diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/response.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/response.go
index 4780c59fd42..996979443fd 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/response.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/response.go
@@ -55,20 +55,12 @@ func transformObject(ctx context.Context, obj runtime.Object, opts interface{},
 	return doTransformObject(ctx, obj, opts, mediaType, scope, req)
 }
 
+// doTransformResponseObject is used for handling all requests, including watch.
 func doTransformObject(ctx context.Context, obj runtime.Object, opts interface{}, mediaType negotiation.MediaTypeOptions, scope *RequestScope, req *http.Request) (runtime.Object, error) {
 	if _, ok := obj.(*metav1.Status); ok {
 		return obj, nil
 	}
 
-	// ensure that for empty lists we don't return <nil> items.
-	// This is safe to modify without deep-copying the object, as
-	// List objects themselves are never cached.
-	if meta.IsListType(obj) && meta.LenList(obj) == 0 {
-		if err := meta.SetList(obj, []runtime.Object{}); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-	}
-
 	switch target := mediaType.Convert; {
 	case target == nil:
 		return obj, nil
@@ -128,6 +120,7 @@ func targetEncodingForTransform(scope *RequestScope, mediaType negotiation.Media
 
 // transformResponseObject takes an object loaded from storage and performs any necessary transformations.
 // Will write the complete response object.
+// transformResponseObject is used only for handling non-streaming requests.
 func transformResponseObject(ctx context.Context, scope *RequestScope, req *http.Request, w http.ResponseWriter, statusCode int, mediaType negotiation.MediaTypeOptions, result runtime.Object) {
 	options, err := optionsForTransform(mediaType, req)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -135,6 +128,16 @@ func transformResponseObject(ctx context.Context, scope *RequestScope, req *http
 		return
 	}
 
+	// ensure that for empty lists we don't return <nil> items.
+	// This is safe to modify without deep-copying the object, as
+	// List objects themselves are never cached.
+	if meta.IsListType(result) && meta.LenList(result) == 0 {
+		if err := meta.SetList(result, []runtime.Object{}); err != nil {
+			scope.err(err, w, req)
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
 	var obj runtime.Object
 	do := func() {
 		obj, err = transformObject(ctx, result, options, mediaType, scope, req)