diff --git a/agent/consul/filter.go b/agent/consul/filter.go
index 040aa8ef60..f3f16e7f13 100644
--- a/agent/consul/filter.go
+++ b/agent/consul/filter.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func (d *dirEntFilter) Move(dst, src, span int) {
 func FilterDirEnt(acl acl.ACL, ent structs.DirEntries) (structs.DirEntries, error) {
 	df := dirEntFilter{acl: acl, ent: ent}
 	filtered := ent[:FilterEntries(&df)]
-	if len(filtered) == 0 {
+	if len(ent) > 0 && len(filtered) == 0 {
 		return nil, errPermissionDenied
 	}
 	return filtered, nil
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func (k *keyFilter) Move(dst, src, span int) {
 func FilterKeys(acl acl.ACL, keys []string) ([]string, error) {
 	kf := keyFilter{acl: acl, keys: keys}
 	filteredKeys := keys[:FilterEntries(&kf)]
-	if len(filteredKeys) == 0 {
+	if len(keys) > 0 && len(filteredKeys) == 0 {
 		return nil, errPermissionDenied
 	}
 	return filteredKeys, nil
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func (t *txnResultsFilter) Move(dst, src, span int) {
 func FilterTxnResults(acl acl.ACL, results structs.TxnResults) (structs.TxnResults, error) {
 	rf := txnResultsFilter{acl: acl, results: results}
 	filtered := results[:FilterEntries(&rf)]
-	if len(filtered) == 0 {
+	if len(results) > 0 && len(filtered) == 0 {
 		return nil, errPermissionDenied
 	}
 	return filtered, nil
diff --git a/agent/consul/filter_test.go b/agent/consul/filter_test.go
index ac8fcff9f1..4ad3f2af5e 100644
--- a/agent/consul/filter_test.go
+++ b/agent/consul/filter_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ func TestFilter_DirEnt(t *testing.T) {
 			in:  []string{"abe", "foo/1", "foo/2", "foo/3", "nope"},
 			out: []string{"foo/1", "foo/2", "foo/3"},
 		},
+		tcase{
+			in:  []string{},
+			out: nil,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range cases {
@@ -78,6 +82,10 @@ func TestFilter_Keys(t *testing.T) {
 			in:  []string{"abe", "foo/1", "foo/2", "foo/3", "nope"},
 			out: []string{"foo/1", "foo/2", "foo/3"},
 		},
+		tcase{
+			in:  []string{},
+			out: []string{},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range cases {
@@ -116,6 +124,10 @@ func TestFilter_TxnResults(t *testing.T) {
 			in:  []string{"abe", "foo/1", "foo/2", "foo/3", "nope"},
 			out: []string{"foo/1", "foo/2", "foo/3"},
 		},
+		tcase{
+			in:  []string{},
+			out: nil,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range cases {