diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-and-push-bsky-aws.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-and-push-bsky-aws.yaml
index 36b1aa23cb3..d2f836cfeda 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-and-push-bsky-aws.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-and-push-bsky-aws.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ on:
   push:
     branches:
       - main
+      - cache-tweaks
 env:
   REGISTRY: ${{ secrets.AWS_ECR_REGISTRY_USEAST2_PACKAGES_REGISTRY }}
   USERNAME: ${{ secrets.AWS_ECR_REGISTRY_USEAST2_PACKAGES_USERNAME }}
diff --git a/packages/bsky/src/cache/read-through.ts b/packages/bsky/src/cache/read-through.ts
index b414026e086..ce63860c74d 100644
--- a/packages/bsky/src/cache/read-through.ts
+++ b/packages/bsky/src/cache/read-through.ts
@@ -17,13 +17,18 @@ export class ReadThroughCache<T> {
   constructor(public redis: Redis, public opts: CacheOptions<T>) {}
 
   private async _fetchMany(keys: string[]): Promise<Record<string, T | null>> {
+    let result: Record<string, T | null> = {}
     if (this.opts.fetchManyMethod) {
-      return this.opts.fetchManyMethod(keys)
+      result = await this.opts.fetchManyMethod(keys)
+    } else {
+      const got = await Promise.all(keys.map((k) => this.opts.fetchMethod(k)))
+      for (let i = 0; i < keys.length; i++) {
+        result[keys[i]] = got[i] ?? null
+      }
     }
-    const got = await Promise.all(keys.map((k) => this.opts.fetchMethod(k)))
-    const result: Record<string, T | null> = {}
-    for (let i = 0; i < keys.length; i++) {
-      result[keys[i]] = got[i] ?? null
+    // ensure caching negatives
+    for (const key of keys) {
+      result[key] ??= null
     }
     return result
   }
diff --git a/packages/bsky/src/services/label/index.ts b/packages/bsky/src/services/label/index.ts
index ed6691c09d0..e5748c8e38e 100644
--- a/packages/bsky/src/services/label/index.ts
+++ b/packages/bsky/src/services/label/index.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export class LabelService {
         ...cacheOpts,
         fetchMethod: async (subject: string) => {
           const res = await fetchLabelsForSubjects(db, [subject])
-          return res[subject] ?? null
+          return res[subject] ?? []
         },
         fetchManyMethod: (subjects: string[]) =>
           fetchLabelsForSubjects(db, subjects),
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ const fetchLabelsForSubjects = async (
     .where('label.uri', 'in', subjects)
     .selectAll()
     .execute()
-  return res.reduce((acc, cur) => {
+  const labelMap = res.reduce((acc, cur) => {
     acc[cur.uri] ??= []
     acc[cur.uri].push({
       ...cur,
@@ -209,4 +209,9 @@ const fetchLabelsForSubjects = async (
     })
     return acc
   }, {} as Record<string, Label[]>)
+  // ensure we cache negatives
+  for (const subject of subjects) {
+    labelMap[subject] ??= []
+  }
+  return labelMap
 }