diff --git a/docs/getting-started.md b/docs/getting-started.md
index 3dc4ef6e..336f4486 100644
--- a/docs/getting-started.md
+++ b/docs/getting-started.md
@@ -69,7 +69,9 @@ From Source
 ## Running the example app
 
     git clone https://github.com/django-json-api/django-rest-framework-json-api.git
-    cd django-rest-framework-json-api && pip install -e .
+    cd django-rest-framework-json-api
+    pip install -e .
+    pip install -r example/requirements.txt
     django-admin.py runserver
 
 Browse to http://localhost:8000
diff --git a/example/requirements.txt b/example/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a9660ae7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# Requirements specifically for the example app
+packaging
diff --git a/example/tests/integration/test_polymorphism.py b/example/tests/integration/test_polymorphism.py
index e5e80290..2aa2091b 100644
--- a/example/tests/integration/test_polymorphism.py
+++ b/example/tests/integration/test_polymorphism.py
@@ -78,6 +78,30 @@ def test_polymorphism_on_polymorphic_model_list_post(client):
     assert content['data']['attributes']['artist'] == test_artist
 
 
+def test_polymorphic_model_without_any_instance(client):
+    expected = {
+        "links": {
+            "first": "http://testserver/projects?page=1",
+            "last": "http://testserver/projects?page=1",
+            "next": None,
+            "prev": None
+        },
+        "data": [],
+        "meta": {
+            "pagination": {
+                "page": 1,
+                "pages": 1,
+                "count": 0
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    response = client.get(reverse('project-list'))
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    content = load_json(response.content)
+    assert expected == content
+
+
 def test_invalid_type_on_polymorphic_model(client):
     test_topic = 'New test topic {}'.format(random.randint(0, 999999))
     test_artist = 'test-{}'.format(random.randint(0, 999999))
diff --git a/rest_framework_json_api/serializers.py b/rest_framework_json_api/serializers.py
index 66d6add7..e4a29e1f 100644
--- a/rest_framework_json_api/serializers.py
+++ b/rest_framework_json_api/serializers.py
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ def get_fields(self):
         """
         Return an exhaustive list of the polymorphic serializer fields.
         """
-        if self.instance is not None:
+        if self.instance not in (None, []):
             if not isinstance(self.instance, QuerySet):
                 serializer_class = self.get_polymorphic_serializer_for_instance(self.instance)
                 return serializer_class(self.instance, context=self.context).get_fields()