diff --git a/src/Nixfmt/Pretty.hs b/src/Nixfmt/Pretty.hs
index 3bfacee..49c4525 100644
--- a/src/Nixfmt/Pretty.hs
+++ b/src/Nixfmt/Pretty.hs
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ prettyApp indentFunction pre hasPost f a =
               <> pretty parclose
         where
           -- If the brackets are on different lines, keep them like that
-          sur = if sourceLine paropen /= sourceLine parclose then hardline else line
+          sur = if sourceLine paropen /= sourceLine parclose then hardline else if length (unItems items) > 0 then line else hardspace
       absorbInner expr = pretty expr
 
       -- Render the last argument of a function call
diff --git a/test/diff/apply_with_lists/in.nix b/test/diff/apply_with_lists/in.nix
index 86eebd2..df508ab 100644
--- a/test/diff/apply_with_lists/in.nix
+++ b/test/diff/apply_with_lists/in.nix
@@ -75,4 +75,7 @@
       out = "20170512";
     }
   ] null)
+  # https://github.com/NixOS/nixfmt/issues/268 regression test. [] and {} should be treated the same
+  (defaultNullOpts.mkNullable (with types; either str (listOf str)) [] "Some example long text that causes the line to be too long.")
+  (defaultNullOpts.mkNullable (with types; either str (listOf str)) {} "Some example long text that causes the line to be too long.")
 ]
diff --git a/test/diff/apply_with_lists/out-pure.nix b/test/diff/apply_with_lists/out-pure.nix
index 6c33da7..f13e62b 100644
--- a/test/diff/apply_with_lists/out-pure.nix
+++ b/test/diff/apply_with_lists/out-pure.nix
@@ -107,4 +107,11 @@
     ]
     null
   )
+  # https://github.com/NixOS/nixfmt/issues/268 regression test. [] and {} should be treated the same
+  (defaultNullOpts.mkNullable (
+    with types; either str (listOf str)
+  ) [ ] "Some example long text that causes the line to be too long.")
+  (defaultNullOpts.mkNullable (
+    with types; either str (listOf str)
+  ) { } "Some example long text that causes the line to be too long.")
 ]
diff --git a/test/diff/apply_with_lists/out.nix b/test/diff/apply_with_lists/out.nix
index bee7df4..fb2a655 100644
--- a/test/diff/apply_with_lists/out.nix
+++ b/test/diff/apply_with_lists/out.nix
@@ -117,4 +117,11 @@
     ]
     null
   )
+  # https://github.com/NixOS/nixfmt/issues/268 regression test. [] and {} should be treated the same
+  (defaultNullOpts.mkNullable (
+    with types; either str (listOf str)
+  ) [ ] "Some example long text that causes the line to be too long.")
+  (defaultNullOpts.mkNullable (
+    with types; either str (listOf str)
+  ) { } "Some example long text that causes the line to be too long.")
 ]