diff --git a/src/documents/filters.py b/src/documents/filters.py
index 6abadabc0..4c2aa1ecf 100644
--- a/src/documents/filters.py
+++ b/src/documents/filters.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ from django.db.models import Sum
 from django.db.models import Value
 from django.db.models import When
 from django.db.models.functions import Cast
+from django.db.models.functions import NullIf
 from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy as _
 from django_filters import DateFilter
 from django_filters.rest_framework import BooleanFilter
@@ -868,6 +869,9 @@ class DocumentFilterSet(FilterSet):
             if self._user is not None
             else getattr(self.request, "user", None)
         )
+        queryset = queryset.alias(
+            nonempty_archive_checksum=NullIf("archive_checksum", Value("")),
+        )
 
         visible_root_documents = Document.global_objects.filter(
             root_document__isnull=True,
@@ -876,11 +880,12 @@ class DocumentFilterSet(FilterSet):
                 include_deleted=True,
             ),
         ).exclude(pk=OuterRef("pk"))
+        # see serialisers._get_viewable_duplicates().
         matching_duplicates = visible_root_documents.filter(
             Q(checksum=OuterRef("checksum"))
-            | Q(checksum=OuterRef("archive_checksum"))
+            | Q(checksum=OuterRef("nonempty_archive_checksum"))
             | Q(archive_checksum=OuterRef("checksum"))
-            | Q(archive_checksum=OuterRef("archive_checksum")),
+            | Q(archive_checksum=OuterRef("nonempty_archive_checksum")),
         )
 
         return queryset.alias(
diff --git a/src/documents/tests/test_api_documents.py b/src/documents/tests/test_api_documents.py
index 76b43ab93..2aceb3fc9 100644
--- a/src/documents/tests/test_api_documents.py
+++ b/src/documents/tests/test_api_documents.py
@@ -1009,6 +1009,16 @@ class TestDocumentApi(DirectoriesMixin, ConsumeTaskMixin, APITestCase):
             checksum="second-archive-source",
             archive_checksum="same-archive-only",
         )
+        first_empty_archive = Document.objects.create(
+            title="first empty archive",
+            checksum="first-empty-archive",
+            archive_checksum="",
+        )
+        second_empty_archive = Document.objects.create(
+            title="second empty archive",
+            checksum="second-empty-archive",
+            archive_checksum="",
+        )
         unique = Document.objects.create(title="unique", checksum="unique")
         version_root = Document.objects.create(
             title="version root",
@@ -1051,9 +1061,17 @@ class TestDocumentApi(DirectoriesMixin, ConsumeTaskMixin, APITestCase):
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, status.HTTP_200_OK)
         self.assertCountEqual(
             [document["id"] for document in response.data["results"]],
-            [unique.id, version_root.id],
+            [
+                unique.id,
+                version_root.id,
+                first_empty_archive.id,
+                second_empty_archive.id,
+            ],
         )
 
+        response = self.client.get(f"/api/documents/{first_empty_archive.id}/")
+        self.assertEqual(response.data["duplicate_documents"], [])
+
     def test_has_duplicates_filter_respects_document_permissions(self) -> None:
         owner = User.objects.create_user(username="duplicate-owner")
         requester = User.objects.create_user(username="duplicate-requester")