diff --git a/cdisc_rules_engine/dataset_builders/json_schema_check_dataset_builder.py b/cdisc_rules_engine/dataset_builders/json_schema_check_dataset_builder.py
index a2d2b3df4..865d63407 100644
--- a/cdisc_rules_engine/dataset_builders/json_schema_check_dataset_builder.py
+++ b/cdisc_rules_engine/dataset_builders/json_schema_check_dataset_builder.py
@@ -55,16 +55,12 @@ def get_dataset(self, **kwargs) -> DatasetInterface:
         filtered = [
             row for row in records if row["dataset"] == self.dataset_metadata.name
         ]
-        return tag_source(
-            (
-                self.dataset_implementation.from_records(filtered, **kwargs)
-                if filtered
-                else self.dataset_implementation.from_dict(
-                    self.dataset_template, **kwargs
-                )
-            ),
-            self.dataset_metadata,
-        )
+        if filtered:
+            result = self.dataset_implementation.from_records(filtered, **kwargs)
+        else:
+            empty_row = {key: "" for key in self.dataset_template.keys()}
+            result = self.dataset_implementation.from_records([empty_row], **kwargs)
+        return tag_source(result, self.dataset_metadata)
 
     def list_errors(self, tree: exceptions.ErrorTree, errlist: dict[str, list]):
         if tree.errors:
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_dataset_builders/test_json_schema_check_dataset_builder.py b/tests/unit/test_dataset_builders/test_json_schema_check_dataset_builder.py
index 41da2c423..04dad5d4a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_dataset_builders/test_json_schema_check_dataset_builder.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_dataset_builders/test_json_schema_check_dataset_builder.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+import pandas as pd
 
 from cdisc_rules_engine.dataset_builders.json_schema_check_dataset_builder import (
     JsonSchemaCheckDatasetBuilder,
@@ -98,7 +99,15 @@ def test_json_schema_check_dataset_builder_valid():
 
     dataset = builder.get_dataset()
 
-    assert dataset.empty
+    # Now expect a single row with all columns as empty strings or NaN,
+    # except source_row_number
+    rows = dataset.data.to_dict(orient="records")
+    assert len(rows) == 1
+    for key, value in rows[0].items():
+        if key == "source_row_number":
+            assert value == 1
+        else:
+            assert value == "" or pd.isna(value)
 
 
 def test_json_schema_check_dataset_builder_invalid():