diff --git a/domain/category/mysql/store.go b/domain/category/mysql/store.go
index 991c39ba..32ca0f23 100644
--- a/domain/category/mysql/store.go
+++ b/domain/category/mysql/store.go
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetBySpace(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (c []catego
 
 // GetAllBySpace returns all space categories.
 func (s Scope) GetAllBySpace(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (c []category.Category, err error) {
+	c = []category.Category{}
+
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&c, `
 		SELECT id, refid, orgid, labelid, category, created, revised FROM category
 		WHERE orgid=? AND labelid=?
@@ -80,9 +82,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetAllBySpace(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (c []cat
 		))
 	  ORDER BY category`, ctx.OrgID, spaceID, ctx.OrgID, ctx.OrgID, ctx.UserID, ctx.OrgID, ctx.UserID)
 
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || len(c) == 0 {
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
-		c = []category.Category{}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("unable to execute select all categories for space %s", spaceID))
@@ -190,6 +191,8 @@ func (s Scope) DeleteBySpace(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (rows in
 
 // GetSpaceCategorySummary returns number of documents and users for space categories.
 func (s Scope) GetSpaceCategorySummary(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (c []category.SummaryModel, err error) {
+	c = []category.SummaryModel{}
+
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&c, `
 		SELECT 'documents' as type, categoryid, COUNT(*) as count
 			FROM categorymember
@@ -202,9 +205,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetSpaceCategorySummary(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string
 			GROUP BY refid, type`,
 		ctx.OrgID, spaceID, ctx.OrgID, ctx.OrgID, spaceID /*, ctx.OrgID, ctx.OrgID, spaceID*/)
 
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || len(c) == 0 {
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
-		c = []category.SummaryModel{}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("select category summary for space %s", spaceID))
@@ -215,12 +217,13 @@ func (s Scope) GetSpaceCategorySummary(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string
 
 // GetDocumentCategoryMembership returns all space categories associated with given document.
 func (s Scope) GetDocumentCategoryMembership(ctx domain.RequestContext, documentID string) (c []category.Category, err error) {
+	c = []category.Category{}
+
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&c, `
 		SELECT id, refid, orgid, labelid, category, created, revised FROM category
 		WHERE orgid=? AND refid IN (SELECT categoryid FROM categorymember WHERE orgid=? AND documentid=?)`, ctx.OrgID, ctx.OrgID, documentID)
 
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || len(c) == 0 {
-		c = []category.Category{}
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
 	}
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/domain/document/mysql/store.go b/domain/document/mysql/store.go
index 099a08db..6629e26b 100644
--- a/domain/document/mysql/store.go
+++ b/domain/document/mysql/store.go
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ func (s Scope) DocumentMeta(ctx domain.RequestContext, id string) (meta doc.Docu
 // All versions of a document are returned, hence caller must
 // decide what to do with them.
 func (s Scope) GetBySpace(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (documents []doc.Document, err error) {
+	documents = []doc.Document{}
+
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&documents, `
         SELECT id, refid, orgid, labelid, userid, job, location, title, excerpt, slug, tags, template,
             protection, approval, lifecycle, versioned, versionid, versionorder, groupid, created, revised
@@ -120,9 +122,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetBySpace(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (documents
 		)
 		ORDER BY title, versionorder`, ctx.OrgID, ctx.OrgID, ctx.OrgID, spaceID, ctx.OrgID, ctx.UserID, ctx.OrgID, spaceID, ctx.UserID)
 
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || len(documents) == 0 {
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
-		documents = []doc.Document{}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, "select documents by space")
@@ -303,15 +304,16 @@ func (s Scope) DeleteBySpace(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (rows in
 // All versions of a document are returned, hence caller must
 // decide what to do with them.
 func (s Scope) GetVersions(ctx domain.RequestContext, groupID string) (v []doc.Version, err error) {
+	v = []doc.Version{}
+
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&v, `
         SELECT versionid, refid as documentid
 		FROM document
 		WHERE orgid=? AND groupid=?
 		ORDER BY versionorder`, ctx.OrgID, groupID)
 
