diff --git a/src/jwt/produce.ts b/src/jwt/produce.ts
index 50f58ed084..26a7905239 100644
--- a/src/jwt/produce.ts
+++ b/src/jwt/produce.ts
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ function validateInput(label: string, input: number) {
 export class ProduceJWT {
   protected _payload!: JWTPayload
 
-  /** @param payload The JWT Claims Set object. */
-  constructor(payload: JWTPayload) {
+  /** @param payload The JWT Claims Set object. Defaults to an empty object. */
+  constructor(payload: JWTPayload = {}) {
     if (!isObject(payload)) {
       throw new TypeError('JWT Claims Set MUST be an object')
     }
diff --git a/tap/jwks.ts b/tap/jwks.ts
index 57f2f0d3c9..ab8c265e40 100644
--- a/tap/jwks.ts
+++ b/tap/jwks.ts
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ export default (QUnit: QUnit, lib: typeof jose) => {
     {
       const [jwk] = keys
       const key = await lib.importJWK({ ...jwk, alg: 'PS256' })
-      const jwt = await new lib.SignJWT({})
+      const jwt = await new lib.SignJWT()
         .setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'PS256', kid: jwk.kid })
         .sign(key)
       const { key: resolvedKey } = await lib.jwtVerify(jwt, JWKS)
diff --git a/test/jwks/remote.test.mjs b/test/jwks/remote.test.mjs
index 2de6542d90..5acffec7d6 100644
--- a/test/jwks/remote.test.mjs
+++ b/test/jwks/remote.test.mjs
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ test.serial('RemoteJWKSet', async (t) => {
   {
     const [jwk] = keys
     const key = await importJWK({ ...jwk, alg: 'PS256' })
-    const jwt = await new SignJWT({}).setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'PS256', kid: jwk.kid }).sign(key)
+    const jwt = await new SignJWT().setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'PS256', kid: jwk.kid }).sign(key)
     await t.notThrowsAsync(async () => {
       const { key: resolvedKey } = await jwtVerify(jwt, JWKS)
       t.truthy(resolvedKey)
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ test.serial('RemoteJWKSet', async (t) => {
   {
     const [jwk] = keys
     const key = await importJWK({ ...jwk, alg: 'RS256' })
-    const jwt = await new SignJWT({}).setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'RS256' }).sign(key)
+    const jwt = await new SignJWT().setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'RS256' }).sign(key)
     let error = await t.throwsAsync(jwtVerify(jwt, JWKS), {
       code: 'ERR_JWKS_MULTIPLE_MATCHING_KEYS',
       message: 'multiple matching keys found in the JSON Web Key Set',
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ test.serial('RemoteJWKSet', async (t) => {
   {
     const [, jwk] = keys
     const key = await importJWK({ ...jwk, alg: 'PS256' })
-    const jwt = await new SignJWT({}).setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'PS256', kid: jwk.kid }).sign(key)
+    const jwt = await new SignJWT().setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'PS256', kid: jwk.kid }).sign(key)
     await t.throwsAsync(jwtVerify(jwt, JWKS), {
       code: 'ERR_JWKS_NO_MATCHING_KEY',
       message: 'no applicable key found in the JSON Web Key Set',
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ test.serial('RemoteJWKSet', async (t) => {
   {
     const [, , jwk] = keys
     const key = await importJWK({ ...jwk, alg: 'ES256' })
-    const jwt = await new SignJWT({}).setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'ES256' }).sign(key)
+    const jwt = await new SignJWT().setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'ES256' }).sign(key)
     await t.notThrowsAsync(jwtVerify(jwt, JWKS))
   }
 })
@@ -247,12 +247,12 @@ test.serial('refreshes the JWKS once off cooldown', async (t) => {
   const JWKS = createRemoteJWKSet(url)
   const key = await importJWK({ ...jwk, alg: 'ES256' })
   {
-    const jwt = await new SignJWT({}).setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'ES256', kid: 'one' }).sign(key)
+    const jwt = await new SignJWT().setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'ES256', kid: 'one' }).sign(key)
     await t.notThrowsAsync(jwtVerify(jwt, JWKS))
     await t.notThrowsAsync(jwtVerify(jwt, JWKS))
   }
   {
-    const jwt = await new SignJWT({}).setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'ES256', kid: 'two' }).sign(key)
+    const jwt = await new SignJWT().setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'ES256', kid: 'two' }).sign(key)
     await t.throwsAsync(jwtVerify(jwt, JWKS), {
       code: 'ERR_JWKS_NO_MATCHING_KEY',
       message: 'no applicable key found in the JSON Web Key Set',
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ test.serial('refreshes the JWKS once stale', async (t) => {
   const JWKS = createRemoteJWKSet(url, { cacheMaxAge: 60 * 10 * 1000 })
   const key = await importJWK({ ...jwk, alg: 'ES256' })
   {
-    const jwt = await new SignJWT({}).setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'ES256', kid: 'one' }).sign(key)
+    const jwt = await new SignJWT().setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'ES256', kid: 'one' }).sign(key)
     await t.notThrowsAsync(jwtVerify(jwt, JWKS))
     await t.notThrowsAsync(jwtVerify(jwt, JWKS))
     timekeeper.travel((now + 60 * 10) * 1000)
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ test.serial('can be configured to never be stale', async (t) => {
   const JWKS = createRemoteJWKSet(url, { cacheMaxAge: Infinity })
   const key = await importJWK({ ...jwk, alg: 'ES256' })
   {
-    const jwt = await new SignJWT({}).setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'ES256', kid: 'one' }).sign(key)
+    const jwt = await new SignJWT().setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'ES256', kid: 'one' }).sign(key)
     await t.notThrowsAsync(jwtVerify(jwt, JWKS))
     await t.notThrowsAsync(jwtVerify(jwt, JWKS))
     timekeeper.travel((now + 60 * 10) * 1000)
diff --git a/test/jwt/encrypt.test.mjs b/test/jwt/encrypt.test.mjs
index d01e2f66fb..ce1d74d5ee 100644
--- a/test/jwt/encrypt.test.mjs
+++ b/test/jwt/encrypt.test.mjs
@@ -67,15 +67,8 @@ test('EncryptJWT w/crit', async (t) => {
   )
 })
 
