diff --git a/code/controllers/subsystem/map_vote.dm b/code/controllers/subsystem/map_vote.dm
index 0e0aea03905..6b0495613ea 100644
--- a/code/controllers/subsystem/map_vote.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/subsystem/map_vote.dm
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(map_vote)
 		filter_threshold = length(GLOB.clients)
 
 	if(filter_threshold == player_cache)
-		return
+		return null
 
 	player_cache = filter_threshold
 	var/list/valid_maps = list()
diff --git a/code/datums/votes/map_vote.dm b/code/datums/votes/map_vote.dm
index 2dba69d42a9..08f792d291d 100644
--- a/code/datums/votes/map_vote.dm
+++ b/code/datums/votes/map_vote.dm
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@
 	default_choices = SSmap_vote.get_valid_map_vote_choices()
 
 /datum/vote/map_vote/create_vote()
-	default_choices = SSmap_vote.get_valid_map_vote_choices()
+	var/list/new_choices = SSmap_vote.get_valid_map_vote_choices()
+	if (new_choices)
+		default_choices = new_choices
 	. = ..()
 	if(!.)
 		return FALSE
@@ -41,7 +43,9 @@
 	if(SSmap_vote.next_map_config)
 		return "The next map has already been selected."
 
-	default_choices = SSmap_vote.get_valid_map_vote_choices()
+	var/list/new_choices = SSmap_vote.get_valid_map_vote_choices()
+	if (new_choices)
+		default_choices = new_choices
 	var/num_choices = length(default_choices)
 	if(num_choices <= 1)
 		return "There [num_choices == 1 ? "is only one map" : "are no maps"] to choose from."