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || len(v) == 0 {
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
-		v = []doc.Version{}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, "document.store.GetVersions")
diff --git a/domain/permission/mysql/store.go b/domain/permission/mysql/store.go
index 1000e840..aca82974 100644
--- a/domain/permission/mysql/store.go
+++ b/domain/permission/mysql/store.go
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ func (s Scope) AddPermissions(ctx domain.RequestContext, r permission.Permission
 // Context is used to for userID because must match by userID
 // or everyone ID of 0.
 func (s Scope) GetUserSpacePermissions(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (r []permission.Permission, err error) {
+	r = []permission.Permission{}
+
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&r, `
 		SELECT id, orgid, who, whoid, action, scope, location, refid
 			FROM permission
@@ -73,9 +75,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetUserSpacePermissions(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string
 			WHERE p.orgid=? AND p.location='space' AND refid=? AND p.who='role' AND (r.userid=? OR r.userid='0')`,
 		ctx.OrgID, spaceID, ctx.UserID, ctx.OrgID, spaceID, ctx.UserID)
 
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || len(r) == 0 {
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
-		r = []permission.Permission{}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("unable to execute select user permissions %s", ctx.UserID))
@@ -87,6 +88,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetUserSpacePermissions(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string
 // GetSpacePermissions returns space permissions for all users.
 // We do not filter by userID because we return permissions for all users.
 func (s Scope) GetSpacePermissions(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (r []permission.Permission, err error) {
+	r = []permission.Permission{}
+
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&r, `
 		SELECT id, orgid, who, whoid, action, scope, location, refid
 			FROM permission WHERE orgid=? AND location='space' AND refid=? AND who='user'
@@ -99,7 +102,6 @@ func (s Scope) GetSpacePermissions(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (r
 
 	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
-		r = []permission.Permission{}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("unable to execute select space permissions %s", ctx.UserID))
@@ -110,6 +112,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetSpacePermissions(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (r
 
 // GetCategoryPermissions returns category permissions for all users.
 func (s Scope) GetCategoryPermissions(ctx domain.RequestContext, catID string) (r []permission.Permission, err error) {
+	r = []permission.Permission{}
+
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&r, `
 		SELECT id, orgid, who, whoid, action, scope, location, refid
 			FROM permission
@@ -121,9 +125,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetCategoryPermissions(ctx domain.RequestContext, catID string) (
 			WHERE p.orgid=? AND p.location='category' AND p.who='role' AND (p.refid=? OR p.refid='0')`,
 		ctx.OrgID, catID, ctx.OrgID, catID)
 
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || len(r) == 0 {
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
-		r = []permission.Permission{}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("unable to execute select category permissions %s", catID))
@@ -134,6 +137,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetCategoryPermissions(ctx domain.RequestContext, catID string) (
 
 // GetCategoryUsers returns space permissions for all users.
 func (s Scope) GetCategoryUsers(ctx domain.RequestContext, catID string) (u []user.User, err error) {
+	u = []user.User{}
+
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&u, `
 		SELECT u.id, IFNULL(u.refid, '') AS refid, IFNULL(u.firstname, '') AS firstname, IFNULL(u.lastname, '') as lastname, u.email, u.initials, u.password, u.salt, u.reset, u.created, u.revised
 		FROM user u LEFT JOIN account a ON u.refid = a.userid
@@ -149,7 +154,7 @@ func (s Scope) GetCategoryUsers(ctx domain.RequestContext, catID string) (u []us
 		ORDER BY firstname, lastname`,
 		ctx.OrgID, ctx.OrgID, catID, ctx.OrgID, catID)
 
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || len(u) == 0 {
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
 		u = []user.User{}
 	}
@@ -162,6 +167,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetCategoryUsers(ctx domain.RequestContext, catID string) (u []us
 
 // GetUserCategoryPermissions returns category permissions for given user.
 func (s Scope) GetUserCategoryPermissions(ctx domain.RequestContext, userID string) (r []permission.Permission, err error) {
+	r = []permission.Permission{}
+
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&r, `
 		SELECT id, orgid, who, whoid, action, scope, location, refid
 			FROM permission WHERE orgid=? AND location='category' AND who='user' AND (whoid=? OR whoid='0')
@@ -172,9 +179,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetUserCategoryPermissions(ctx domain.RequestContext, userID stri
 			WHERE p.orgid=? AND p.location='category' AND p.who='role' AND (r.userid=? OR r.userid='0')`,
 		ctx.OrgID, userID, ctx.OrgID, userID)
 
