diff --git a/app/Services/Inventory/InventorySyncService.php b/app/Services/Inventory/InventorySyncService.php
index 75c7a57..56c7da9 100644
--- a/app/Services/Inventory/InventorySyncService.php
+++ b/app/Services/Inventory/InventorySyncService.php
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ private function executeRun(InventorySyncRun $run, Tenant $tenant, array $normal
 
                     if ($includeDeps && $this->shouldHydrateAssignments($policyType)) {
                         $existingAssignments = $policyData['assignments'] ?? null;
-                        if (! is_array($existingAssignments)) {
+                        if (! is_array($existingAssignments) || count($existingAssignments) === 0) {
                             $hydratedAssignments = $this->fetchAssignmentsForPolicyType($policyType, $tenant, $externalId, $warnings);
                             if (is_array($hydratedAssignments)) {
                                 $policyData['assignments'] = $hydratedAssignments;
diff --git a/tests/Feature/DependencyExtractionFeatureTest.php b/tests/Feature/DependencyExtractionFeatureTest.php
index c2e35e0..d1d5236 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/DependencyExtractionFeatureTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/DependencyExtractionFeatureTest.php
@@ -286,7 +286,8 @@ public function listPolicies(string $policyType, array $options = []): GraphResp
                     'id' => 'sc-1',
                     'name' => 'Settings Catalog Policy',
                     'roleScopeTagIds' => ['scope-tag-1'],
-                    // assignments omitted intentionally (must be hydrated via /assignments)
+                    // assignments present but empty (must still be hydrated via /assignments)
+                    'assignments' => [],
                 ]], 200);
             }