diff --git a/packages/stream_chat/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/stream_chat/CHANGELOG.md
index 90211d07..98aa9782 100644
--- a/packages/stream_chat/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/stream_chat/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 🐞 Fixed
 
 - [[#659]](https://github.com/GetStream/stream-chat-flutter/issues/659) Fixed unread count not updating correctly.
+- Fix `Filter.empty()` json encoding.
 
 ## 2.2.1
 
diff --git a/packages/stream_chat/lib/src/core/models/filter.dart b/packages/stream_chat/lib/src/core/models/filter.dart
index d4536eab..ca494bdb 100644
--- a/packages/stream_chat/lib/src/core/models/filter.dart
+++ b/packages/stream_chat/lib/src/core/models/filter.dart
@@ -102,6 +102,12 @@ class Filter extends Equatable {
     this.key,
   }) : operator = operator.rawValue;
 
+  /// An empty filter
+  const Filter.empty()
+      : value = const <String, Object?>{},
+        operator = null,
+        key = null;
+
   /// Combines the provided filters and matches the values
   /// matched by all filters.
   factory Filter.and(List<Filter> filters) =>
@@ -172,9 +178,6 @@ class Filter extends Equatable {
     String? key,
   }) = Filter.__;
 
-  /// An empty filter
-  factory Filter.empty() => const Filter.raw(value: {});
-
   /// Creates a custom [Filter] from a raw map value
   ///
   /// ```dart
diff --git a/packages/stream_chat/test/src/core/models/filter_test.dart b/packages/stream_chat/test/src/core/models/filter_test.dart
index 6e3dbf64..e396c2b3 100644
--- a/packages/stream_chat/test/src/core/models/filter_test.dart
+++ b/packages/stream_chat/test/src/core/models/filter_test.dart
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ void main() {
     });
 
     test('empty', () {
-      final filter = Filter.empty();
+      const filter = Filter.empty();
       expect(filter.value, {});
     });
 
@@ -226,6 +226,12 @@ void main() {
           json.encode(value),
         );
       });
+
+      test('empty', () {
+        const filter = Filter.empty();
+        final encoded = json.encode(filter);
+        expect(encoded, '{}');
+      });
     });
 
     test('groupedFilter', () {
diff --git a/packages/stream_chat_flutter/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/stream_chat_flutter/CHANGELOG.md
index ed8f5e06..b2ef50cb 100644
--- a/packages/stream_chat_flutter/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/stream_chat_flutter/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@
     pagination = const PaginationParams(limit: 30)
     ```
 
+🔄 Changed
+
+- `UserListViewCore` filter property now has a default value.
+    ```dart
+    filter = const Filter.empty()
+    ```
+
 🐞 Fixed
 
 - Fixed `MessageSearchListView` pagination.
diff --git a/packages/stream_chat_flutter/lib/src/user_list_view.dart b/packages/stream_chat_flutter/lib/src/user_list_view.dart
index 4d650192..12dbb3ec 100644
--- a/packages/stream_chat_flutter/lib/src/user_list_view.dart
+++ b/packages/stream_chat_flutter/lib/src/user_list_view.dart
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ class UserListView extends StatefulWidget {
   /// Instantiate a new UserListView
   const UserListView({
     Key? key,
-    this.filter,
+    this.filter = const Filter.empty(),
     this.sort,
     this.presence,
     this.pagination = const PaginationParams(limit: 30),
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ class UserListView extends StatefulWidget {
   /// The query filters to use.
   /// You can query on any of the custom fields you've defined on the [Channel].
   /// You can also filter other built-in channel fields.
+  // TODO: Make it non-nullable in a future breaking release
   final Filter? filter;
 
   /// The sorting used for the channels matching the filters.
diff --git a/packages/stream_chat_flutter_core/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/stream_chat_flutter_core/CHANGELOG.md
index f5da89c3..5ce1eb8b 100644
--- a/packages/stream_chat_flutter_core/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/stream_chat_flutter_core/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,10 +11,18 @@
     pagination = const PaginationParams(limit: 30)
     ```
 
+🔄 Changed
+
+- `UserListViewCore` filter property now has a default value.
+    ```dart
+    filter = const Filter.empty()
+    ```
+
 🐞 Fixed
 
 - Fixed `MessageSearchBloc` pagination.
-- [[#673]](https://github.com/GetStream/stream-chat-flutter/issues/673): Fix `Core Widgets` not getting rebuild with new data on configuration change.
+- [[#673]](https://github.com/GetStream/stream-chat-flutter/issues/673): Fix `Core Widgets` not getting rebuild with new
+  data on configuration change.
 
 ## 2.2.1
 
diff --git a/packages/stream_chat_flutter_core/lib/src/user_list_core.dart b/packages/stream_chat_flutter_core/lib/src/user_list_core.dart
index 06ad7d80..75fc7411 100644
--- a/packages/stream_chat_flutter_core/lib/src/user_list_core.dart
+++ b/packages/stream_chat_flutter_core/lib/src/user_list_core.dart
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class UserListCore extends StatefulWidget {
     required this.loadingBuilder,
     required this.listBuilder,
     Key? key,
-    this.filter,
+    this.filter = const Filter.empty(),
     this.sort,
     this.presence,
     this.pagination = const PaginationParams(limit: 30),
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ class UserListCore extends StatefulWidget {
   /// The query filters to use.
   /// You can query on any of the custom fields you've defined on the [Channel].
   /// You can also filter other built-in channel fields.
+  // TODO: Make it non-nullable in a future breaking release
   final Filter? filter;
 
   /// The sorting used for the channels matching the filters.