diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/ActionExecutionFunction.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/ActionExecutionFunction.java
index d4ecbdb8d6a47d..9e3d8afbd79568 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/ActionExecutionFunction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/ActionExecutionFunction.java
@@ -380,7 +380,10 @@ private static Iterable<SkyKey> getInputDepKeys(
         state.requestedArtifactNestedSetKeys.add(ArtifactNestedSetKey.create(nonLeaf));
       }
 
-      state.requestedArtifactNestedSetKeys.add(ArtifactNestedSetKey.create(schedulingDependencies));
+      if (!schedulingDependencies.isEmpty()) {
+        state.requestedArtifactNestedSetKeys.add(
+            ArtifactNestedSetKey.create(schedulingDependencies));
+      }
     }
 
     return Iterables.concat(directKeys, state.requestedArtifactNestedSetKeys);