diff --git a/backend/src/api/model/event.rs b/backend/src/api/model/event.rs
index cd0789425..6e5e23ae6 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/model/event.rs
+++ b/backend/src/api/model/event.rs
@@ -335,8 +335,8 @@ impl AuthorizedEvent {
                     synced_data: None,
                     created: None,
                     metadata: None,
-                    read_roles: vec![],
-                    write_roles: vec![],
+                    read_roles: None,
+                    write_roles: None,
                 }))
             } else {
                 // We need to load the series as fields were requested that were not preloaded.
diff --git a/backend/src/api/model/series.rs b/backend/src/api/model/series.rs
index b26cbd16a..d003ad297 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/model/series.rs
+++ b/backend/src/api/model/series.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use crate::{
             acl::{self, Acl},
         },
     },
-    db::{types::{SeriesState as State}, util::impl_from_db},
+    db::{types::SeriesState as State, util::impl_from_db},
     model::{Key, ExtraMetadata},
     prelude::*,
 };
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ pub(crate) struct Series {
     pub(crate) title: String,
     pub(crate) created: Option<DateTime<Utc>>,
     pub(crate) metadata: Option<ExtraMetadata>,
-    pub(crate) read_roles: Vec<String>,
-    pub(crate) write_roles: Vec<String>,
+    pub(crate) read_roles: Option<Vec<String>>,
+    pub(crate) write_roles: Option<Vec<String>>,
 }
 
 #[derive(GraphQLObject)]
@@ -98,17 +98,21 @@ impl Series {
             .pipe(Ok)
     }
 
-     async fn load_acl(&self, context: &Context) -> ApiResult<Acl> {
-        let raw_roles_sql = "\
-            select unnest($1::text[]) as role, 'read' as action
-            union
-            select unnest($2::text[]) as role, 'write' as action
-        ";
-
-        acl::load_for(context, raw_roles_sql, dbargs![
-            &self.read_roles,
-            &self.write_roles,
-        ]).await
+    async fn load_acl(&self, context: &Context) -> ApiResult<Option<Acl>> {
+        match (self.read_roles.as_ref(), self.write_roles.as_ref()) {
+            (None, None) => Ok(None),
+            (read_roles, write_roles) => {
+                let raw_roles_sql = "\
+                    select unnest($1::text[]) as role, 'read' as action
+                    union
+                    select unnest($2::text[]) as role, 'write' as action
+                ";
+
+                acl::load_for(context, raw_roles_sql, dbargs![&read_roles, &write_roles])
+                    .await
+                    .map(Some)
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     pub(crate) async fn create(series: NewSeries, context: &Context) -> ApiResult<Self> {
@@ -295,7 +299,7 @@ impl Series {
         &self.synced_data
     }
 
-    async fn acl(&self, context: &Context) -> ApiResult<Acl> {
+    async fn acl(&self, context: &Context) -> ApiResult<Option<Acl>> {
         self.load_acl(context).await
     }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/schema.graphql b/frontend/src/schema.graphql
index a85df02b0..93b4d4f43 100644
--- a/frontend/src/schema.graphql
+++ b/frontend/src/schema.graphql
@@ -811,7 +811,7 @@ type Series implements Node {
   created: DateTime
   metadata: ExtraMetadata
   syncedData: SyncedSeriesData
-  acl: [AclItem!]!
+  acl: [AclItem!]
   hostRealms: [Realm!]!
   entries: [VideoListEntry!]!
   """