diff --git a/src/topics/unread.js b/src/topics/unread.js
index 4683395f6f..a12f1c4d77 100644
--- a/src/topics/unread.js
+++ b/src/topics/unread.js
@@ -154,11 +154,9 @@ module.exports = function(Topics) {
 			return callback();
 		}
 		tids = tids.filter(Boolean);
-
-		var now = Date.now();
-		var scores = tids.map(function(tid) {
-			return now;
-		});
+		if (!tids.length) {
+			return callback();
+		}
 
 		async.parallel({
 			topicScores: function(next) {
@@ -180,6 +178,11 @@ module.exports = function(Topics) {
 				return callback();
 			}
 
+			var now = Date.now();
+			var scores = tids.map(function(tid) {
+				return now;
+			});
+
 			async.parallel({
 				markRead: function(next) {
 					db.sortedSetAdd('uid:' + uid + ':tids_read', scores, tids, next);