diff --git a/app/models/issue_query.rb b/app/models/issue_query.rb
index a0420c994..192dfdd0f 100644
--- a/app/models/issue_query.rb
+++ b/app/models/issue_query.rb
@@ -736,6 +736,8 @@ class IssueQuery < Query
              " WHERE #{IssueRelation.table_name}.relation_type =" \
                   " '#{self.class.connection.quote_string(relation_type)}')"
       when "=", "!"
+        return '1=0' if ids.empty?
+
         op = (operator == "=" ? 'IN' : 'NOT IN')
         "#{Issue.table_name}.id #{op}" \
          " (SELECT DISTINCT #{IssueRelation.table_name}.#{join_column}" \
diff --git a/test/unit/query_test.rb b/test/unit/query_test.rb
index 8c5b5e1c8..bb3eecb04 100644
--- a/test/unit/query_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/query_test.rb
@@ -1650,6 +1650,10 @@ class QueryTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     query.filters = {"relates" => {:operator => '=', :values => ['1,2']}}
     assert_equal [1, 2, 3], find_issues_with_query(query).map(&:id).sort
 
+    query = IssueQuery.new(:name => '_')
+    query.filters = {"relates" => {:operator => '=', :values => ['invalid']}}
+    assert_equal [], find_issues_with_query(query).map(&:id)
+
     query = IssueQuery.new(:name => '_')
     query.filters = {"relates" => {:operator => '!', :values => ['1']}}
     assert_equal Issue.where.not(:id => [2, 3]).order(:id).ids, find_issues_with_query(query).map(&:id).sort