diff --git src/bp-activity/bp-activity-filters.php src/bp-activity/bp-activity-filters.php
index 494133c..d9e2624 100644
--- src/bp-activity/bp-activity-filters.php
+++ src/bp-activity/bp-activity-filters.php
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@ add_filter( 'bp_activity_set_just-me_scope_args', 'bp_activity_filter_just_me_sc
 function bp_activity_filter_favorites_scope( $retval, $filter ) {
 	$favs = bp_activity_get_user_favorites( $filter['user_id'] );
 	if ( empty( $favs ) ) {
-		return $retval;
+		$favs = array( 0 );
 	}
 
 	$retval = array(
diff --git src/bp-friends/bp-friends-activity.php src/bp-friends/bp-friends-activity.php
index 38b9f2d..055a38c 100644
--- src/bp-friends/bp-friends-activity.php
+++ src/bp-friends/bp-friends-activity.php
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ function bp_friends_filter_activity_scope( $retval, $filter ) {
 	$friends = friends_get_friend_user_ids( $filter['user_id'] );
 
 	if ( empty( $friends ) ) {
-		return $retval;
+		$friends = array( 0 );
 	}
 
 	$retval= array(
diff --git src/bp-groups/bp-groups-activity.php src/bp-groups/bp-groups-activity.php
index 361ac24..467d6b0 100644
--- src/bp-groups/bp-groups-activity.php
+++ src/bp-groups/bp-groups-activity.php
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ function bp_groups_filter_activity_scope( $retval, $filter ) {
 	$groups = groups_get_user_groups( $filter['user_id'] );
 
 	if ( empty( $groups['groups'] ) ) {
-		return $retval;
+		$groups = array( 'groups' => 0 );
 	}
 
 	$retval= array(
diff --git tests/phpunit/testcases/activity/template.php tests/phpunit/testcases/activity/template.php
index 8b6e714..e3e01c7 100644
--- tests/phpunit/testcases/activity/template.php
+++ tests/phpunit/testcases/activity/template.php
@@ -342,6 +342,138 @@ class BP_Tests_Activity_Template extends BP_UnitTestCase {
 	}
 
 	/**
+	 * @group scope
+	 * @group filter_query
+	 * @group BP_Activity_Query
+	 */
+	function test_bp_has_activities_scope_friends_no_items() {
+		$u1 = $this->factory->user->create();
+
+		$now = time();
+
+		// Create a random activity
+		$a1 = $this->factory->activity->create( array(
+			'user_id' => $u1,
+			'type' => 'activity_update',
+			'recorded_time' => date( 'Y-m-d H:i:s', $now ),
+		) );
+
+		global $activities_template;
+		$reset_activities_template = $activities_template;
+
+		// grab activities from friends scope
+		bp_has_activities( array(
+			'user_id' => $u1,
+			'scope' => 'friends',
+		) );
+
+		// assert!
+		$this->assertEmpty( $activities_template->activities, 'When a user does not have any friendship, no activities should be fetched when on friends scope' );
+
+		// clean up!
+		$activities_template = $reset_activities_template;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @group scope
+	 * @group filter_query
+	 * @group BP_Activity_Query
+	 */
+	function test_bp_has_activities_scope_favorites_no_items() {
+		$u1 = $this->factory->user->create();
+
+		$now = time();
+
+		// Create a random activity
+		$a1 = $this->factory->activity->create( array(
+			'user_id' => $u1,
+			'type' => 'activity_update',
+			'recorded_time' => date( 'Y-m-d H:i:s', $now ),
+		) );
+
+		global $activities_template;
+		$reset_activities_template = $activities_template;
+
+		// grab activities from favorites scope
+		bp_has_activities( array(
+			'user_id' => $u1,
+			'scope' => 'favorites',
+		) );
+
+		// assert!
+		$this->assertEmpty( $activities_template->activities, 'When a user has not favorited any activity, no activities should be fetched when on favorites scope' );
+
+		// clean up!
+		$activities_template = $reset_activities_template;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @group scope
+	 * @group filter_query
+	 * @group BP_Activity_Query
+	 */
+	function test_bp_has_activities_scope_groups_no_items() {
+		$u1 = $this->factory->user->create();
+
+		$now = time();
+
+		// Create a random activity
+		$a1 = $this->factory->activity->create( array(
+			'user_id' => $u1,
+			'type' => 'activity_update',
+			'recorded_time' => date( 'Y-m-d H:i:s', $now ),
+		) );
+
+		global $activities_template;
+		$reset_activities_template = $activities_template;
+
+		// grab activities from groups scope
+		bp_has_activities( array(
+			'user_id' => $u1,
+			'scope' => 'groups',
+		) );
+
+		// assert!
+		$this->assertEmpty( $activities_template->activities, 'When a user is not a member of any group, no activities should be fetched when on groups scope' );
+
+		// clean up!
+		$activities_template = $reset_activities_template;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @group scope
+	 * @group filter_query
+	 * @group BP_Activity_Query
+	 */
+	function test_bp_has_activities_scope_mentions_no_items() {
+		$u1 = $this->factory->user->create();
+
+		$now = time();
+
+		// Create a random activity
+		$a1 = $this->factory->activity->create( array(
+			'user_id' => $u1,
+			'type' => 'activity_update',
+			'recorded_time' => date( 'Y-m-d H:i:s', $now ),
+		) );
+
+		global $activities_template;
+		$reset_activities_template = $activities_template;
+
+		// grab activities from mentions scope
+		bp_has_activities( array(
+			'user_id' => $u1,
+			'scope' => 'mentions',
+		) );
+
+		// assert!
+		$this->assertEmpty( $activities_template->activities, 'When a user has no mention, no activities should be fetched when on the mentions scope' );
+
+		// clean up!
+		$activities_template = $reset_activities_template;
+	}
+
+	/**
 	 * @group filter_query
 	 * @group BP_Activity_Query
 	 */