Spring Data JPA Repository returns null instead of empty list

Question

I have a JPA Repository method that should return a List, but it returns null instead of an empty list when no results are found.

```java
public interface UserRepository extends JpaRepository {
    List findByActive(boolean active);
}
```

I expected an empty list but got null. Is this normal?

spring_guru · Accepted Answer

Spring Data JPA should return an empty list, not null. If you're getting null, check for these common issues:

1. **Make sure you're not using @Query with native = true without proper mapping**

2. **Check if you have any AOP aspects or interceptors** modifying the return value

3. **Ensure your repository is properly injected** (not manually instantiated)

Here's the correct usage:
```java
@Service
public class UserService {
    @Autowired
    private UserRepository userRepository;

public List getActiveUsers() {
        // This will NEVER return null in standard Spring Data JPA
        return userRepository.findByActive(true);
    }
}
```

If you're still getting null, share your complete entity and repository code.

1 Answer