diff --git a/share/functions/__fish_theme_migrate.fish b/share/functions/__fish_theme_migrate.fish
index a51eb4454..3e3e3c58a 100644
--- a/share/functions/__fish_theme_migrate.fish
+++ b/share/functions/__fish_theme_migrate.fish
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ function __fish_theme_migrate
     set -l removing_uvars false
     set -l msg
     # Copy legacy uvars to globals.
-    if set -l theme_uvars (__fish_theme_variables --universal)
+    set -l theme_uvars (__fish_theme_variables --universal)
+    if set -q theme_uvars[1]
         set removing_uvars true
         set -l msg_suffix .
         if not __fish_config_theme_uvars_subset_of_historical_default $theme_uvars
diff --git a/tests/checks/__fish_theme_migrate.fish b/tests/checks/__fish_theme_migrate.fish
index ca90c418f..0139bf587 100644
--- a/tests/checks/__fish_theme_migrate.fish
+++ b/tests/checks/__fish_theme_migrate.fish
@@ -100,8 +100,6 @@ echo no default universal variables
     provoke-migration
     $fish -c __fish_theme_migrate
     # CHECK: {{\x1b\[1m}}fish:{{\x1b\[m}} {{upgraded.*}}
-    # CHECK: {{.*Color.*no.longer.*universal.*}}
-    # CHECK: {{.*restart.*}}
     # CHECK: {{.*fish_key_bindings.*no.longer.*universal.*}}
     # CHECK: Migrated {{.*}} {{\S*}}/xdg_config_home/fish/conf.d/fish_frozen_key_bindings.fish{{\x1b\[m}}
     # CHECK: {{.*help relnotes.*}}