diff --git a/models/repo/repo_list.go b/models/repo/repo_list.go
index 9922ff25a2f0e..c6e9a204d1330 100644
--- a/models/repo/repo_list.go
+++ b/models/repo/repo_list.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models/unit"
 	user_model "code.gitea.io/gitea/models/user"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/container"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/structs"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/util"
 
@@ -496,8 +497,12 @@ func SearchRepositoryCondition(opts *SearchRepoOptions) builder.Cond {
 		// Only show a repo that either has a topic or description.
 		subQueryCond := builder.NewCond()
 
-		// Topic checking. Topics is non-null.
-		subQueryCond = subQueryCond.Or(builder.And(builder.Neq{"topics": "null"}, builder.Neq{"topics": "[]"}))
+		// Topic checking. Topics are present.
+		if setting.Database.UsePostgreSQL { // postgres stores the topics as json and not as text
+			subQueryCond = subQueryCond.Or(builder.And(builder.NotNull{"topics"}, builder.Neq{"(topics)::text": "[]"}))
+		} else {
+			subQueryCond = subQueryCond.Or(builder.And(builder.Neq{"topics": "null"}, builder.Neq{"topics": "[]"}))
+		}
 
 		// Description checking. Description not empty.
 		subQueryCond = subQueryCond.Or(builder.Neq{"description": ""})