diff --git a/lib/include.js b/lib/include.js
index 0e125095..a88a2458 100644
--- a/lib/include.js
+++ b/lib/include.js
@@ -528,6 +528,12 @@ Inclusion.include = function (objects, include, options, cb) {
         //process each target object
         tasks.push(targetLinkingTask);
         function targetLinkingTask(next) {
+          if (targets.length === 0) {
+            return async.each(objs, function(obj, next) {
+              processTargetObj(obj, next);
+            }, next);
+          }
+
           async.each(targets, linkManyToOne, next);
           function linkManyToOne(target, next) {
             //fix for bug in hasMany with referencesMany
@@ -537,7 +543,20 @@ Inclusion.include = function (objects, include, options, cb) {
               if (!obj) return next();
               obj.__cachedRelations[relationName].push(target);
               processTargetObj(obj, next);
-            }, next);
+            }, function(err, processedTargets) {
+              if (err) {
+                return next(err);
+              }
+
+              var objsWithEmptyRelation = objs.filter(function(obj) {
+                return obj.__cachedRelations[relationName].length === 0;
+              });
+              async.each(objsWithEmptyRelation, function(obj, next) {
+                processTargetObj(obj, next);
+              }, function(err) {
+                next(err, processedTargets);
+              });
+            });
           }
         }
 
diff --git a/test/include.test.js b/test/include.test.js
index 9c1504fb..c9b82bee 100644
--- a/test/include.test.js
+++ b/test/include.test.js
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ describe('include', function () {
           user.id.should.eql(p.ownerId);
           user.__cachedRelations.should.have.property('posts');
           user.should.have.property('posts');
+          user.toJSON().should.have.property('posts').and.be.an.Array;
           user.__cachedRelations.posts.forEach(function (pp) {
             pp.userId.should.eql(user.id);
           });
@@ -84,6 +85,27 @@ describe('include', function () {
     });
   });
 
+  it('should fetch Passport - Owner - empty Posts', function (done) {
+    Passport.findOne({where: {number: '4'}, include: {owner: 'posts'}}, function (err, passport) {
+      should.not.exist(err);
+      should.exist(passport);
+      passport.__cachedRelations.should.have.property('owner');
+
+      // The relation should be promoted as the 'owner' property
+      passport.should.have.property('owner');
+      // The __cachedRelations should be removed from json output
+      passport.toJSON().should.not.have.property('__cachedRelations');
+
+      var user = passport.__cachedRelations.owner;
+      should.exist(user);
+      user.id.should.eql(passport.ownerId);
+      user.__cachedRelations.should.have.property('posts');
+      user.should.have.property('posts');
+      user.toJSON().should.have.property('posts').and.be.an.Array.with.lengthOf(0);
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
   it('should fetch Passport - Owner - Posts - alternate syntax', function (done) {
     Passport.find({include: {owner: {relation: 'posts'}}}, function (err, passports) {
       should.not.exist(err);
@@ -134,7 +156,7 @@ describe('include', function () {
     }, function (err, passports) {
       should.not.exist(err);
       should.exist(passports);
-      passports.length.should.equal(3);
+      passports.length.should.equal(4);
 
       var passport = passports[0];
       passport.number.should.equal('1');
@@ -654,7 +676,8 @@ function setup(done) {
         [
           {number: '1', ownerId: createdUsers[0].id},
           {number: '2', ownerId: createdUsers[1].id},
-          {number: '3'}
+          {number: '3'},
+          {number: '4', ownerId: createdUsers[2].id},
         ],
         function (items) {
           createdPassports = items;