diff --git a/.chronus/changes/fix-http-client-java-lro-empty-body-2026-6-17-15-59-00.md b/.chronus/changes/fix-http-client-java-lro-empty-body-2026-6-17-15-59-00.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1989f38fd7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.chronus/changes/fix-http-client-java-lro-empty-body-2026-6-17-15-59-00.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+changeKind: fix
+packages:
+  - "@typespec/http-client-java"
+---
+
+Fix null LRO error response body handling in generated management clients.
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-mgmt/src/main/java/com/microsoft/typespec/http/client/generator/mgmt/template/FluentServiceClientTemplate.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-mgmt/src/main/java/com/microsoft/typespec/http/client/generator/mgmt/template/FluentServiceClientTemplate.java
index b6002ce6e7f..73ba0a9c0bb 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-mgmt/src/main/java/com/microsoft/typespec/http/client/generator/mgmt/template/FluentServiceClientTemplate.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-mgmt/src/main/java/com/microsoft/typespec/http/client/generator/mgmt/template/FluentServiceClientTemplate.java
@@ -133,8 +133,10 @@ protected void writeAdditionalClassBlock(JavaClass classBlock) {
                         code.line("super(null);");
                         code.line("this.statusCode = statusCode;");
                         code.line("this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;");
+                        // Use an empty array so body accessors still work when the poller surfaces an error without a
+                        // response body.
                         code.line(
-                            "this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);");
+                            "this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);");
                     });
 
                 block.publicMethod("int getStatusCode()", code -> code.methodReturn("statusCode"));
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-mgmt/src/test/java/com/microsoft/typespec/http/client/generator/mgmt/template/FluentServiceClientTemplateTests.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-mgmt/src/test/java/com/microsoft/typespec/http/client/generator/mgmt/template/FluentServiceClientTemplateTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fee241529e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-mgmt/src/test/java/com/microsoft/typespec/http/client/generator/mgmt/template/FluentServiceClientTemplateTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+// Licensed under the MIT License.
+
+package com.microsoft.typespec.http.client.generator.mgmt.template;
+
+import com.microsoft.typespec.http.client.generator.core.model.javamodel.JavaFile;
+import com.microsoft.typespec.http.client.generator.mgmt.TestUtils;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeAll;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+public class FluentServiceClientTemplateTests {
+
+    @BeforeAll
+    public static void ensurePlugin() {
+        new TestUtils.MockFluentGen();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void writesEmptyByteArrayForNullLroErrorBody() {
+        JavaFile javaFile = new JavaFile("ProgramEnrollmentManagementClientImpl.java");
+
+        javaFile.publicFinalClass("ProgramEnrollmentManagementClientImpl",
+            classBlock -> FluentServiceClientTemplate.getInstance().writeAdditionalClassBlock(classBlock));
+
+        String output = javaFile.getContents().toString();
+
+        Assertions.assertTrue(output.contains(
+            "this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);"));
+        Assertions.assertFalse(output.contains(
+            "this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);"));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/commonproperties/implementation/CommonPropertiesClientImpl.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/commonproperties/implementation/CommonPropertiesClientImpl.java
index bf67d5c1129..7e78a424d48 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/commonproperties/implementation/CommonPropertiesClientImpl.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/commonproperties/implementation/CommonPropertiesClientImpl.java
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ private static final class HttpResponseImpl extends HttpResponse {
             super(null);
             this.statusCode = statusCode;
             this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;
-            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         }
 
         public int getStatusCode() {
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/largeheader/implementation/LargeHeaderClientImpl.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/largeheader/implementation/LargeHeaderClientImpl.java
index 420a3767afb..78360c03013 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/largeheader/implementation/LargeHeaderClientImpl.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/largeheader/implementation/LargeHeaderClientImpl.java
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ private static final class HttpResponseImpl extends HttpResponse {
             super(null);
             this.statusCode = statusCode;
             this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;
-            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         }
 
         public int getStatusCode() {
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/managementgroup/implementation/ManagementGroupClientImpl.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/managementgroup/implementation/ManagementGroupClientImpl.java
index 839fee59369..9af63b948db 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/managementgroup/implementation/ManagementGroupClientImpl.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/managementgroup/implementation/ManagementGroupClientImpl.java
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ private static final class HttpResponseImpl extends HttpResponse {
             super(null);
             this.statusCode = statusCode;
             this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;
-            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         }
 
         public int getStatusCode() {
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/methodsubscriptionid/implementation/MethodSubscriptionIdClientImpl.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/methodsubscriptionid/implementation/MethodSubscriptionIdClientImpl.java
index f3206ee4a9a..6e3ca43d948 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/methodsubscriptionid/implementation/MethodSubscriptionIdClientImpl.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/methodsubscriptionid/implementation/MethodSubscriptionIdClientImpl.java
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ private static final class HttpResponseImpl extends HttpResponse {
             super(null);
             this.statusCode = statusCode;
             this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;
-            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         }
 
