diff --git a/web/typo3conf/ext/ep_products/Classes/Controller/AjaxSearchController.php b/web/typo3conf/ext/ep_products/Classes/Controller/AjaxSearchController.php
index 6b8da39b..b496aba9 100644
--- a/web/typo3conf/ext/ep_products/Classes/Controller/AjaxSearchController.php
+++ b/web/typo3conf/ext/ep_products/Classes/Controller/AjaxSearchController.php
@@ -91,31 +91,35 @@ class AjaxSearchController extends ActionController
     {
         $dateSelected = false;
         $organic = true;
+        $forcedConceptUid = (int) $this->settings['forcedConceptUid'];
+        $excludedConceptUids = GeneralUtility::trimExplode(',', $this->settings['excludedConceptUids']);
 
         if ($filterSettings === null) {
-            $forcedConceptUid = (int) $this->settings['forcedConceptUid'];
             $filterSettings = $this->filterService->getDefaultFilterSettings($forcedConceptUid);
-        } elseif ($filterSettings->getDateFrom() !== null || $filterSettings->getDateTo() !== null) {
+        }
+
+        if ($filterSettings->getDateFrom() !== null || $filterSettings->getDateTo() !== null) {
             $dateSelected = true;
         }
-        $excludedConceptUids = GeneralUtility::trimExplode(',', $this->settings['excludedConceptUids']);
-        $filterOptions = $this->filterService->getFilterOptions($filterSettings, $excludedConceptUids);
-        if ($filterOptions === null) {
-            $filterSettings = $this->filterService->getDefaultFilterSettings();
-            $filterOptions = $this->filterService->getFilterOptions($filterSettings, $excludedConceptUids);
-        }
+
         $searchResult = $this->searchResultService->getResult($filterSettings, $excludedConceptUids);
+
         if ($searchResult->getTotal() === 0) {
-            $filterSettings = $this->filterService->getDefaultFilterSettings();
+            $filterSettings = $this->filterService->getDefaultFilterSettings($forcedConceptUid);
             $searchResult = $this->searchResultService->getResult($filterSettings, $excludedConceptUids);
             $organic = false;
         }
+
+        $filterOptions = $this->filterService->getFilterOptions($filterSettings, $excludedConceptUids);
+
         $options = [
             'defaultDetailPageUid' => $this->settings['defaultDetailPageUid'],
             'referringPageUid' => $referringPageUid,
             'filterSettings' => $filterSettings,
         ];
+
         $this->searchResultUrlService->process($searchResult, $options);
+
         return json_encode([
             'data' => $searchResult->getData(),
             'filterOptions' => $filterOptions,
diff --git a/web/typo3conf/ext/ep_products/Classes/Service/FilterService.php b/web/typo3conf/ext/ep_products/Classes/Service/FilterService.php
index fd1f1648..fdda4349 100644
--- a/web/typo3conf/ext/ep_products/Classes/Service/FilterService.php
+++ b/web/typo3conf/ext/ep_products/Classes/Service/FilterService.php
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ class FilterService implements SingletonInterface
         }
         $filterOptionsData = static::$cache['filterOptions'][$key];
         if (count($filterOptionsData) === 0) {
-            return null;
+            return new FilterOptions();
         }
         $dateRange = $this->constrainDateRange($this->getDateRange());
         return $this->preprocessFilterOptions($filterOptionsData, $dateRange);