diff --git a/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFBuildpacksProvider.java b/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFBuildpacksProvider.java
index 449198e1b..1200e52ce 100644
--- a/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFBuildpacksProvider.java
+++ b/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFBuildpacksProvider.java
@@ -30,9 +30,12 @@ public class ManifestYamlCFBuildpacksProvider extends AbstractCFHintsProvider {
 
 	@Override
 	public Collection<YValueHint> getHints(List<CFTarget> targets) throws Exception {
-
+		if (targets==null || targets.isEmpty()) {
+			//no targets... means we don't know anything. Indicate this by returning null...
+			// this "don't know" value will suppress bogus warnings in the reconciler.
+			return null;
+		}
 		List<YValueHint> hints = new ArrayList<>();
-
 		for (CFTarget cfTarget : targets) {
 
 			List<CFBuildpack> buildpacks = cfTarget.getBuildpacks();
@@ -51,12 +54,7 @@ public class ManifestYamlCFBuildpacksProvider extends AbstractCFHintsProvider {
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		// Contract for the reconciler: return null if values cannot be
-		// resolved. Otherwise
-		// return non-empty list of buildpacks. For CF targets, a non-empty list
-		// of buildpacks is
-		// typically expected.
-		return !hints.isEmpty() ? hints : null;
+		return hints;
 	}
 
 	protected String getBuildpackLabel(CFTarget target, CFBuildpack buildpack) {
diff --git a/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFDomainsProvider.java b/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFDomainsProvider.java
index e588e81f3..d3496e32a 100644
--- a/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFDomainsProvider.java
+++ b/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFDomainsProvider.java
@@ -29,9 +29,12 @@ public class ManifestYamlCFDomainsProvider extends AbstractCFHintsProvider {
 
 	@Override
 	public Collection<YValueHint> getHints(List<CFTarget> targets) throws Exception {
-
+		if (targets==null || targets.isEmpty()) {
+			//no targets... means we don't know anything. Indicate this by returning null...
+			// this "don't know" value will suppress bogus warnings in the reconciler.
+			return null;
+		}
 		List<YValueHint> hints = new ArrayList<>();
-
 		for (CFTarget cfTarget : targets) {
 
 			List<CFDomain> domains = cfTarget.getDomains();
@@ -48,10 +51,7 @@ public class ManifestYamlCFDomainsProvider extends AbstractCFHintsProvider {
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		// Contract for the reconciler: return null if values cannot be
-		// resolved. Otherwise
-		// return non-empty list
-		return !hints.isEmpty() ? hints : null;
+		return hints;
 	}
 
 	protected String getLabel(CFTarget target, CFDomain domain) {
diff --git a/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFServicesProvider.java b/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFServicesProvider.java
index c2f773738..e2d329039 100644
--- a/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFServicesProvider.java
+++ b/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFServicesProvider.java
@@ -30,14 +30,12 @@ public class ManifestYamlCFServicesProvider extends AbstractCFHintsProvider {
 
 	@Override
 	public Collection<YValueHint> getHints(List<CFTarget> targets) throws Exception {
-
-		// NOTE: empty list of services is a VALID result. A CF target may have
-		// no service instances
-		// created, so if empty list is returned from the client, then RETURN empty list. don't
-		// return null
-		// for empty services cases
+		if (targets==null || targets.isEmpty()) {
+			//no targets... means we don't know anything. Indicate this by returning null...
+			// this "don't know" value will suppress bogus warnings in the reconciler.
+			return null;
+		}
 		List<YValueHint> hints = new ArrayList<>();
-
 		for (CFTarget cfTarget : targets) {
 			List<CFServiceInstance> services = cfTarget.getServices();
 			Renderable targetLabel = Renderables.text(cfTarget.getLabel());
@@ -54,7 +52,6 @@ public class ManifestYamlCFServicesProvider extends AbstractCFHintsProvider {
 				}
 			}
 		}
-
 		return hints;
 	}
 
diff --git a/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlLanguageServer.java b/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlLanguageServer.java
index 943fc7cd5..f6ff34ad0 100644
--- a/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlLanguageServer.java
+++ b/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlLanguageServer.java
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import org.springframework.ide.vscode.commons.languageserver.reconcile.IReconcil
 import org.springframework.ide.vscode.commons.languageserver.util.SimpleLanguageServer;
 import org.springframework.ide.vscode.commons.languageserver.util.SimpleTextDocumentService;
 import org.springframework.ide.vscode.commons.languageserver.util.SimpleWorkspaceService;
-import org.springframework.ide.vscode.commons.languageserver.util.TextDocumentContentChange;
 import org.springframework.ide.vscode.commons.util.text.LanguageId;
 import org.springframework.ide.vscode.commons.util.text.TextDocument;
 import org.springframework.ide.vscode.commons.yaml.ast.YamlASTProvider;
diff --git a/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlStacksProvider.java b/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlStacksProvider.java
index 542069a71..3a2179850 100644
--- a/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlStacksProvider.java
+++ b/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlStacksProvider.java
@@ -35,13 +35,12 @@ public class ManifestYamlStacksProvider extends AbstractCFHintsProvider {
 
 	@Override
 	protected Collection<YValueHint> getHints(List<CFTarget> targets) throws Exception {
-		// NOTE: empty list of services is a VALID result. A CF target may have
-		// no service instances
-		// created, so if empty list is returned from the client, then RETURN empty list. don't
-		// return null
-		// for empty services cases
+		if (targets==null || targets.isEmpty()) {
+			//no targets... means we don't know anything. Indicate this by returning null...
+			// this "don't know" value will suppress bogus warnings in the reconciler.
+			return null;
+		}
 		List<YValueHint> hints = new ArrayList<>();
-
 		for (CFTarget cfTarget : targets) {
 			List<CFStack> stacks = cfTarget.getStacks();
 			Renderable targetLabel = Renderables.text(cfTarget.getLabel());
@@ -57,7 +56,6 @@ public class ManifestYamlStacksProvider extends AbstractCFHintsProvider {
 				}
 			}
 		}
-
 		return hints;
 	}
 
diff --git a/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/test/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlEditorTest.java b/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/test/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlEditorTest.java
index 91512fa59..b2896892f 100644
--- a/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/test/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlEditorTest.java
+++ b/headless-services/manifest-yaml-language-server/src/test/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlEditorTest.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import org.eclipse.lsp4j.CompletionItem;
 import org.eclipse.lsp4j.Diagnostic;
 import org.eclipse.lsp4j.DiagnosticSeverity;
 import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Ignore;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.mockito.Mockito;
 import org.springframework.ide.vscode.commons.cloudfoundry.client.CFBuildpack;
@@ -997,6 +998,22 @@ public class ManifestYamlEditorTest {
 		);
 	}
 
+	@Test public void noReconcileErrorsWhenNoTargets() throws Exception {
+		cloudfoundry.reset();
+		when(cloudfoundry.defaultParamsProvider.getParams()).thenReturn(ImmutableList.of());
+		Editor editor = harness.newEditor(
+				"applications:\n" +
+				"- name: foo\n" +
+				"  buildpack: bad-buildpack\n" +
+				"  stack: blah\n" +
+				"  domain: something-domain.com\n" +
+				"  services:\n" +
+				"  - bad-service\n" +
+				"  bogus: bad" //a token error to make sure reconciler is actually running!
+		);
+		editor.assertProblems("bogus|Unknown property");
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void noReconcileErrorsWhenCFFactoryThrows() throws Exception {
 		reset(cloudfoundry.factory);