-test('new EncryptJWT', (t) => {
-  t.throws(() => new EncryptJWT(), {
-    instanceOf: TypeError,
-    message: 'JWT Claims Set MUST be an object',
-  })
-})
-
 async function testJWTsetFunction(t, method, claim, value, duplicate = false, expected = value) {
-  let enc = new EncryptJWT({}).setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'dir', enc: 'A128GCM' })[method](value)
+  let enc = new EncryptJWT().setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'dir', enc: 'A128GCM' })[method](value)
 
   if (duplicate) {
     enc = enc[`replicate${method.slice(3)}AsHeader`]()
diff --git a/test/jwt/sign.test.mjs b/test/jwt/sign.test.mjs
index a299c810f5..2e7c472667 100644
--- a/test/jwt/sign.test.mjs
+++ b/test/jwt/sign.test.mjs
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ test('SignJWT', async (t) => {
   )
 })
 
+test('SignJWT with default (empty) payload', async (t) => {
+  const jwt = await new SignJWT().setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'HS256' }).sign(t.context.secret)
+  t.is(jwt, 'eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.e30.4E_Bsx-pJi3kOW9wVXN8CgbATwP09D9V5gxh9-9zSZ0')
+})
+
 test('SignJWT w/crit', async (t) => {
   const expected =
     'eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImNyaXQiOlsiaHR0cDovL29wZW5iYW5raW5nLm9yZy51ay9pYXQiXSwiaHR0cDovL29wZW5iYW5raW5nLm9yZy51ay9pYXQiOjB9.eyJ1cm46ZXhhbXBsZTpjbGFpbSI6dHJ1ZX0.YzOrPZaNql7PpCo43HAJdj-LASP8lOmtb-Bzj9OrNAk'
@@ -61,29 +66,22 @@ test('SignJWT w/crit', async (t) => {
   )
 })
 
-test('new SignJWT', (t) => {
-  t.throws(() => new SignJWT(), {
-    instanceOf: TypeError,
-    message: 'JWT Claims Set MUST be an object',
-  })
-})
-
 test('Signed JWTs cannot use unencoded payload', async (t) => {
   await t.throwsAsync(
     () =>
-      new SignJWT({})
+      new SignJWT()
         .setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'HS256', crit: ['b64'], b64: false })
         .sign(t.context.secret),
     { code: 'ERR_JWT_INVALID', message: 'JWTs MUST NOT use unencoded payload' },
   )
-  await t.throwsAsync(() => new SignJWT({}).sign(t.context.secret), {
+  await t.throwsAsync(() => new SignJWT().sign(t.context.secret), {
     code: 'ERR_JWS_INVALID',
     message: 'either setProtectedHeader or setUnprotectedHeader must be called before #sign()',
   })
 })
 
 async function testJWTsetFunction(t, method, claim, value, expected = value) {
-  const jwt = await new SignJWT({})
+  const jwt = await new SignJWT()
     .setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'HS256' })
     [method](value)
     .sign(t.context.secret)
diff --git a/test/jwt/unsecured.test.mjs b/test/jwt/unsecured.test.mjs
index c35e7741e5..9253d779b4 100644
--- a/test/jwt/unsecured.test.mjs
+++ b/test/jwt/unsecured.test.mjs
@@ -41,15 +41,12 @@ test('UnsecuredJWT validations', (t) => {
   })
 })
 
-test('new UnsecuredJWT', (t) => {
-  t.throws(() => new UnsecuredJWT(), {
-    instanceOf: TypeError,
-    message: 'JWT Claims Set MUST be an object',
-  })
+test('new UnsecuredJWT()', (t) => {
+  t.is(new UnsecuredJWT().encode(), 'eyJhbGciOiJub25lIn0.e30.')
 })
 
 async function testJWTsetFunction(t, method, claim, value, expected = value) {
-  const jwt = new UnsecuredJWT({})[method](value).encode()
+  const jwt = new UnsecuredJWT()[method](value).encode()
   const { payload: claims } = UnsecuredJWT.decode(jwt)
   t.true(claim in claims)
   t.is(claims[claim], expected)