diff --git a/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.test.ts b/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.test.ts
index 952a74a76940..cf7e1d8246a7 100644
--- a/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.test.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.test.ts
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ describe('getSortedObjectsForExport()', () => {
                 index-pattern,
                 search,
               ],
-              workspaces: undefined,
             },
           ],
         ],
@@ -219,7 +218,6 @@ describe('getSortedObjectsForExport()', () => {
                 index-pattern,
                 search,
               ],
-              workspaces: undefined,
             },
           ],
         ],
@@ -370,7 +368,6 @@ describe('getSortedObjectsForExport()', () => {
                 index-pattern,
                 search,
               ],
-              workspaces: undefined,
             },
           ],
         ],
@@ -462,7 +459,6 @@ describe('getSortedObjectsForExport()', () => {
                 index-pattern,
                 search,
               ],
-              workspaces: undefined,
             },
           ],
         ],
@@ -670,7 +666,6 @@ describe('getSortedObjectsForExport()', () => {
             ],
             Object {
               namespace: undefined,
-              workspaces: undefined,
             },
           ],
         ],
@@ -789,7 +784,6 @@ describe('getSortedObjectsForExport()', () => {
             ],
             Object {
               namespace: undefined,
-              workspaces: undefined,
             },
           ],
           Array [
diff --git a/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.ts b/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.ts
index 8ca085639f10..0336fc702973 100644
--- a/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/saved_objects/export/get_sorted_objects_for_export.ts
@@ -109,7 +109,10 @@ async function fetchObjectsToExport({
     if (typeof search === 'string') {
       throw Boom.badRequest(`Can't specify both "search" and "objects" properties when exporting`);
     }
-    const bulkGetResult = await savedObjectsClient.bulkGet(objects, { namespace, workspaces });
+    const bulkGetResult = await savedObjectsClient.bulkGet(objects, {
+      namespace,
+      ...(workspaces ? { workspaces } : {}),
+    });
     const erroredObjects = bulkGetResult.saved_objects.filter((obj) => !!obj.error);
     if (erroredObjects.length) {
       const err = Boom.badRequest();
@@ -125,7 +128,7 @@ async function fetchObjectsToExport({
       search,
       perPage: exportSizeLimit,
       namespaces: namespace ? [namespace] : undefined,
-      workspaces,
+      ...(workspaces ? { workspaces } : {}),
     });
     if (findResponse.total > exportSizeLimit) {
       throw Boom.badRequest(`Can't export more than ${exportSizeLimit} objects`);