diff --git a/src/mol-model/structure/model/formats/mmcif/ihm.ts b/src/mol-model/structure/model/formats/mmcif/ihm.ts
index be91feffbd87ec2ef0e247a319fe097b0998e292..1c93c716194329740575cde23028e263816f727e 100644
--- a/src/mol-model/structure/model/formats/mmcif/ihm.ts
+++ b/src/mol-model/structure/model/formats/mmcif/ihm.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ export const EmptyIHMCoarse = { hierarchy: CoarseHierarchy.Empty, conformation:
 export function getIHMCoarse(data: IHMData): { hierarchy: CoarseHierarchy, conformation: CoarseConformation } {
     const { ihm_sphere_obj_site, ihm_gaussian_obj_site } = data;
 
+    if (ihm_sphere_obj_site._rowCount === 0 && ihm_gaussian_obj_site._rowCount === 0) return EmptyIHMCoarse;
+
     const sphereData = getData(ihm_sphere_obj_site);
     const sphereConformation = getSphereConformation(ihm_sphere_obj_site);
     const sphereKeys = getCoarseKeys(sphereData, data.entities);