diff --git a/ibis/backends/pandas/__init__.py b/ibis/backends/pandas/__init__.py
index 7239b2af26ed..fe92cb8cba0a 100644
--- a/ibis/backends/pandas/__init__.py
+++ b/ibis/backends/pandas/__init__.py
@@ -33,14 +33,14 @@ class Options(ibis.config.Config):
 
     def do_connect(
         self,
-        dictionary: MutableMapping[str, pd.DataFrame],
+        dictionary: MutableMapping[str, pd.DataFrame] | None = None,
     ) -> None:
         """Construct a client from a dictionary of pandas DataFrames.
 
         Parameters
         ----------
         dictionary
-            Mutable mapping of string table names to pandas DataFrames.
+            An optional mapping of string table names to pandas DataFrames.
 
         Examples
         --------
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def do_connect(
         # register dispatchers
         from ibis.backends.pandas import execution, udf  # noqa: F401
 
-        self.dictionary = dictionary
+        self.dictionary = dictionary or {}
         self.schemas: MutableMapping[str, sch.Schema] = {}
 
     def from_dataframe(
diff --git a/ibis/backends/pandas/tests/test_client.py b/ibis/backends/pandas/tests/test_client.py
index d5267cf72cc4..067163555c9a 100644
--- a/ibis/backends/pandas/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/ibis/backends/pandas/tests/test_client.py
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ def test_data():
     return test_data
 
 
+def test_connect_no_args():
+    con = ibis.pandas.connect()
+    assert dict(con.tables) == {}
+
+
 def test_client_table(table):
     assert isinstance(table.op(), ibis.expr.operations.DatabaseTable)
     assert isinstance(table.op(), PandasTable)
diff --git a/ibis/backends/polars/__init__.py b/ibis/backends/polars/__init__.py
index 211a4042cf3a..75aa0bccfc2a 100644
--- a/ibis/backends/polars/__init__.py
+++ b/ibis/backends/polars/__init__.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ def do_connect(
         Parameters
         ----------
         tables
-            Mutable mapping of string table names to polars LazyFrames.
+            An optional mapping of string table names to polars LazyFrames.
         """
         if not tables:
             tables = {}