         public int getStatusCode() {
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/multiservice/combined/implementation/CombinedImpl.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/multiservice/combined/implementation/CombinedImpl.java
index 3082d51ed39..502dce81b53 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/multiservice/combined/implementation/CombinedImpl.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/multiservice/combined/implementation/CombinedImpl.java
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ private static final class HttpResponseImpl extends HttpResponse {
             super(null);
             this.statusCode = statusCode;
             this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;
-            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         }
 
         public int getStatusCode() {
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/multiservicesharedmodels/combined/implementation/CombinedImpl.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/multiservicesharedmodels/combined/implementation/CombinedImpl.java
index 124fe1779c7..e48a554bf0f 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/multiservicesharedmodels/combined/implementation/CombinedImpl.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/multiservicesharedmodels/combined/implementation/CombinedImpl.java
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ private static final class HttpResponseImpl extends HttpResponse {
             super(null);
             this.statusCode = statusCode;
             this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;
-            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         }
 
         public int getStatusCode() {
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/nonresource/implementation/NonResourceClientImpl.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/nonresource/implementation/NonResourceClientImpl.java
index 01a8142ee74..7dd6354a31f 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/nonresource/implementation/NonResourceClientImpl.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/nonresource/implementation/NonResourceClientImpl.java
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ private static final class HttpResponseImpl extends HttpResponse {
             super(null);
             this.statusCode = statusCode;
             this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;
-            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         }
 
         public int getStatusCode() {
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/operationtemplates/implementation/OperationTemplatesClientImpl.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/operationtemplates/implementation/OperationTemplatesClientImpl.java
index 4eca68df9b2..f8bd6ebc363 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/operationtemplates/implementation/OperationTemplatesClientImpl.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/operationtemplates/implementation/OperationTemplatesClientImpl.java
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ private static final class HttpResponseImpl extends HttpResponse {
             super(null);
             this.statusCode = statusCode;
             this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;
-            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         }
 
         public int getStatusCode() {
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/resources/implementation/ResourcesClientImpl.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/resources/implementation/ResourcesClientImpl.java
index 30ccafe16a1..3b3ac8dd4f6 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/resources/implementation/ResourcesClientImpl.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/azure/resourcemanager/resources/implementation/ResourcesClientImpl.java
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ private static final class HttpResponseImpl extends HttpResponse {
             super(null);
             this.statusCode = statusCode;
             this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;
-            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         }
 
         public int getStatusCode() {
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armcustomization/implementation/ArmCustomizationClientImpl.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armcustomization/implementation/ArmCustomizationClientImpl.java
index bb97758a5fd..ac68e5ab77a 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armcustomization/implementation/ArmCustomizationClientImpl.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armcustomization/implementation/ArmCustomizationClientImpl.java
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ private static final class HttpResponseImpl extends HttpResponse {
             super(null);
             this.statusCode = statusCode;
             this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;
-            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         }
 
         public int getStatusCode() {
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armlegacy/implementation/ArmLegacyClientImpl.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armlegacy/implementation/ArmLegacyClientImpl.java
index 032d64f27d7..29e0a6ca4a3 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armlegacy/implementation/ArmLegacyClientImpl.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armlegacy/implementation/ArmLegacyClientImpl.java
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ private static final class HttpResponseImpl extends HttpResponse {
             super(null);
             this.statusCode = statusCode;
             this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;
-            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         }
 
         public int getStatusCode() {
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armresourceprovider/implementation/ArmClientImpl.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armresourceprovider/implementation/ArmClientImpl.java
index 9f6b0870f52..40f9d97303a 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armresourceprovider/implementation/ArmClientImpl.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armresourceprovider/implementation/ArmClientImpl.java
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ private static final class HttpResponseImpl extends HttpResponse {
             super(null);
             this.statusCode = statusCode;
             this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;
-            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         }
 
         public int getStatusCode() {
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armstreamstyleserialization/implementation/ArmResourceProviderManagementClientImpl.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armstreamstyleserialization/implementation/ArmResourceProviderManagementClientImpl.java
index 9dd35d711f9..71b5ce84107 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armstreamstyleserialization/implementation/ArmResourceProviderManagementClientImpl.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armstreamstyleserialization/implementation/ArmResourceProviderManagementClientImpl.java
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ private static final class HttpResponseImpl extends HttpResponse {
             super(null);
             this.statusCode = statusCode;
             this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;
-            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         }
 
         public int getStatusCode() {
diff --git a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armversioned/implementation/ArmVersionedClientImpl.java b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armversioned/implementation/ArmVersionedClientImpl.java
index 46b331209c9..0fae9551cf3 100644
--- a/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armversioned/implementation/ArmVersionedClientImpl.java
+++ b/packages/http-client-java/generator/http-client-generator-test/src/main/java/tsptest/armversioned/implementation/ArmVersionedClientImpl.java
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ private static final class HttpResponseImpl extends HttpResponse {
             super(null);
             this.statusCode = statusCode;
             this.httpHeaders = httpHeaders;
-            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? null : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            this.responseBody = responseBody == null ? new byte[0] : responseBody.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
         }
 
         public int getStatusCode() {