diff --git a/src/Appwrite/Messaging/Adapter/Realtime.php b/src/Appwrite/Messaging/Adapter/Realtime.php
index 05de941cb3..3149785c4c 100644
--- a/src/Appwrite/Messaging/Adapter/Realtime.php
+++ b/src/Appwrite/Messaging/Adapter/Realtime.php
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ class Realtime extends MessagingAdapter
                         $compiled = $data['compiled'] ?? ['type' => 'selectAll'];
                         $strings = $data['strings'] ?? [];
 
-                        if (!empty(RuntimeQuery::filter($compiled, $payload))) {
+                        if (RuntimeQuery::filter($compiled, $payload) !== null) {
                             $matched[$subscriptionId] = $strings;
                         }
                     }
diff --git a/src/Appwrite/Utopia/Database/RuntimeQuery.php b/src/Appwrite/Utopia/Database/RuntimeQuery.php
index cfc7fbfd7d..1db750b7ef 100644
--- a/src/Appwrite/Utopia/Database/RuntimeQuery.php
+++ b/src/Appwrite/Utopia/Database/RuntimeQuery.php
@@ -156,9 +156,9 @@ class RuntimeQuery extends Query
      *
      * @param array $compiled Result from compile()
      * @param array $payload Event payload
-     * @return array Empty array if no match, payload if match
+     * @return array|null Null if no match, payload if match
      */
-    public static function filter(array $compiled, array $payload): array
+    public static function filter(array $compiled, array $payload): ?array
     {
         // Fast path for select("*") subscriptions
         if ($compiled['type'] === 'selectAll') {
@@ -168,14 +168,14 @@ class RuntimeQuery extends Query
         // Quick rejection: if payload is missing any required attribute, fail fast
         foreach ($compiled['attributes'] as $attr) {
             if (!isset($payload[$attr]) && !\array_key_exists($attr, $payload)) {
-                return [];
+                return null;
             }
         }
 
         // Evaluate all conditions (AND logic at top level)
         foreach ($compiled['conditions'] as $condition) {
             if (!self::evaluateCondition($condition, $payload)) {
-                return [];
+                return null;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/Utopia/Database/Query/RuntimeQueryTest.php b/tests/unit/Utopia/Database/Query/RuntimeQueryTest.php
index 7745d535cf..4078e8e2c4 100644
--- a/tests/unit/Utopia/Database/Query/RuntimeQueryTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/Utopia/Database/Query/RuntimeQueryTest.php
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $queries = [Query::equal('name', ['Jane'])];
         $payload = ['name' => 'John', 'age' => 30];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter($queries, $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testFilterWithMatchingQuery(): void
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::equal('name', ['Jane']);
         $payload = ['name' => 'John'];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testEqualMultipleValuesMatch(): void
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::equal('status', ['active', 'pending', 'approved']);
         $payload = ['status' => 'rejected'];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testEqualNumericValues(): void
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::equal('missing', ['value']);
         $payload = ['name' => 'John'];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     // TYPE_NOT_EQUAL tests
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::notEqual('name', ['John']);
         $payload = ['name' => 'John'];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testNotEqualMultipleValues(): void
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::notEqual('status', ['active', 'pending']);
         $payload = ['status' => 'active'];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     // TYPE_LESSER tests
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::lessThan('age', 30);
         $payload = ['age' => 35];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testLesserEqualValue(): void
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::lessThan('age', 30);
         $payload = ['age' => 30];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testLesserMultipleValues(): void
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::lessThanEqual('age', 30);
         $payload = ['age' => 35];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testLesserEqualMultipleValues(): void
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::greaterThan('age', 30);
         $payload = ['age' => 25];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testGreaterEqualValue(): void
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::greaterThan('age', 30);
         $payload = ['age' => 30];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testGreaterMultipleValues(): void
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::greaterThanEqual('age', 30);
         $payload = ['age' => 25];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testGreaterEqualMultipleValues(): void
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::isNull('description');
         $payload = ['description' => 'Some text'];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testIsNullMissingAttribute(): void
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::isNull('missing');
         $payload = ['name' => 'John'];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     // TYPE_IS_NOT_NULL tests
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::isNotNull('description');
         $payload = ['description' => null];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testIsNotNullMissingAttribute(): void
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::isNotNull('missing');
         $payload = ['name' => 'John'];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     // TYPE_AND tests
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         ]);
         $payload = ['name' => 'John', 'age' => 30];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testAndAllFail(): void
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         ]);
         $payload = ['name' => 'John', 'age' => 30];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testAndMultipleConditions(): void
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         ]);
         $payload = ['name' => 'John', 'age' => 30];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testOrMultipleConditions(): void
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $payload = ['name' => 'John', 'age' => 30];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter($queries, $payload);
         // With AND logic, if first matches but second doesn't, should return empty
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testMultipleQueriesSecondMatches(): void
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $payload = ['name' => 'John', 'age' => 30];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter($queries, $payload);
         // With AND logic, if second matches but first doesn't, should return empty
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testMultipleQueriesNoneMatch(): void
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         ];
         $payload = ['name' => 'John', 'age' => 30];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter($queries, $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testEmptyPayload(): void
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $query = Query::equal('name', ['John']);
         $payload = [];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     public function testEmptyAndQuery(): void
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ class RuntimeQueryTest extends TestCase
         $payload = ['name' => 'John'];
         $result = $this->compileAndFilter([$query], $payload);
         // Empty OR should return false (no conditions match)
-        $this->assertEquals([], $result);
+        $this->assertNull($result);
     }
 
     // Type-specific edge cases