diff --git a/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier.go b/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier.go
index 5f8094ef605..00f14f50b32 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier.go
@@ -1354,24 +1354,19 @@ func (proxier *Proxier) syncProxyRules() {
 			if len(localEndpoints) != 0 {
 				// Write rules jumping from localPolicyChain to localEndpointChains
 				proxier.writeServiceToEndpointRules(svcNameString, svcInfo, localPolicyChain, localEndpoints, args)
-			} else {
+			} else if hasEndpoints {
 				if svcInfo.InternalPolicyLocal() && utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.ServiceInternalTrafficPolicy) {
 					serviceNoLocalEndpointsTotalInternal++
 				}
 				if svcInfo.ExternalPolicyLocal() {
 					serviceNoLocalEndpointsTotalExternal++
 				}
-				if hasEndpoints {
-					// Blackhole all traffic since there are no local endpoints
-					args = append(args[:0],
-						"-A", string(localPolicyChain),
-						"-m", "comment", "--comment",
-						fmt.Sprintf(`"%s has no local endpoints"`, svcNameString),
-						"-j",
-						string(KubeMarkDropChain),
-					)
-					proxier.natRules.Write(args)
-				}
+				// Blackhole all traffic since there are no local endpoints
+				proxier.natRules.Write(
+					"-A", string(localPolicyChain),
+					"-m", "comment", "--comment",
+					fmt.Sprintf(`"%s has no local endpoints"`, svcNameString),
+					"-j", string(KubeMarkDropChain))
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier_test.go b/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier_test.go
index defeefe4908..707f8fa1d52 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier_test.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier_test.go
@@ -7743,6 +7743,14 @@ func TestNoEndpointsMetric(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedSyncProxyRulesNoLocalEndpointsTotalInternal: 1,
 			expectedSyncProxyRulesNoLocalEndpointsTotalExternal: 1,
 		},
+		{
+			name:                  "both policies are set and there are no endpoints at all",
+			internalTrafficPolicy: &internalTrafficPolicyLocal,
+			externalTrafficPolicy: externalTrafficPolicyLocal,
+			endpoints:             []endpoint{},
+			expectedSyncProxyRulesNoLocalEndpointsTotalInternal: 0,
+			expectedSyncProxyRulesNoLocalEndpointsTotalExternal: 0,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/ipvs/proxier.go b/pkg/proxy/ipvs/proxier.go
index 6dcfc2533cf..566a60bbc62 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/ipvs/proxier.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/ipvs/proxier.go
@@ -1990,7 +1990,7 @@ func (proxier *Proxier) syncEndpoint(svcPortName proxy.ServicePortName, onlyNode
 	if !ok {
 		klog.InfoS("Unable to filter endpoints due to missing service info", "servicePortName", svcPortName)
 	} else {
-		clusterEndpoints, localEndpoints, _, _ := proxy.CategorizeEndpoints(endpoints, svcInfo, proxier.nodeLabels)
+		clusterEndpoints, localEndpoints, _, hasAnyEndpoints := proxy.CategorizeEndpoints(endpoints, svcInfo, proxier.nodeLabels)
 		if onlyNodeLocalEndpoints {
 			if len(localEndpoints) > 0 {
 				endpoints = localEndpoints
@@ -2001,11 +2001,11 @@ func (proxier *Proxier) syncEndpoint(svcPortName proxy.ServicePortName, onlyNode
 				// will have the POD address and will be discarded.
 				endpoints = clusterEndpoints
 
-				if svcInfo.InternalPolicyLocal() && utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.ServiceInternalTrafficPolicy) {
+				if hasAnyEndpoints && svcInfo.InternalPolicyLocal() && utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.ServiceInternalTrafficPolicy) {
 					proxier.serviceNoLocalEndpointsInternal.Insert(svcPortName.NamespacedName.String())
 				}
 
-				if svcInfo.ExternalPolicyLocal() {
+				if hasAnyEndpoints && svcInfo.ExternalPolicyLocal() {
 					proxier.serviceNoLocalEndpointsExternal.Insert(svcPortName.NamespacedName.String())
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/ipvs/proxier_test.go b/pkg/proxy/ipvs/proxier_test.go
index 81d6e8b66b4..79315d0dd8e 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/ipvs/proxier_test.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/ipvs/proxier_test.go
@@ -5838,7 +5838,7 @@ func TestNoEndpointsMetric(t *testing.T) {
 		expectedSyncProxyRulesNoLocalEndpointsTotalExternal int
 	}{
 		{
-			name:                  "internalTrafficPolicy is set and there is non-zero local endpoints",
+			name:                  "internalTrafficPolicy is set and there are local endpoints",
 			internalTrafficPolicy: &internalTrafficPolicyLocal,
 			endpoints: []endpoint{
 				{"10.0.1.1", testHostname},
@@ -5847,7 +5847,7 @@ func TestNoEndpointsMetric(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			name:                  "externalTrafficPolicy is set and there is non-zero local endpoints",
+			name:                  "externalTrafficPolicy is set and there are local endpoints",
 			externalTrafficPolicy: externalTrafficPolicyLocal,
 			endpoints: []endpoint{
 				{"10.0.1.1", testHostname},
@@ -5856,7 +5856,7 @@ func TestNoEndpointsMetric(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			name:                  "both policies are set and there is non-zero local endpoints",
+			name:                  "both policies are set and there are local endpoints",
 			internalTrafficPolicy: &internalTrafficPolicyLocal,
 			externalTrafficPolicy: externalTrafficPolicyLocal,
 			endpoints: []endpoint{
@@ -5866,7 +5866,7 @@ func TestNoEndpointsMetric(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			name:                  "internalTrafficPolicy is set and there is zero local endpoint",
+			name:                  "internalTrafficPolicy is set and there are no local endpoints",
 			internalTrafficPolicy: &internalTrafficPolicyLocal,
 			endpoints: []endpoint{
 				{"10.0.1.1", "host0"},
@@ -5876,7 +5876,7 @@ func TestNoEndpointsMetric(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedSyncProxyRulesNoLocalEndpointsTotalInternal: 1,
 		},
 		{
-			name:                  "externalTrafficPolicy is set and there is zero local endpoint",
+			name:                  "externalTrafficPolicy is set and there are no local endpoints",
 			externalTrafficPolicy: externalTrafficPolicyLocal,
 			endpoints: []endpoint{
 				{"10.0.1.1", "host0"},
@@ -5886,7 +5886,7 @@ func TestNoEndpointsMetric(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedSyncProxyRulesNoLocalEndpointsTotalExternal: 1,
 		},
 		{
-			name:                  "Both policies are set and there is zero local endpoint",
+			name:                  "Both policies are set and there are no local endpoints",
 			internalTrafficPolicy: &internalTrafficPolicyLocal,
 			externalTrafficPolicy: externalTrafficPolicyLocal,
 			endpoints: []endpoint{
@@ -5897,6 +5897,14 @@ func TestNoEndpointsMetric(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedSyncProxyRulesNoLocalEndpointsTotalInternal: 1,
 			expectedSyncProxyRulesNoLocalEndpointsTotalExternal: 1,
 		},
+		{
+			name:                  "Both policies are set and there are no endpoints at all",
+			internalTrafficPolicy: &internalTrafficPolicyLocal,
+			externalTrafficPolicy: externalTrafficPolicyLocal,
+			endpoints:             []endpoint{},
+			expectedSyncProxyRulesNoLocalEndpointsTotalInternal: 0,
+			expectedSyncProxyRulesNoLocalEndpointsTotalExternal: 0,
+		},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		defer featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(t, utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, features.ServiceInternalTrafficPolicy, true)()