diff --git a/consumer/src/firehose/types.rs b/consumer/src/firehose/types.rs
index 44228c40..10784cdc 100644
--- a/consumer/src/firehose/types.rs
+++ b/consumer/src/firehose/types.rs
@@ -91,8 +91,11 @@ pub struct AtpCommitEvent {
     pub commit: Cid,
     #[serde(rename = "tooBig")]
     pub too_big: bool,
+    #[serde(default)]
     pub blocks: ByteBuf,
+    #[serde(default)]
     pub ops: Vec<CommitOp>,
+    #[serde(default)]
     pub blobs: Vec<Cid>,
 }
 
diff --git a/consumer/src/indexer/mod.rs b/consumer/src/indexer/mod.rs
index 78fdd72f..e1a1c147 100644
--- a/consumer/src/indexer/mod.rs
+++ b/consumer/src/indexer/mod.rs
@@ -371,6 +371,11 @@ async fn index_commit(
         }
     }
 
+    if commit.ops.is_empty() || commit.blocks.is_empty() {
+        tracing::debug!("skipping commit with no ops/data");
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
     // turn the car slice into a map of cid:block
     let car_reader = iroh_car::CarReader::new(commit.blocks.as_slice()).await?;
     let blocks = car_reader