diff --git a/idf_component_manager/core_utils.py b/idf_component_manager/core_utils.py
index 3c62b89..18f6126 100644
--- a/idf_component_manager/core_utils.py
+++ b/idf_component_manager/core_utils.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
     filtered_paths,
 )
 from idf_component_tools.hash_tools.constants import HASH_FILENAME
-from idf_component_tools.manager import ManifestManager
+from idf_component_tools.manager import ManifestManager, UploadMode
 from idf_component_tools.manifest import Manifest
 from idf_component_tools.manifest.constants import SLUG_BODY_REGEX
 from idf_component_tools.semver import SimpleSpec
@@ -94,7 +94,9 @@ def validate_examples_manifest(path: str) -> None:
     # Find all manifest files in examples directory
     for manifest_path in examples_path.rglob(MANIFEST_FILENAME):
         # Check if the manifest file is valid
-        ManifestManager(manifest_path, manifest_path.parent.parent.name).load()
+        ManifestManager(
+            manifest_path, manifest_path.parent.parent.name, upload_mode=UploadMode.example
+        ).load()
 
 
 def raise_component_modified_error(managed_components_dir: str, components: t.List[str]) -> None:
@@ -158,7 +160,7 @@ def parse_component_name_spec(
     match = re.match(COMPONENT_FULL_NAME_WITH_SPEC_REGEX, component_name)
     if not match:
         raise FatalError(
-            'Cannot parse COMPONENT argument. ' 'Please use format like: namespace/component=1.0.0'
+            'Cannot parse COMPONENT argument. Please use format like: namespace/component=1.0.0'
         )
 
     namespace = match.group('namespace') or default_namespace or DEFAULT_NAMESPACE
diff --git a/idf_component_tools/manager.py b/idf_component_tools/manager.py
index dd8cd65..9a2bc93 100644
--- a/idf_component_tools/manager.py
+++ b/idf_component_tools/manager.py
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ def validate(self) -> 'ManifestManager':
         from .manifest.models import (
             Manifest,
             RepositoryInfoField,
+            set_validation_context,
         )
 
         # avoid circular dependency
@@ -98,6 +99,8 @@ def validate(self) -> 'ManifestManager':
 
         manifest_dict['manifest_manager'] = self
 
+        set_validation_context({'upload_mode': self.upload_mode})
+
         self._validation_errors, self._manifest = Manifest.validate_manifest(  # type: ignore
             manifest_dict,
             upload_mode=self.upload_mode,
diff --git a/idf_component_tools/manifest/models.py b/idf_component_tools/manifest/models.py
index 3138c3b..1005076 100644
--- a/idf_component_tools/manifest/models.py
+++ b/idf_component_tools/manifest/models.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 import typing as t
 import warnings
+from contextvars import ContextVar
 from copy import deepcopy
 
 from pydantic import (
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@
 from idf_component_tools.errors import (
     InternalError,
     MetadataKeyError,
+    RunningEnvironmentError,
 )
 from idf_component_tools.hash_tools.calculate import hash_object
 from idf_component_tools.logging import suppress_logging
@@ -60,6 +62,17 @@
 from .constants import COMPILED_FULL_SLUG_REGEX, known_targets
 from .if_parser import IfClause, parse_if_clause
 
+# Context for model validation
+_manifest_validation_context: ContextVar = ContextVar('manifest_validation_context', default={})
+
+
+def set_validation_context(context: t.Dict[str, t.Any]):
+    _manifest_validation_context.set(context)
+
+
+def get_validation_context() -> t.Dict[str, t.Any]:
+    return _manifest_validation_context.get()
+
 
 class OptionalDependency(BaseModel):
     # use alias since `if` is a keyword
@@ -79,6 +92,12 @@ def validate_if_clause(cls, v: str):
                 obj.get_value()
         except ParseException:
             raise ValueError('Invalid syntax: "{}"'.format(v))
+        except RunningEnvironmentError as e:
+            if get_validation_context().get('upload_mode') not in [
+                UploadMode.example,
+                UploadMode.false,
+            ]:
+                raise e
 
         return v
 
@@ -443,7 +462,7 @@ def validate_post_init(self) -> None:
         if not self.repository and self.repository_info:
             raise ValueError('Invalid field "repository". Must set when "repository_info" is set')
 
-        if self._upload_mode != UploadMode.false:
+        if self._upload_mode == UploadMode.component:
             self._validate_while_uploading()
 
     def model_dump(self, **kwargs) -> t.Dict[str, t.Any]:
diff --git a/tests/idf_comonent_tools_tests/manifest/test_manager.py b/tests/idf_comonent_tools_tests/manifest/test_manager.py
index ab5b56e..4a82fd3 100644
--- a/tests/idf_comonent_tools_tests/manifest/test_manager.py
+++ b/tests/idf_comonent_tools_tests/manifest/test_manager.py
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
 
 from idf_component_manager.core import get_validated_manifest
 from idf_component_tools import LOGGING_NAMESPACE
-from idf_component_tools.errors import ManifestError
-from idf_component_tools.manager import ManifestManager
+from idf_component_tools.errors import ManifestError, RunningEnvironmentError
+from idf_component_tools.manager import ManifestManager, UploadMode
 
 
 def test_check_filename(tmp_path):
@@ -143,3 +143,15 @@ def test_get_validated_manifest_invalid_component_manifest(valid_manifest, tmp_p
 
     with pytest.raises(ManifestError, match='Manifest is not valid'):
         get_validated_manifest(manager, tmp_path)
+
+
+def test_env_not_expanded_with_example_manifest(valid_manifest, tmp_path):
+    valid_manifest['dependencies']['test']['rules'] = [{'if': '$MY_IDF_VAR == 1'}]
+    manifest_path = os.path.join(str(tmp_path), 'idf_component.yml')
+    with open(manifest_path, 'w') as fw:
+        yaml.dump(valid_manifest, fw)
+
+    with pytest.raises(RunningEnvironmentError):
+        ManifestManager(manifest_path, name='test', upload_mode=UploadMode.component).load()
+
+    ManifestManager(manifest_path, name='test', upload_mode=UploadMode.example).load()