diff --git a/priv/repo/migrations/20261027000000_upload_filter_exiftool_to_exif.exs b/priv/repo/migrations/20261027000000_upload_filter_exiftool_to_exif.exs
index 62392f957..4e737e859 100644
--- a/priv/repo/migrations/20261027000000_upload_filter_exiftool_to_exif.exs
+++ b/priv/repo/migrations/20261027000000_upload_filter_exiftool_to_exif.exs
@@ -22,20 +22,20 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Repo.Migrations.UploadFilterExiftoolToExif do
 
   def down, do: rename_filters(@down)
 
+  # Only touch configs that list filters: adding an empty list would hide the
+  # filters from the config file.
   defp rename_filters(renames) do
-    case ConfigDB.get_by_params(%{group: :pleroma, key: Pleroma.Upload}) do
-      %{value: value} ->
-        new_value =
-          Keyword.update(value, :filters, [], fn filters ->
-            filters
-            |> Enum.map(&Map.get(renames, &1, &1))
-            |> Enum.uniq()
-          end)
-
-        ConfigDB.update_or_create(%{group: :pleroma, key: Pleroma.Upload, value: new_value})
-
-      _ ->
-        nil
+    with %{value: value} <- ConfigDB.get_by_params(%{group: :pleroma, key: Pleroma.Upload}),
+         filters when is_list(filters) <- value[:filters],
+         new_filters when new_filters != filters <-
+           filters |> Enum.map(&Map.get(renames, &1, &1)) |> Enum.uniq() do
+      ConfigDB.update_or_create(%{
+        group: :pleroma,
+        key: Pleroma.Upload,
+        value: Keyword.put(value, :filters, new_filters)
+      })
+    else
+      _ -> nil
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/pleroma/repo/migrations/upload_filter_exiftool_to_exif_test.exs b/test/pleroma/repo/migrations/upload_filter_exiftool_to_exif_test.exs
index 9d39c6ea6..0fdf26961 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/repo/migrations/upload_filter_exiftool_to_exif_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/repo/migrations/upload_filter_exiftool_to_exif_test.exs
@@ -61,4 +61,13 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Repo.Migrations.UploadFilterExiftoolToExifTest do
     assert migration.up() == nil
     assert ConfigDB.get_by_params(%{group: :pleroma, key: Pleroma.Upload}) == nil
   end
+
+  test "up/0 does not add filters to a database config without them", %{migration: migration} do
+    insert(:config, group: :pleroma, key: Pleroma.Upload, value: [uploader: Pleroma.Uploaders.S3])
+
+    migration.up()
+
+    value = ConfigDB.get_by_params(%{group: :pleroma, key: Pleroma.Upload}).value
+    assert value == [uploader: Pleroma.Uploaders.S3]
+  end
 end