diff --git a/src/ORM/EagerLoadedList.php b/src/ORM/EagerLoadedList.php
index 8a53c88905d..887953538b8 100644
--- a/src/ORM/EagerLoadedList.php
+++ b/src/ORM/EagerLoadedList.php
@@ -485,28 +485,40 @@ public function find($key, $value): ?DataObject
 
     public function filter(...$args): static
     {
-        $filters = $this->normaliseFilterArgs($args, __FUNCTION__);
         $list = clone $this;
-        $list->rows = $this->getMatches($filters);
+
+        if ($list->rows) {
+            $filters = $list->normaliseFilterArgs($args, __FUNCTION__);
+            $list->rows = $this->getMatches($filters);
+        }
+
         return $list;
     }
 
     public function filterAny(...$args): static
     {
-        $filters = $this->normaliseFilterArgs($args, __FUNCTION__);
         $list = clone $this;
-        $list->rows = $this->getMatches($filters, true);
+
+        if ($list->rows) {
+            $filters = $list->normaliseFilterArgs($args, __FUNCTION__);
+            $list->rows = $this->getMatches($filters, true);
+        }
+
         return $list;
     }
 
     public function exclude(...$args): static
     {
-        $filters = $this->normaliseFilterArgs($args, __FUNCTION__);
-        $toRemove = $this->getMatches($filters);
         $list = clone $this;
-        foreach ($toRemove as $id => $row) {
-            unset($list->rows[$id]);
+
+        if ($list->rows) {
+            $filters = $list->normaliseFilterArgs($args, __FUNCTION__);
+            $toRemove = $list->getMatches($filters);
+            foreach ($toRemove as $id => $row) {
+                unset($list->rows[$id]);
+            }
         }
+
         return $list;
     }
 
@@ -517,12 +529,16 @@ public function exclude(...$args): static
      */
     public function excludeAny(...$args): static
     {
-        $filters = $this->normaliseFilterArgs($args, __FUNCTION__);
-        $toRemove = $this->getMatches($filters, true);
         $list = clone $this;
-        foreach ($toRemove as $id => $row) {
-            unset($list->rows[$id]);
+
+        if ($list->rows) {
+            $filters = $list->normaliseFilterArgs($args, __FUNCTION__);
+            $toRemove = $list->getMatches($filters, true);
+            foreach ($toRemove as $id => $row) {
+                unset($list->rows[$id]);
+            }
         }
+
         return $list;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/php/ORM/EagerLoadedListTest.php b/tests/php/ORM/EagerLoadedListTest.php
index 901502acd2a..5b2f07d195c 100644
--- a/tests/php/ORM/EagerLoadedListTest.php
+++ b/tests/php/ORM/EagerLoadedListTest.php
@@ -2345,4 +2345,21 @@ public function testDebug()
         );
         $this->assertStringEndsWith('</ul>', $result);
     }
+
+    public function testEmptyList()
+    {
+        $list = Category::get()->eagerLoad('Products');
+        $categoryA = $this->idFromFixture(Category::class, 'categorya');
+
+        /** @var Category $category */
+        foreach ($list as $category) {
+            $count = $category->Products()->filter('Title:StartsWith', 'Product')->count();
+
+            if ($category->ID == $categoryA) {
+                $this->assertEquals(2, $count);
+            } else {
+                $this->assertEquals(0, $count);
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }