diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/core/orm_service.js b/addons/web/static/src/core/orm_service.js
index 710dd67f87b..b3c2f053fbc 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/core/orm_service.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/core/orm_service.js
@@ -119,7 +119,12 @@ class ORM {
 
     read(model, ids, fields, ctx) {
         validatePrimitiveList("ids", "number", ids);
-        validatePrimitiveList("fields", "string", fields);
+        if (fields) {
+            validatePrimitiveList("fields", "string", fields);
+        }
+        if (!ids.length) {
+            return Promise.resolve([]);
+        }
         return this.call(model, "read", [ids, fields], { context: ctx });
     }
 
@@ -148,7 +153,9 @@ class ORM {
 
     searchRead(model, domain, fields, options = {}, ctx = {}) {
         validateArray("domain", domain);
-        validatePrimitiveList("fields", "string", fields);
+        if (fields) {
+            validatePrimitiveList("fields", "string", fields);
+        }
         const kwargs = { context: ctx, domain, fields };
         assignOptions(kwargs, options, ["offset", "limit", "order"]);
         return this.call(model, "search_read", [], kwargs);
@@ -156,6 +163,9 @@ class ORM {
 
     unlink(model, ids, ctx) {
         validatePrimitiveList("ids", "number", ids);
+        if (!ids.length) {
+            return true;
+        }
         return this.call(model, "unlink", [ids], { context: ctx });
     }
 
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/core/orm_service_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/core/orm_service_tests.js
index a7766416548..0557d6e832b 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/core/orm_service_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/core/orm_service_tests.js
@@ -261,9 +261,9 @@ QUnit.test("silent mode", async (assert) => {
     orm.call("my_model", "my_method");
     orm.silent.call("my_model", "my_method");
     orm.call("my_model", "my_method");
-    orm.read("my_model", [], []);
-    orm.silent.read("my_model", [], []);
-    orm.read("my_model", [], []);
+    orm.read("my_model", [1], []);
+    orm.silent.read("my_model", [1], []);
+    orm.read("my_model", [1], []);
 
     assert.verifySteps([
         "/web/dataset/call_kw/my_model/my_method",
@@ -291,3 +291,27 @@ QUnit.test("validate some obviously wrong calls", async (assert) => {
         assert.strictEqual(error.message, "Invalid ids list: false");
     }
 });
+
+QUnit.test("optimize read and unlink if no ids", async (assert) => {
+    serviceRegistry.add("rpc", {
+        start() {
+            return async (route) => {
+                assert.step(route);
+            };
+        },
+    });
+    const env = await makeTestEnv();
+    const orm = env.services.orm;
+
+    await orm.read("my_model", [1], []);
+    assert.verifySteps(["/web/dataset/call_kw/my_model/read"]);
+
+    await orm.read("my_model", [], []);
+    assert.verifySteps([]);
+
+    await orm.unlink("my_model", [1], {});
+    assert.verifySteps(["/web/dataset/call_kw/my_model/unlink"]);
+
+    await orm.unlink("my_model", [], {});
+    assert.verifySteps([]);
+});