint_unknown_type_warn() {
         .file("src/main.rs", "fn main() {}")
         .build();
     p.cargo("check -v")
-        .with_status(101)
         .with_stderr_data(str![[r#"
 [UPDATING] `dummy-registry` index
 [LOCKING] 1 package to latest compatible version
 [DOWNLOADING] crates ...
 [DOWNLOADED] bar v1.0.0 (registry `dummy-registry`)
-[ERROR] invalid type: integer `1`, expected a boolean
- --> ../home/.cargo/registry/src/-[HASH]/bar-1.0.0/Cargo.toml:8:29
-  |
-8 |             mostly-unused = 1
-  |                             ^
-  |
-[ERROR] failed to download replaced source registry `crates-io`
+[WARNING] ignoring unsupported value type (integer) for 'hints.mostly-unused', which expects a boolean
+[CHECKING] bar v1.0.0
+[RUNNING] `rustc --crate-name bar [..]`
+[CHECKING] foo v0.0.1 ([ROOT]/foo)
+[RUNNING] `rustc --crate-name foo [..]`
+[FINISHED] `dev` profile [unoptimized + debuginfo] target(s) in [ELAPSED]s
 
 "#]])
         .with_stderr_does_not_contain("-Zhint-mostly-unused")