diff --git a/share/functions/fish_clipboard_paste.fish b/share/functions/fish_clipboard_paste.fish
index 0ed27abce..08c0402b5 100644
--- a/share/functions/fish_clipboard_paste.fish
+++ b/share/functions/fish_clipboard_paste.fish
@@ -1,21 +1,20 @@
 function fish_clipboard_paste
     set -l data
     if type -q pbpaste
-        set data (pbpaste)
+        set data (pbpaste 2>/dev/null)
     else if set -q WAYLAND_DISPLAY; and type -q wl-paste
-        set data (wl-paste)
+        set data (wl-paste 2>/dev/null)
     else if type -q xsel
-        # Return if `xsel` failed.
-        # That way we don't print the redundant (and overly verbose for this) commandline error.
-        # Also require non-empty contents to not clear the buffer.
-        if not set data (xsel --clipboard 2>/dev/null)
-            return 1
-        end
+        set data (xsel --clipboard 2>/dev/null)
     else if type -q xclip
-        if not set data (xclip -selection clipboard -o 2>/dev/null)
-            return 1
-        end
+        set data (xclip -selection clipboard -o 2>/dev/null)
     end
+
+    # Issue 6254: Handle zero-length clipboard content
+    if not string match -qr . -- "$data"
+        return 1
+    end
+
     # Also split on \r to turn it into a newline,
     # otherwise the output looks really confusing.
     set data (string split \r -- $data)