diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/elisp-packages/elpa-common-overrides.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/elisp-packages/elpa-common-overrides.nix
index 333465e93c29..9a473c284415 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/elisp-packages/elpa-common-overrides.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/elisp-packages/elpa-common-overrides.nix
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ in
             })
           ]
         else
-          previousAttrs.patches or null;
+          previousAttrs.patches or [ ];
       preBuild =
         if applyOrgRoamMissingPatch then
           previousAttrs.preBuild or ""
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ in
             popd
           ''
         else
-          previousAttrs.preBuild or null;
+          previousAttrs.preBuild or "";
     }
   );
 
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/elisp-packages/lib-override-helper.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/elisp-packages/lib-override-helper.nix
index 0d44878b480c..91a20bd3647e 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/elisp-packages/lib-override-helper.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/elisp-packages/lib-override-helper.nix
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ rec {
           if predicate finalAttrs previousAttrs then
             previousAttrs.packageRequires or [ ] ++ packageRequires
           else
-            previousAttrs.packageRequires or null;
+            previousAttrs.packageRequires or [ ];
       }
     );
 
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ rec {
           if predicate finalAttrs previousAttrs then
             previousAttrs.nativeBuildInputs or [ ] ++ [ pkgs.writableTmpDirAsHomeHook ]
           else
-            previousAttrs.nativeBuildInputs or null;
+            previousAttrs.nativeBuildInputs or [ ];
       }
     );
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/elisp-packages/melpa-packages.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/elisp-packages/melpa-packages.nix
index 982ff9759066..038cc7024b6e 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/elisp-packages/melpa-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/elisp-packages/melpa-packages.nix
@@ -830,7 +830,7 @@ let
                     rm --recursive --verbose etc/elisp/screenshot
                   ''
                 else
-                  previousAttrs.preBuild or null;
+                  previousAttrs.preBuild or "";
             }
           );
 
@@ -991,7 +991,7 @@ let
                       })
                     ]
                   else
-                    previousAttrs.patches or null;
+                    previousAttrs.patches or [ ];
               }
             )
           );
@@ -1055,7 +1055,7 @@ let
                   ''
                   + previousAttrs.preBuild or ""
                 else
-                  previousAttrs.preBuild or null;
+                  previousAttrs.preBuild or "";
             }
           );
 
@@ -1221,7 +1221,7 @@ let
                     rm --verbose packages/javascript/test-suppport.el
                   ''
                 else
-                  previousAttrs.preBuild or null;
+                  previousAttrs.preBuild or "";
             }
           );
 
@@ -1392,7 +1392,7 @@ let
                     })
                   ]
                 else
-                  previousAttrs.patches or null;
+                  previousAttrs.patches or [ ];
             }
           );
 
@@ -1543,7 +1543,7 @@ let
                     })
                   ]
                 else
-                  previousAttrs.patches or null;
+                  previousAttrs.patches or [ ];
             }
           );
 
@@ -1561,7 +1561,7 @@ let
                   ''
                   + previousAttrs.preBuild or ""
                 else
-                  previousAttrs.preBuild or null;
+                  previousAttrs.preBuild or "";
             }
           );