diff --git a/module_build_service/views.py b/module_build_service/views.py
index ae73d353..af15b5ee 100644
--- a/module_build_service/views.py
+++ b/module_build_service/views.py
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class AbstractQueryableBuildAPI(MethodView):
                 json_func_kwargs["show_state_url"] = True
                 json_func_kwargs["api_version"] = api_version
             elif short_flag == "true" or short_flag == "1":
-                if hasattr(p_query.items[0], "short_json"):
+                if p_query.items and hasattr(p_query.items[0], "short_json"):
                     json_func_name = "short_json"
             if json_func_name == "json" or json_func_name == "extended_json":
                 # Only ModuleBuild.json and ModuleBuild.extended_json has argument db_session
diff --git a/tests/test_views/test_views.py b/tests/test_views/test_views.py
index 33b33c90..4523815a 100644
--- a/tests/test_views/test_views.py
+++ b/tests/test_views/test_views.py
@@ -524,6 +524,12 @@ class TestViews:
         assert rv.status_code == 400
         assert results == expected_error
 
+    def test_query_builds_get_short_json_from_empty_list_of_builds(self):
+        rv = self.client.get("/module-build-service/1/module-builds/?name=pkgname&short=true")
+        data = json.loads(rv.data)
+        assert [] == data["items"]
+        assert 0 == data["meta"]["total"]
+
     def test_query_component_build(self):
         rv = self.client.get("/module-build-service/1/component-builds/1")
         data = json.loads(rv.data)