diff --git a/util/data/data.go b/util/data/data.go
index 8ade17a3..81a5fe7a 100644
--- a/util/data/data.go
+++ b/util/data/data.go
@@ -505,7 +505,12 @@ func (d *Doc) Fetch(call Fetcher, path ...string) *Doc {
 			c, _, r := d.what(p, a, choose)
 
 			if len(c) == 0 {
-				return &Doc{data: nil}
+				switch r {
+				case one:
+					return &Doc{data: nil}
+				case many:
+					return &Doc{data: []interface{}{}}
+				}
 			}
 
 			if r == one {
@@ -594,7 +599,12 @@ func (d *Doc) Set(value interface{}, path ...string) (*Doc, error) {
 			c, i, r := d.what(p, a, choose)
 
 			if len(c) == 0 {
-				return &Doc{data: nil}, nil
+				switch r {
+				case one:
+					return &Doc{data: nil}, nil
+				case many:
+					return &Doc{data: []interface{}{}}, nil
+				}
 			}
 
 			if r == one {
diff --git a/util/data/data_test.go b/util/data/data_test.go
index d69f12a4..34ab41bc 100644
--- a/util/data/data_test.go
+++ b/util/data/data_test.go
@@ -633,10 +633,10 @@ func TestOperations(t *testing.T) {
 		So(doc.Get("the.item.tags[2:4]").Data(), ShouldResemble, []interface{}{"Sticky", "Warm"})
 		So(doc.Get("the.item.tags[2:5]").Data(), ShouldResemble, []interface{}{"Sticky", "Warm"})
 		So(doc.Get("the.item.tags[2:9]").Data(), ShouldResemble, []interface{}{"Sticky", "Warm"})
-		So(doc.Get("the.item.tags[4:5]").Data(), ShouldResemble, nil)
-		So(doc.Get("the.item.tags[8:9]").Data(), ShouldResemble, nil)
-		So(doc.Get("the.item.tags[0:none]").Data(), ShouldResemble, nil)
-		So(doc.Get("the.item.tags[0:none:some]").Data(), ShouldResemble, nil)
+		So(doc.Get("the.item.tags[4:5]").Data(), ShouldResemble, []interface{}{})
+		So(doc.Get("the.item.tags[8:9]").Data(), ShouldResemble, []interface{}{})
+		So(doc.Get("the.item.tags[0:none]").Data(), ShouldResemble, []interface{}{})
+		So(doc.Get("the.item.tags[0:none:some]").Data(), ShouldResemble, []interface{}{})
 	})
 
 	Convey("Can add single to array", t, func() {