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || len(r) == 0 {
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
-		r = []permission.Permission{}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("unable to execute select category permissions for user %s", userID))
diff --git a/domain/user/mysql/store.go b/domain/user/mysql/store.go
index 955d82cf..41f6df07 100644
--- a/domain/user/mysql/store.go
+++ b/domain/user/mysql/store.go
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetBySerial(ctx domain.RequestContext, serial string) (u user.Use
 // GetActiveUsersForOrganization returns a slice containing of active user records for the organization
 // identified in the Persister.
 func (s Scope) GetActiveUsersForOrganization(ctx domain.RequestContext) (u []user.User, err error) {
+	u = []user.User{}
+
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&u,
 		`SELECT u.id, u.refid, u.firstname, u.lastname, u.email, u.initials, u.password, u.salt, u.reset, u.lastversion, u.created, u.revised,
 		u.global, a.active, a.editor, a.admin, a.users as viewusers
@@ -118,9 +120,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetActiveUsersForOrganization(ctx domain.RequestContext) (u []use
 		ORDER BY u.firstname,u.lastname`,
 		ctx.OrgID)
 
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || len(u) == 0 {
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
-		u = []user.User{}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("get active users by org %s", ctx.OrgID))
@@ -132,6 +133,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetActiveUsersForOrganization(ctx domain.RequestContext) (u []use
 // GetUsersForOrganization returns a slice containing all of the user records for the organizaiton
 // identified in the Persister.
 func (s Scope) GetUsersForOrganization(ctx domain.RequestContext, filter string) (u []user.User, err error) {
+	u = []user.User{}
+
 	filter = strings.TrimSpace(strings.ToLower(filter))
 	likeQuery := ""
 	if len(filter) > 0 {
@@ -145,9 +148,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetUsersForOrganization(ctx domain.RequestContext, filter string)
 		WHERE u.refid=a.userid AND a.orgid=? `+likeQuery+
 			`ORDER BY u.firstname, u.lastname LIMIT 100`, ctx.OrgID)
 
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || len(u) == 0 {
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
-		u = []user.User{}
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -159,6 +161,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetUsersForOrganization(ctx domain.RequestContext, filter string)
 
 // GetSpaceUsers returns a slice containing all user records for given space.
 func (s Scope) GetSpaceUsers(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (u []user.User, err error) {
+	u = []user.User{}
+
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&u, `
 		SELECT u.id, u.refid, u.firstname, u.lastname, u.email, u.initials, u.password, u.salt, u.reset, u.created, u.lastversion, u.revised, u.global,
 		a.active, a.users AS viewusers, a.editor, a.admin
@@ -170,9 +174,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetSpaceUsers(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (u []use
 		ORDER BY u.firstname, u.lastname
 		`, ctx.OrgID, ctx.OrgID, spaceID, ctx.OrgID, spaceID)
 
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || len(u) == 0 {
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
-		u = []user.User{}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("get space users for org %s", ctx.OrgID))
@@ -183,8 +186,9 @@ func (s Scope) GetSpaceUsers(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaceID string) (u []use
 
 // GetUsersForSpaces returns users with access to specified spaces.
 func (s Scope) GetUsersForSpaces(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaces []string) (u []user.User, err error) {
+	u = []user.User{}
+
 	if len(spaces) == 0 {
-		u = []user.User{}
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -202,9 +206,8 @@ func (s Scope) GetUsersForSpaces(ctx domain.RequestContext, spaces []string) (u
 	query = s.Runtime.Db.Rebind(query)
 	err = s.Runtime.Db.Select(&u, query, args...)
 
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || len(u) == 0 {
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
-		u = []user.User{}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("get users for spaces for user %s", ctx.UserID))
@@ -282,6 +285,8 @@ func (s Scope) CountActiveUsers() (c int) {
 
 // MatchUsers returns users that have match to either firstname, lastname or email.
 func (s Scope) MatchUsers(ctx domain.RequestContext, text string, maxMatches int) (u []user.User, err error) {
+	u = []user.User{}
+
 	text = strings.TrimSpace(strings.ToLower(text))
 	likeQuery := ""
 	if len(text) > 0 {
@@ -296,9 +301,8 @@ func (s Scope) MatchUsers(ctx domain.RequestContext, text string, maxMatches int
 			`ORDER BY u.firstname,u.lastname LIMIT `+strconv.Itoa(maxMatches),
 		ctx.OrgID)
 
-	if err == sql.ErrNoRows || len(u) == 0 {
+	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
 		err = nil
-		u = []user.User{}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, fmt.Sprintf("matching users for org %s", ctx.OrgID))