diff --git a/internal/rpc/jsonrpc/methods.go b/internal/rpc/jsonrpc/methods.go
index 53b17f5c8..e0c8f35b1 100644
--- a/internal/rpc/jsonrpc/methods.go
+++ b/internal/rpc/jsonrpc/methods.go
@@ -4687,6 +4687,18 @@ func (s *Server) setVoteChoice(ctx context.Context, icmd any) (any, error) {
 func (s *Server) updateVSPVoteChoices(ctx context.Context, w *wallet.Wallet, ticketHash *chainhash.Hash,
 	choices map[string]string, tspendPolicy map[string]string, treasuryPolicy map[string]string) error {
 
+	// Ensure empty (as opposed to nil) choices on every category (required
+	// by the contract of the VSP API).
+	if choices == nil {
+		choices = map[string]string{}
+	}
+	if tspendPolicy == nil {
+		tspendPolicy = map[string]string{}
+	}
+	if treasuryPolicy == nil {
+		treasuryPolicy = map[string]string{}
+	}
+
 	if ticketHash != nil {
 		vspHost, err := w.VSPHostForTicket(ctx, ticketHash)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/wallet/wallet.go b/wallet/wallet.go
index 0f9dda294..2fd9bde22 100644
--- a/wallet/wallet.go
+++ b/wallet/wallet.go
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ func (w *Wallet) AgendaChoices(ctx context.Context, ticketHash *chainhash.Hash)
 	const op errors.Op = "wallet.AgendaChoices"
 	version, deployments := CurrentAgendas(w.chainParams)
 	if len(deployments) == 0 {
-		return nil, 0, nil
+		return map[string]string{}, 0, nil
 	}
 
 	choices = make(map[string]string, len(deployments))