diff --git a/test/edge_test/MiniSeedFactory_test.py b/test/edge_test/MiniSeedFactory_test.py
index 555635f360ca3a099380d10eb27556d7f94859f1..4858bc47510da1e9f259318693cbef3054871653 100644
--- a/test/edge_test/MiniSeedFactory_test.py
+++ b/test/edge_test/MiniSeedFactory_test.py
@@ -66,6 +66,39 @@ def test_get_calculated_timeseries(miniseed_factory, shu_u_metadata):
     assert_array_equal(result.data, expected)
 
 
+def test__get_timeseries_add_empty_channels(miniseed_factory: MiniSeedFactory):
+    """test.edge_test.MiniSeedFactory_test.test__get_timeseries_add_empty_channels()"""
+    miniseed_factory.client.return_empty = True
+    starttime = UTCDateTime("2021-09-07")
+    endtime = UTCDateTime("2021-09-07T00:10:00Z")
+    trace = miniseed_factory._get_timeseries(
+        starttime=starttime,
+        endtime=endtime,
+        observatory="SHU",
+        channel="U",
+        type="variation",
+        interval="tenhertz",
+        add_empty_channels=True,
+    )[0]
+    assert_array_equal(trace.data, numpy.ones(trace.stats.npts) * numpy.nan)
+    assert trace.stats.starttime == starttime
+    assert trace.stats.endtime == endtime
+    assert (
+        trace.stats.npts == ((endtime.timestamp - starttime.timestamp) * 10.0) + 1
+    )  # tenhertz sampling rate
+
+    with pytest.raises(IndexError):
+        trace = miniseed_factory._get_timeseries(
+            starttime=starttime,
+            endtime=endtime,
+            observatory="SHU",
+            channel="U",
+            type="variation",
+            interval="tenhertz",
+            add_empty_channels=False,
+        )[0]
+
+
 def test__get_timeseries_misaligned(misaligned_miniseed_factory: MiniSeedFactory):
     """test.edge_test.MiniSeedFactory_test.test__get_timeseries_misaligned()"""
     u_trace = misaligned_miniseed_factory._get_timeseries(
diff --git a/test/edge_test/mseed_test_clients.py b/test/edge_test/mseed_test_clients.py
index 9fd62bb797e5f515acce0f6dd7f8b4eb24bbfa2d..d706113d2968582962b71e927a53dfe456f8b286 100644
--- a/test/edge_test/mseed_test_clients.py
+++ b/test/edge_test/mseed_test_clients.py
@@ -7,7 +7,13 @@ from geomagio.edge import SNCL
 
 
 class MockMiniSeedClient(Client):
-    """replaces default obspy miniseed client's get_waveforms method to return trace of ones"""
+    """replaces default obspy miniseed client's get_waveforms method to return trace of ones
+
+    Note: includes 'return_empty' parameter to simulate situations where no data is received
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, return_empty: bool = False):
+        self.return_empty = return_empty
 
     def get_waveforms(
         self,
@@ -18,6 +24,8 @@ class MockMiniSeedClient(Client):
         starttime: UTCDateTime,
         endtime: UTCDateTime,
     ):
+        if self.return_empty:
+            return Stream()
         sncl = SNCL(
             station=station,
             network=network,
@@ -42,7 +50,8 @@ class MockMiniSeedClient(Client):
 class MisalignedMiniSeedClient(MockMiniSeedClient):
     """mock client that adds an offset value to endtime"""
 
-    def __init__(self, increment: int = 1):
+    def __init__(self, return_empty: bool = False, increment: int = 1):
+        super().__init__(return_empty=return_empty)
         self.increment = increment
         self.offset = 0