diff --git a/pkg/sqlite/filter.go b/pkg/sqlite/filter.go
index 7ced0130b..e6211a91e 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlite/filter.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlite/filter.go
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ type stringListCriterionHandlerBuilder struct {
 
 func (m *stringListCriterionHandlerBuilder) handler(criterion *models.StringCriterionInput) criterionHandlerFunc {
 	return func(ctx context.Context, f *filterBuilder) {
-		if criterion != nil && len(criterion.Value) > 0 {
+		if criterion != nil {
 			m.addJoinTable(f)
 
 			stringCriterionHandler(criterion, m.joinTable+"."+m.stringColumn)(ctx, f)
diff --git a/pkg/sqlite/setup_test.go b/pkg/sqlite/setup_test.go
index 92412ac89..d93ac82f8 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlite/setup_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlite/setup_test.go
@@ -1482,9 +1482,12 @@ func createStudios(ctx context.Context, sqb models.StudioReaderWriter, n int, o
 		}
 
 		// add alias
-		alias := getStudioStringValue(i, "Alias")
-		if err := sqb.UpdateAliases(ctx, created.ID, []string{alias}); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("error setting studio alias: %s", err.Error())
+		// only add aliases for some scenes
+		if i == studioIdxWithMovie || i%5 == 0 {
+			alias := getStudioStringValue(i, "Alias")
+			if err := sqb.UpdateAliases(ctx, created.ID, []string{alias}); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error setting studio alias: %s", err.Error())
+			}
 		}
 
 		studioIDs = append(studioIDs, created.ID)
diff --git a/pkg/sqlite/studio_test.go b/pkg/sqlite/studio_test.go
index 5de18fddf..4bffe4517 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlite/studio_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlite/studio_test.go
@@ -229,8 +229,9 @@ func TestStudioQueryForAutoTag(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("Error finding studios: %s", err.Error())
 		}
 
-		assert.Len(t, studios, 1)
-		assert.Equal(t, studioIDs[studioIdxWithMovie], studios[0].ID)
+		if assert.Len(t, studios, 1) {
+			assert.Equal(t, studioIDs[studioIdxWithMovie], studios[0].ID)
+		}
 
 		return nil
 	})
@@ -787,7 +788,7 @@ func TestStudioQueryName(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestStudioQueryAlias(t *testing.T) {
-	const studioIdx = 1
+	const studioIdx = studioIdxWithMovie
 	studioName := getStudioStringValue(studioIdx, "Alias")
 
 	aliasCriterion := &models.StringCriterionInput{
@@ -800,6 +801,7 @@ func TestStudioQueryAlias(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	verifyFn := func(ctx context.Context, studio *models.Studio) {
+		t.Helper()
 		aliases, err := sqlite.StudioReaderWriter.GetAliases(ctx, studio.ID)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Errorf("Error querying studios: %s", err.Error())
@@ -819,11 +821,18 @@ func TestStudioQueryAlias(t *testing.T) {
 	verifyStudioQuery(t, studioFilter, verifyFn)
 
 	aliasCriterion.Modifier = models.CriterionModifierMatchesRegex
-	aliasCriterion.Value = "studio_.*1_Alias"
+	aliasCriterion.Value = "studio_.*2_Alias"
 	verifyStudioQuery(t, studioFilter, verifyFn)
 
 	aliasCriterion.Modifier = models.CriterionModifierNotMatchesRegex
 	verifyStudioQuery(t, studioFilter, verifyFn)
+
+	aliasCriterion.Modifier = models.CriterionModifierIsNull
+	aliasCriterion.Value = ""
+	verifyStudioQuery(t, studioFilter, verifyFn)
+
+	aliasCriterion.Modifier = models.CriterionModifierNotNull
+	verifyStudioQuery(t, studioFilter, verifyFn)
 }
 
 func TestStudioUpdateAlias(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/sqlite/tag_test.go b/pkg/sqlite/tag_test.go
index 2f91658de..3a9dbd1f9 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlite/tag_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlite/tag_test.go
@@ -277,6 +277,13 @@ func TestTagQueryAlias(t *testing.T) {
 
 	aliasCriterion.Modifier = models.CriterionModifierNotMatchesRegex
 	verifyTagQuery(t, tagFilter, nil, verifyFn)
+
+	aliasCriterion.Modifier = models.CriterionModifierIsNull
+	aliasCriterion.Value = ""
+	verifyTagQuery(t, tagFilter, nil, verifyFn)
+
+	aliasCriterion.Modifier = models.CriterionModifierNotNull
+	verifyTagQuery(t, tagFilter, nil, verifyFn)
 }
 
 func verifyTagQuery(t *testing.T, tagFilter *models.TagFilterType, findFilter *models.FindFilterType, verifyFn func(ctx context.Context, t *models.Tag)) {
diff --git a/ui/v2.5/src/models/list-filter/criteria/captions.ts b/ui/v2.5/src/models/list-filter/criteria/captions.ts
index b516b8777..0ba4fc8f4 100644
--- a/ui/v2.5/src/models/list-filter/criteria/captions.ts
+++ b/ui/v2.5/src/models/list-filter/criteria/captions.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export const CaptionsCriterionOption = new CaptionsCriterionOptionType(
 
 export class CaptionCriterion extends StringCriterion {
   protected toCriterionInput() {
-    const value = valueToCode(this.value);
+    const value = valueToCode(this.value) ?? "";
 
     return {
       value,