diff --git a/odoo/addons/test_new_api/tests/test_properties.py b/odoo/addons/test_new_api/tests/test_properties.py
index 8b423471a44..242891b6b9d 100644
--- a/odoo/addons/test_new_api/tests/test_properties.py
+++ b/odoo/addons/test_new_api/tests/test_properties.py
@@ -931,6 +931,16 @@ class PropertiesCase(TestPropertiesMixin):
                 }
             ]
 
+        self.message_3.attributes = [{
+            'type': 'selection',
+            'name': 'new_selection',
+            'string': 'My Selection',
+            'definition_changed': True,
+        }]
+        values = self.message_3.read(['attributes'])[0]['attributes'][0]
+        self.assertEqual(values.get('name'), 'new_selection')
+        self.assertEqual(values.get('selection'), [], 'Selection key should be at least an empty array (never False)')
+
     def test_properties_field_tags(self):
         """Test the behavior of the tag property.
 
@@ -1007,6 +1017,16 @@ class PropertiesCase(TestPropertiesMixin):
                 },
             ]
 
+        self.message_3.attributes = [{
+            'type': 'tags',
+            'name': 'new_tags',
+            'string': 'My tags',
+            'definition_changed': True,
+        }]
+        values = self.message_3.read(['attributes'])[0]['attributes'][0]
+        self.assertEqual(values.get('name'), 'new_tags')
+        self.assertEqual(values.get('tags'), [], 'Tags key should be at least an empty array (never False)')
+
     @mute_logger('odoo.models.unlink', 'odoo.fields')
     def test_properties_field_many2many_basic(self):
         """Test the basic operation on a many2many properties (read, write...).
diff --git a/odoo/fields.py b/odoo/fields.py
index 100ed964bc6..3dc31579844 100644
--- a/odoo/fields.py
+++ b/odoo/fields.py
@@ -3830,6 +3830,11 @@ class PropertiesDefinition(Field):
             if not property_model and 'domain' in property_definition:
                 del property_definition['domain']
 
+            if property_definition.get('type') in ('selection', 'tags'):
+                # always set at least an empty array if there's no option
+                key = property_definition['type']
+                property_definition[key] = property_definition.get(key) or []
+
             property_domain = property_definition.get('domain')
             if property_domain:
                 # some fields in the domain might have been removed