diff --git a/lamindb/core/_django.py b/lamindb/core/_django.py
index 1d780c8d3..4c72dfa02 100644
--- a/lamindb/core/_django.py
+++ b/lamindb/core/_django.py
@@ -140,18 +140,21 @@ def get_artifact_with_related(
                     artifact, {i["featureset"]: i["slot"] for i in v}
                 )
 
-    m2m_any_expr = reduce(
-        lambda a, b: a | b,
-        (Q(**{f"{m2m_name}__isnull": False}) for m2m_name in m2m_relations),
-    )
-    # this is needed to avoid querying all m2m relations even if they are all empty
-    # this checks if non-empty m2m relations are present in the record
-    m2m_any = (
-        model.objects.using(artifact._state.db)
-        .filter(uid=artifact.uid)
-        .filter(m2m_any_expr)
-        .exists()
-    )
+    if len(m2m_relations) == 0:
+        m2m_any = False
+    else:
+        m2m_any_expr = reduce(
+            lambda a, b: a | b,
+            (Q(**{f"{m2m_name}__isnull": False}) for m2m_name in m2m_relations),
+        )
+        # this is needed to avoid querying all m2m relations even if they are all empty
+        # this checks if non-empty m2m relations are present in the record
+        m2m_any = (
+            model.objects.using(artifact._state.db)
+            .filter(uid=artifact.uid)
+            .filter(m2m_any_expr)
+            .exists()
+        )
     if m2m_any:
         m2m_data = related_data["m2m"]
         for m2m_name in m2m_relations: