diff --git a/worker/task.go b/worker/task.go
index d2407b9a551..e773f5e318c 100644
--- a/worker/task.go
+++ b/worker/task.go
@@ -384,7 +384,11 @@ func (qs *queryState) handleValuePostings(ctx context.Context, args funcArgs) er
 
 			vals, fcs, err := retrieveValuesAndFacets(args, pl, listType)
 			switch {
-			case err == posting.ErrNoValue || len(vals) == 0:
+			case err == posting.ErrNoValue || (err == nil && len(vals) == 0):
+				// This branch is taken when the value does not exist in the pl or
+				// the number of values retreived is zero (there could still be facets).
+				// We add empty lists to the UidMatrix, FaceMatrix, ValueMatrix and
+				// LangMatrix so that all these data structure have predicatble layouts.
 				out.UidMatrix = append(out.UidMatrix, &pb.List{})
 				out.FacetMatrix = append(out.FacetMatrix, &pb.FacetsList{})
 				if q.DoCount {