diff --git a/pylib/anki/collection.py b/pylib/anki/collection.py
index 39c5efceb..1d7c442e7 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/collection.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/collection.py
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ SearchTerm = _pb.SearchTerm
 Progress = _pb.Progress
 Config = _pb.Config
 EmptyCardsReport = _pb.EmptyCardsReport
-NoteWithEmptyCards = _pb.NoteWithEmptyCards
 GraphPreferences = _pb.GraphPreferences
 BuiltinSort = _pb.SortOrder.Builtin
 Preferences = _pb.Preferences
diff --git a/qt/aqt/emptycards.py b/qt/aqt/emptycards.py
index 73b2e3087..eb8099cbf 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/emptycards.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/emptycards.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from concurrent.futures import Future
 from typing import Any
 
 import aqt
-from anki.collection import EmptyCardsReport, NoteWithEmptyCards
+from anki.collection import EmptyCardsReport
 from aqt import gui_hooks
 from aqt.qt import QDialog, QDialogButtonBox, qconnect
 from aqt.utils import TR, disable_help_button, restoreGeom, saveGeom, tooltip, tr
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class EmptyCardsDialog(QDialog):
 
     def _delete_cards(self, keep_notes: bool) -> int:
         to_delete = []
-        note: NoteWithEmptyCards
+        note: EmptyCardsReport.NoteWithEmptyCards
         for note in self.report.notes:
             if keep_notes and note.will_delete_note:
                 # leave first card
diff --git a/rslib/backend.proto b/rslib/backend.proto
index eff0abee2..e5ddab6d5 100644
--- a/rslib/backend.proto
+++ b/rslib/backend.proto
@@ -912,16 +912,15 @@ message AddNoteIn {
 }
 
 message EmptyCardsReport {
+  message NoteWithEmptyCards {
+    int64 note_id = 1;
+    repeated int64 card_ids = 2;
+    bool will_delete_note = 3;
+  }
   string report = 1;
   repeated NoteWithEmptyCards notes = 2;
 }
 
-message NoteWithEmptyCards {
-  int64 note_id = 1;
-  repeated int64 card_ids = 2;
-  bool will_delete_note = 3;
-}
-
 message DeckNames {
   repeated DeckNameID entries = 1;
 }
diff --git a/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs b/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
index 2ac7b2400..905e2aec7 100644
--- a/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/backend/mod.rs
@@ -438,10 +438,12 @@ impl BackendService for Backend {
 
             let mut outnotes = vec![];
             for (_ntid, notes) in empty {
-                outnotes.extend(notes.into_iter().map(|e| pb::NoteWithEmptyCards {
-                    note_id: e.nid.0,
-                    will_delete_note: e.empty.len() == e.current_count,
-                    card_ids: e.empty.into_iter().map(|(_ord, id)| id.0).collect(),
+                outnotes.extend(notes.into_iter().map(|e| {
+                    pb::empty_cards_report::NoteWithEmptyCards {
+                        note_id: e.nid.0,
+                        will_delete_note: e.empty.len() == e.current_count,
+                        card_ids: e.empty.into_iter().map(|(_ord, id)| id.0).collect(),
+                    }
                 }))
             }
             Ok(pb::EmptyCardsReport {