diff --git a/src/wp-includes/class-wp-term-query.php b/src/wp-includes/class-wp-term-query.php
index 45d45927a0..8ff0028ecf 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/class-wp-term-query.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/class-wp-term-query.php
@@ -457,6 +457,14 @@ class WP_Term_Query {
 				"tt.taxonomy IN ('" . implode( "', '", array_map( 'esc_sql', $taxonomies ) ) . "')";
 		}
 
+		if ( empty( $args['exclude'] ) ) {
+			$args['exclude'] = array();
+		}
+
+		if ( empty( $args['include'] ) ) {
+			$args['include'] = array();
+		}
+
 		$exclude      = $args['exclude'];
 		$exclude_tree = $args['exclude_tree'];
 		$include      = $args['include'];
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/term/getTerms.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/term/getTerms.php
index b1901886a8..41f6758045 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/term/getTerms.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/term/getTerms.php
@@ -3146,6 +3146,76 @@ class Tests_Term_getTerms extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 					'term_taxonomy_id' => array(),
 				),
 			),
+			'array exclude vs no exclude'              => array(
+				array(
+					'taxonomy' => self::$taxonomy,
+					'fields'   => 'ids',
+				),
+				array(
+					'taxonomy' => self::$taxonomy,
+					'fields'   => 'all',
+					'exclude'  => array(),
+				),
+			),
+			'array exclude vs zero exclude'            => array(
+				array(
+					'taxonomy' => self::$taxonomy,
+					'fields'   => 'ids',
+					'exclude'  => 0,
+				),
+				array(
+					'taxonomy' => self::$taxonomy,
+					'fields'   => 'all',
+					'exclude'  => array(),
+				),
+			),
+			'array exclude vs string exclude'          => array(
+				array(
+					'taxonomy' => self::$taxonomy,
+					'fields'   => 'ids',
+					'exclude'  => '',
+				),
+				array(
+					'taxonomy' => self::$taxonomy,
+					'fields'   => 'all',
+					'exclude'  => array(),
+				),
+			),
+			'array include vs no include'              => array(
+				array(
+					'taxonomy' => self::$taxonomy,
+					'fields'   => 'ids',
+				),
+				array(
+					'taxonomy' => self::$taxonomy,
+					'fields'   => 'all',
+					'include'  => array(),
+				),
+			),
+			'array include vs zero include'            => array(
+				array(
+					'taxonomy' => self::$taxonomy,
+					'fields'   => 'ids',
+					'include'  => 0,
+				),
+				array(
+					'taxonomy' => self::$taxonomy,
+					'fields'   => 'all',
+					'include'  => array(),
+				),
+			),
+			'array include vs string include'          => array(
+				array(
+					'taxonomy' => self::$taxonomy,
+					'fields'   => 'ids',
+					'include'  => '',
+				),
+				array(
+					'taxonomy' => self::$taxonomy,
+					'fields'   => 'all',
+					'include'  => array(),
+				),
+			),
 			'array 1 slug vs string slug'              => array(
 				array(
 					'taxonomy' => self::$taxonomy,