diff --git a/agent/component/base.py b/agent/component/base.py
index 103325016..88c85c3fc 100644
--- a/agent/component/base.py
+++ b/agent/component/base.py
@@ -448,6 +448,8 @@ class ComponentBase(ABC):
             if self.component_name.lower() == "generate" and self.get_component_name(u) == "retrieval":
                 o = self._canvas.get_component(u)["obj"].output(allow_partial=False)[1]
                 if o is not None:
+                    if not "".join(o["content"]):
+                        continue
                     upstream_outs.append(o)
                     continue
             if u not in self._canvas.get_component(self._id)["upstream"]: continue
diff --git a/agent/component/generate.py b/agent/component/generate.py
index c3f50f4de..252526522 100644
--- a/agent/component/generate.py
+++ b/agent/component/generate.py
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ class Generate(ComponentBase):
 
     def stream_output(self, chat_mdl, prompt, retrieval_res):
         res = None
-        if "empty_response" in retrieval_res.columns and "\n- ".join(retrieval_res["content"]):
-            res = {"content": "\n- ".join(retrieval_res["content"]), "reference": []}
+        if "empty_response" in retrieval_res.columns and not "\n- ".join(retrieval_res["content"]):
+            res = {"content": "\n- ".join(retrieval_res["empty_response"]), "reference": []}
             yield res
             self.set_output(res)
             return
diff --git a/agent/component/retrieval.py b/agent/component/retrieval.py
index 84893d185..d49ecaa8b 100644
--- a/agent/component/retrieval.py
+++ b/agent/component/retrieval.py
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ class Retrieval(ComponentBase, ABC):
                                         aggs=False, rerank_mdl=rerank_mdl)
 
         if not kbinfos["chunks"]:
-            df = Retrieval.be_output(self._param.empty_response)
-            df["empty_response"] = True
+            df = Retrieval.be_output("")
+            df["empty_response"] = self._param.empty_response
             return df
 
         df = pd.DataFrame(kbinfos["chunks"])