diff --git a/api/menu/items.cfm b/api/menu/items.cfm
index 64307f5..a431975 100644
--- a/api/menu/items.cfm
+++ b/api/menu/items.cfm
@@ -300,30 +300,38 @@
 
   <cfset rows = []>
 
-  <!--- For unified schema with Categories table, add category headers first --->
+  <!--- Build set of category IDs that actually have items --->
+  <cfset categoriesWithItems = {}>
+  <cfloop query="q">
+    <cfif q.ItemCategoryID GT 0>
+      <cfset categoriesWithItems[q.ItemCategoryID] = true>
+    </cfif>
+  </cfloop>
+
+  <!--- For unified schema with Categories table, add category headers (only if they have items) --->
   <cfif newSchemaActive AND isDefined("qCategories")>
     <cfloop query="qCategories">
-      <!--- Add category as a virtual parent item --->
-      <!--- Use CategoryID as ItemID, and set ItemCategoryID to same value --->
-      <!--- Set ItemParentItemID to 0 to mark as root level --->
-      <cfset arrayAppend(rows, {
-        "ItemID": qCategories.CategoryID,
-        "ItemCategoryID": qCategories.CategoryID,
-        "ItemCategoryName": qCategories.CategoryName,
-        "ItemName": qCategories.CategoryName,
-        "ItemDescription": "",
-        "ItemParentItemID": 0,
-        "ItemPrice": 0,
-        "ItemIsActive": 1,
-        "ItemIsCheckedByDefault": 0,
-        "ItemRequiresChildSelection": 0,
-        "ItemMaxNumSelectionReq": 0,
-        "ItemIsCollapsible": 0,
-        "ItemSortOrder": qCategories.CategorySortOrder,
-        "ItemStationID": "",
-        "ItemStationName": "",
-        "ItemStationColor": ""
-      })>
+      <cfif structKeyExists(categoriesWithItems, qCategories.CategoryID)>
+        <!--- Add category as a virtual parent item --->
+        <cfset arrayAppend(rows, {
+          "ItemID": qCategories.CategoryID,
+          "ItemCategoryID": qCategories.CategoryID,
+          "ItemCategoryName": qCategories.CategoryName,
+          "ItemName": qCategories.CategoryName,
+          "ItemDescription": "",
+          "ItemParentItemID": 0,
+          "ItemPrice": 0,
+          "ItemIsActive": 1,
+          "ItemIsCheckedByDefault": 0,
+          "ItemRequiresChildSelection": 0,
+          "ItemMaxNumSelectionReq": 0,
+          "ItemIsCollapsible": 0,
+          "ItemSortOrder": qCategories.CategorySortOrder,
+          "ItemStationID": "",
+          "ItemStationName": "",
+          "ItemStationColor": ""
+        })>
+      </cfif>
     </cfloop>
   </cfif>