diff --git a/src/wp-includes/taxonomy.php b/src/wp-includes/taxonomy.php
index 63b505417f..dcf1b56b37 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/taxonomy.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/taxonomy.php
@@ -1041,7 +1041,7 @@ class WP_Tax_Query {
 		} elseif ( 'NOT IN' == $operator ) {
 
 			if ( empty( $terms ) ) {
-				continue;
+				return $sql;
 			}
 
 			$terms = implode( ',', $terms );
@@ -1055,7 +1055,7 @@ class WP_Tax_Query {
 		} elseif ( 'AND' == $operator ) {
 
 			if ( empty( $terms ) ) {
-				continue;
+				return $sql;
 			}
 
 			$num_terms = count( $terms );
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/term/query.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/term/query.php
index 70f3987653..57dac3610c 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/term/query.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/term/query.php
@@ -352,4 +352,57 @@ class Tests_Tax_Query extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		_unregister_taxonomy( 'wptests_tax' );
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 29738
+	 */
+	public function test_get_sql_operator_not_in_empty_terms() {
+		register_taxonomy( 'wptests_tax', 'post' );
+
+		$tq = new WP_Tax_Query( array(
+			'relation' => 'OR',
+			array(
+				'taxonomy' => 'wptests_tax',
+				'field' => 'term_id',
+				'operator' => 'NOT IN',
+				'terms' => array(),
+			),
+		) );
+
+		global $wpdb;
+		$expected = array(
+			'join' => '',
+			'where' => '',
+		);
+
+		$this->assertSame( $expected, $tq->get_sql( $wpdb->posts, 'ID' ) );
+
+		_unregister_taxonomy( 'wptests_tax' );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 29738
+	 */
+	public function test_get_sql_operator_and_empty_terms() {
+		register_taxonomy( 'wptests_tax', 'post' );
+
+		$tq = new WP_Tax_Query( array(
+			'relation' => 'OR',
+			array(
+				'taxonomy' => 'wptests_tax',
+				'field' => 'term_id',
+				'operator' => 'AND',
+				'terms' => array(),
+			),
+		) );
+
+		global $wpdb;
+		$expected = array(
+			'join' => '',
+			'where' => '',
+		);
+
+		$this->assertSame( $expected, $tq->get_sql( $wpdb->posts, 'ID' ) );
+
+		_unregister_taxonomy( 'wptests_tax' );
+	}
 }