diff --git a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorImpl.java b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorImpl.java
index ecfff8f0e12b785b713515a9d7b6139d4cfc6db0..31561a8e2df625e46b9cc8ed54deb41186828fc6 100644
--- a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorImpl.java
+++ b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorImpl.java
@@ -1043,6 +1043,7 @@ public class ManagedCursorImpl implements ManagedCursor {
         List<Entry> entries = Lists.newArrayListWithExpectedSize(positions.size());
         if (positions.isEmpty()) {
             callback.readEntriesComplete(entries, ctx);
+            return Collections.emptySet();
         }
 
         // filters out messages which are already acknowledged