diff --git a/app/views/api/v1/accounts/search/_conversation_search_result.json.jbuilder b/app/views/api/v1/accounts/search/_conversation_search_result.json.jbuilder
index a0b7e0203..bb5782b4c 100644
--- a/app/views/api/v1/accounts/search/_conversation_search_result.json.jbuilder
+++ b/app/views/api/v1/accounts/search/_conversation_search_result.json.jbuilder
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ json.id conversation.display_id
 json.account_id conversation.account_id
 json.created_at conversation.created_at.to_i
 json.message do
-  json.partial! 'message', formats: [:json], message: conversation.messages.try(:first)
+  first_message = conversation.messages.first
+  json.partial! 'message', formats: [:json], message: first_message if first_message.present?
 end
 json.contact do
   json.partial! 'contact', formats: [:json], contact: conversation.contact if conversation.try(:contact).present?
diff --git a/app/views/api/v1/accounts/search/conversations.json.jbuilder b/app/views/api/v1/accounts/search/conversations.json.jbuilder
index 70d48a89e..b95ffd03f 100644
--- a/app/views/api/v1/accounts/search/conversations.json.jbuilder
+++ b/app/views/api/v1/accounts/search/conversations.json.jbuilder
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ json.payload do
       json.account_id conversation.account_id
       json.created_at conversation.created_at.to_i
       json.message do
-        json.partial! 'message', formats: [:json], message: conversation.messages.try(:first)
+        first_message = conversation.messages.first
+        json.partial! 'message', formats: [:json], message: first_message if first_message.present?
       end
       json.contact do
         json.partial! 'contact', formats: [:json], contact: conversation.contact if conversation.try(:contact).present?
diff --git a/spec/controllers/api/v1/accounts/search_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/api/v1/accounts/search_controller_spec.rb
index 9b7b0b2f1..a6c32245a 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/api/v1/accounts/search_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/api/v1/accounts/search_controller_spec.rb
@@ -44,6 +44,23 @@ RSpec.describe 'Search', type: :request do
         expect(response_data[:payload][:contacts].length).to eq 1
         expect(response_data[:payload][:articles].length).to eq 1
       end
+
+      it 'returns matching conversations that have no messages' do
+        empty_contact = create(:contact, name: 'test empty', account: account)
+        empty_conversation = create(:conversation, account: account, contact: empty_contact)
+        create(:inbox_member, user: agent, inbox: empty_conversation.inbox)
+
+        get "/api/v1/accounts/#{account.id}/search",
+            headers: agent.create_new_auth_token,
+            params: { q: 'test' },
+            as: :json
+
+        expect(response).to have_http_status(:success)
+        response_data = JSON.parse(response.body, symbolize_names: true)
+
+        conversation_ids = response_data[:payload][:conversations].pluck(:id)
+        expect(conversation_ids).to include(empty_conversation.display_id)
+      end
     end
   end
 
@@ -169,6 +186,23 @@ RSpec.describe 'Search', type: :request do
         expect(response_data[:payload][:conversations].length).to eq 1
       end
 
+      it 'returns matching conversations that have no messages' do
+        empty_contact = create(:contact, name: 'test empty', account: account)
+        empty_conversation = create(:conversation, account: account, contact: empty_contact)
+        create(:inbox_member, user: agent, inbox: empty_conversation.inbox)
+
+        get "/api/v1/accounts/#{account.id}/search/conversations",
+            headers: agent.create_new_auth_token,
+            params: { q: 'test' },
+            as: :json
+
+        expect(response).to have_http_status(:success)
+        response_data = JSON.parse(response.body, symbolize_names: true)
+
+        conversation_ids = response_data[:payload][:conversations].pluck(:id)
+        expect(conversation_ids).to include(empty_conversation.display_id)
+      end
+
       context 'with advanced_search feature enabled', :opensearch do
         before do
           account.enable_features!('advanced_search')