diff --git a/packages/database/src/__tests__/operator/empty-operator.test.ts b/packages/database/src/__tests__/operator/empty-operator.test.ts
index 6f3b98cbed..e46b870fc6 100644
--- a/packages/database/src/__tests__/operator/empty-operator.test.ts
+++ b/packages/database/src/__tests__/operator/empty-operator.test.ts
@@ -46,4 +46,32 @@ describe('empty operator', () => {
     expect(result.length).toEqual(1);
     expect(result[0].get('id')).toEqual(u2.get('id'));
   });
+
+  test('string empty with or operator ', async () => {
+    const u1 = await User.repository.create({
+      values: {
+        name: 'u1',
+      },
+    });
+
+    const u2 = await User.repository.create({
+      values: {
+        name: '',
+      },
+    });
+
+    const u3 = await User.repository.create({
+      values: {
+        name: 'u3',
+      },
+    });
+
+    const result = await User.repository.find({
+      filter: {
+        $or: [{ 'name.$empty': true }, { name: 'u1' }],
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(result.length).toEqual(2);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/database/src/operators/empty.ts b/packages/database/src/operators/empty.ts
index 627b0893f1..6e36767a7a 100644
--- a/packages/database/src/operators/empty.ts
+++ b/packages/database/src/operators/empty.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { DataTypes, Op } from 'sequelize';
 import { ArrayField, StringField } from '../fields';
 import arrayOperators from './array';
+import lodash, { parseInt } from 'lodash';
 
 const findFilterFieldType = (ctx) => {
   const db = ctx.db;
@@ -17,6 +18,10 @@ const findFilterFieldType = (ctx) => {
   const associationPath = path;
 
   for (const association of associationPath) {
+    if (lodash.isNumber(parseInt(association)) || association.startsWith('$')) {
+      continue;
+    }
+
     model = model.associations[association].target;
   }
 
@@ -24,6 +29,7 @@ const findFilterFieldType = (ctx) => {
 
   return collection.getField(fieldName);
 };
+
 export default {
   $empty(_, ctx) {
     const field = findFilterFieldType(ctx);