diff --git a/src/borg/manifest.py b/src/borg/manifest.py
index 4eb9b1e3b..c6409f4b7 100644
--- a/src/borg/manifest.py
+++ b/src/borg/manifest.py
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ def get_first_and_last_archive_ts(archives_list):
         timestamps = [x.ts for x in archives_list]
         return min(timestamps), max(timestamps)
 
+    if not archives:
+        return archives
+
     now = archive_ts_now()
     earliest_ts, latest_ts = get_first_and_last_archive_ts(archives)
 
@@ -46,6 +49,9 @@ def get_first_and_last_archive_ts(archives_list):
     from_ts = calculate_relative_offset(newer, now, earlier=True) if newer is not None else earliest_ts
     archives = [x for x in archives if from_ts <= x.ts <= until_ts]
 
+    if not archives:
+        return archives
+
     earliest_ts, latest_ts = get_first_and_last_archive_ts(archives)
     if oldest:
         until_ts = calculate_relative_offset(oldest, earliest_ts, earlier=False)
@@ -136,7 +142,7 @@ def list(
         regex = re.compile(regex + match_end)
         archives = [x for x in archives if regex.match(x.name) is not None]
 
-        if any([oldest, newest, older, newer]) and len(archives) > 0:
+        if any([oldest, newest, older, newer]):
             archives = filter_archives_by_date(archives, oldest=oldest, newest=newest, newer=newer, older=older)
         if not consider_checkpoints:
             archives = [x for x in archives if ".checkpoint" not in x.name]
diff --git a/src/borg/testsuite/archiver/check_cmd.py b/src/borg/testsuite/archiver/check_cmd.py
index 023a983d6..9669ee7ac 100644
--- a/src/borg/testsuite/archiver/check_cmd.py
+++ b/src/borg/testsuite/archiver/check_cmd.py
@@ -92,6 +92,13 @@ def test_date_matching(self):
         self.assert_in("archive2", output)
         self.assert_not_in("archive3", output)
 
+        # check for output when timespan older than earliest archive is given. Issue #1711
+        output = self.cmd(
+            f"--repo={self.repository_location}", "check", "-v", "--archives-only", "--older=9999m", exit_code=0
+        )
+        for archive in ("archive1", "archive2", "archive3"):
+            self.assert_not_in(archive, output)
+
     def test_missing_file_chunk(self):
         archive, repository = self.open_archive("archive1")
         with repository: