diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 14e1d70ae..86027b74f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ TODO add summary
 * `MainNSBuildNativeSuite`: Capture the error message when reading the configs so we can capture the expected warning message (PR #688).
   While almost all tests were already cleanly capturing their expected warning/error messages, this one was still remaining, resulting in warnings being shown in the output.
 
+* `runners & engines`: When applying a filter on empty runners or engines, the fallback default `native engine` and `executable runner` respectively are set before applying the filter (PR #691).
+
 # Viash 0.9.0-RC2 (2024-02-23): Restructure the config and change some default values
 
 The `.functionality` layer has been removed from the config and all fields have been moved to the top layer.
diff --git a/src/main/scala/io/viash/config/Config.scala b/src/main/scala/io/viash/config/Config.scala
index 40a190541..3d87b5d06 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/io/viash/config/Config.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/io/viash/config/Config.scala
@@ -414,29 +414,28 @@ case class Config(
     * Find the runners
     * 
     * Order of execution:
-    *   - if an runner id is passed, look up the runner in the runners list
-    *   - else if runners is a non-empty list, use the first runner
-    *   - else use the executable runner
+    *   - if the runners list is empty, use the executable runner for the rest of the logic
+    *   - if an runner id is passed, return the matching runners in the runners list
+    *   - else throw an error
     *
     * @param query An runner ID referring to one of the config's runners
-    * @return An runner
+    * @return A list of runners
     */
   def findRunners(query: Option[String]): List[Runner] = {
-    // TODO: match on query, there's no need to do a .* if query is None
-    val regex = query.getOrElse(".*").r
-
-    val foundMatches = runners.filter{ e =>
-      regex.findFirstIn(e.id).isDefined
+    val list = runners match {
+      case Nil => List(ExecutableRunner())
+      case li => li
     }
-    
-    foundMatches match {
-      case li if li.nonEmpty =>
-        li
-      case Nil if query.isDefined =>
-        throw new RuntimeException(s"no runner id matching regex '$regex' could not be found in the config.")
-      case _ =>
-        // TODO: switch to the getRunners.head ?
-        List(ExecutableRunner())
+
+    query match {
+      case None =>
+        list
+      case Some(regex) =>
+        val foundMatches = list.filter{ e => regex.r.findFirstIn(e.id).isDefined }
+        foundMatches match {
+          case li if li.nonEmpty => li
+          case _ => throw new RuntimeException(s"no runner id matching regex '$regex' could not be found in the config.")
+        }
     }
   }
 
@@ -444,29 +443,28 @@ case class Config(
     * Find the engines
     * 
     * Order of execution:
-    *   - if an engine id is passed, look up the engine in the engines list
-    *   - else if engines is a non-empty list, use the first engine
-    *   - else use the executable engine
+    *   - if the engines list is empty, use the native engine for the rest of the logic
+    *   - if an engine id is passed, return the matching engines in the engines list
+    *   - else throw an error
     *
     * @param query An engine ID referring to one of the config's engines
-    * @return An engine
+    * @return A list of engines
     */
   def findEngines(query: Option[String]): List[Engine] = {
-    // TODO: match on query, there's no need to do a .* if query is None
-    val regex = query.getOrElse(".*").r
-
-    val foundMatches = engines.filter{ e =>
-      regex.findFirstIn(e.id).isDefined
+    val list = engines match {
+      case Nil => List(NativeEngine())
+      case li => li
     }
-    
-    foundMatches match {
-      case li if li.nonEmpty =>
-        li
-      case Nil if query.isDefined =>
-        throw new RuntimeException(s"no engine id matching regex '$regex' could not be found in the config.")
-      case _ =>
-        // TODO: switch to the getEngines.head ?
-        List(NativeEngine())
+
+    query match {
+      case None =>
+        list
+      case Some(regex) =>
+        val foundMatches = list.filter{ e => regex.r.findFirstIn(e.id).isDefined }
+        foundMatches match {
+          case li if li.nonEmpty => li
+          case _ => throw new RuntimeException(s"no engine id matching regex '$regex' could not be found in the config.")
+        }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/scala/io/viash/config/ConfigTest.scala b/src/test/scala/io/viash/config/ConfigTest.scala
index 9af7e5433..feeb5438a 100644
--- a/src/test/scala/io/viash/config/ConfigTest.scala
+++ b/src/test/scala/io/viash/config/ConfigTest.scala
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import io.circe.syntax._
 import io.viash.helpers.circe._
 import io.viash.helpers.data_structures._
 import io.viash.helpers.Logger
+import io.viash.engines.NativeEngine
+import io.viash.runners.ExecutableRunner
 
 class ConfigTest extends AnyFunSuite with BeforeAndAfterAll {
   Logger.UseColorOverride.value = Some(false)
@@ -47,5 +49,50 @@ class ConfigTest extends AnyFunSuite with BeforeAndAfterAll {
     assert(confParsed == conf)
   }
 
+  test("GetEngines and GetRunners with some engines and runners") {
+    val conf = Config(
+      name = "foo",
+      engines = List(
+        NativeEngine("engine0"),
+        NativeEngine("engine1"),
+        NativeEngine("engine2")
+      ),
+      runners = List(
+        ExecutableRunner("runner0"),
+        ExecutableRunner("runner1"),
+        ExecutableRunner("runner2")
+      )
+    )
+
+    assert(conf.findEngines(None) == conf.engines)
+    assert(conf.findRunners(None) == conf.runners)
+
+    assert(conf.findEngines(Some(".*")) == conf.engines)
+    assert(conf.findRunners(Some(".*")) == conf.runners)
+
+    assert(conf.findEngines(Some("engine0")) == List(NativeEngine("engine0")))
+    assert(conf.findEngines(Some("engine1")) == List(NativeEngine("engine1")))
+    assert(conf.findRunners(Some("runner0")) == List(ExecutableRunner("runner0")))
+    assert(conf.findRunners(Some("runner1")) == List(ExecutableRunner("runner1")))
+
+    assert(conf.findEngines(Some(".*0")) == List(NativeEngine("engine0")))
+    assert(conf.findEngines(Some(".*1")) == List(NativeEngine("engine1")))
+    assert(conf.findRunners(Some(".*0")) == List(ExecutableRunner("runner0")))
+    assert(conf.findRunners(Some(".*1")) == List(ExecutableRunner("runner1")))
+  }
+
+  test("GetEngines and GetRunners without engines or runners") {
+    val conf = Config(name = "foo")
+
+    assert(conf.findEngines(None) == List(NativeEngine("native")))
+    assert(conf.findRunners(None) == List(ExecutableRunner("executable")))
+
+    assert(conf.findEngines(Some(".*")) == List(NativeEngine("native")))
+    assert(conf.findRunners(Some(".*")) == List(ExecutableRunner("executable")))
+
+    assert(conf.findEngines(Some("native")) == List(NativeEngine("native")))
+    assert(conf.findRunners(Some("executable")) == List(ExecutableRunner("executable")))
+  }
+
   // TODO: expand functionality tests
 }
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