diff --git a/recipes/README.recipes.md b/recipes/README.recipes.md
index a4f638985..45f89c01e 100644
--- a/recipes/README.recipes.md
+++ b/recipes/README.recipes.md
@@ -868,7 +868,7 @@ Returns gerrit change patchset, e.g. 6 for a patch ref of
 
 Populated iff gerrit_change is populated Returns None if not populated..
 
-— **def [get\_change\_description](/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/api.py#388)(self):**
+— **def [get\_change\_description](/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/api.py#390)(self):**
 
 Gets the CL description.
 
@@ -884,7 +884,7 @@ Args:
 
 Returned paths will be relative to to api.path['root'].
 
-— **def [get\_footer](/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/api.py#377)(self, tag, patch_text=None):**
+— **def [get\_footer](/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/api.py#382)(self, tag, patch_text=None):**
 
 Gets a specific tag from a CL description
 
@@ -907,11 +907,11 @@ Returns true iff the properties exist to match a Gerrit issue.
 
 Returns true iff we have a change to check out.
 
-— **def [normalize\_footer\_name](/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/api.py#385)(self, footer):**
+— **def [normalize\_footer\_name](/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/api.py#387)(self, footer):**
 
 — **def [require\_is\_tryserver](/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/api.py#221)(self):**
 
-— **def [set\_change](/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/api.py#393)(self, change):**
+— **def [set\_change](/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/api.py#395)(self, change):**
 
 Set the gerrit change for this module.
 
diff --git a/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/api.py b/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/api.py
index 2d65a56f2..7df678702 100644
--- a/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/api.py
+++ b/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/api.py
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ class TryserverApi(recipe_api.RecipeApi):
   def _get_footers(self, patch_text=None):
     if patch_text is not None:
       return self._get_footer_step(patch_text)
-    if self._change_footers:  #pragma: nocover
+    if self._change_footers is not None:
       return self._change_footers
     if self.gerrit_change:
       self._ensure_gerrit_commit_message()
@@ -366,20 +366,22 @@ class TryserverApi(recipe_api.RecipeApi):
         'No patch text or associated changelist, cannot get footers')  #pragma: nocover
 
   def _get_footer_step(self, patch_text):
-    result = self.m.step('parse description', [
-        'python3',
-        self.repo_resource('git_footers.py'), '--json',
-        self.m.json.output()
-    ],
-                         stdin=self.m.raw_io.input(data=patch_text))
+    result = self.m.step(
+        'parse description',
+        [
+            'python3',
+            self.repo_resource('git_footers.py'),
+            '--json',
+            self.m.json.output(),
+        ],
+        stdin=self.m.raw_io.input(data=patch_text),
+        step_test_data=lambda: self.m.json.test_api.output({}),
+    )
     return result.json.output
 
   def get_footer(self, tag, patch_text=None):
     """Gets a specific tag from a CL description"""
     footers = self._get_footers(patch_text)
-    if footers is None:
-      return []
-
     return footers.get(tag, [])
 
   def normalize_footer_name(self, footer):
diff --git a/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/examples/full.expected/with_gerrit_patch.json b/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/examples/full.expected/with_gerrit_patch.json
index f617981f1..b47821cd1 100644
--- a/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/examples/full.expected/with_gerrit_patch.json
+++ b/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/examples/full.expected/with_gerrit_patch.json
@@ -138,36 +138,8 @@
     "name": "parse description",
     "stdin": "Change commit message",
     "~followup_annotations": [
-      "@@@STEP_LOG_END@json.output (invalid)@@@",
-      "@@@STEP_LOG_LINE@json.output (exception)@No JSON object could be decoded@@@",
-      "@@@STEP_LOG_END@json.output (exception)@@@"
-    ]
-  },
-  {
-    "cmd": [
-      "python3",
-      "RECIPE_REPO[depot_tools]/git_footers.py",
-      "--json",
-      "/path/to/tmp/json"
-    ],
-    "luci_context": {
-      "realm": {
-        "name": "chromium:linux"
-      },
-      "resultdb": {
-        "current_invocation": {
-          "name": "invocations/build:8945511751514863184",
-          "update_token": "token"
-        },
-        "hostname": "rdbhost"
-      }
-    },
-    "name": "parse description (2)",
-    "stdin": "Change commit message",
-    "~followup_annotations": [
-      "@@@STEP_LOG_END@json.output (invalid)@@@",
-      "@@@STEP_LOG_LINE@json.output (exception)@No JSON object could be decoded@@@",
-      "@@@STEP_LOG_END@json.output (exception)@@@"
+      "@@@STEP_LOG_LINE@json.output@{}@@@",
+      "@@@STEP_LOG_END@json.output@@@"
     ]
   },
   {
diff --git a/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/examples/full.expected/with_gerrit_patch_and_target_ref.json b/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/examples/full.expected/with_gerrit_patch_and_target_ref.json
index 36c2663cb..27d801e63 100644
--- a/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/examples/full.expected/with_gerrit_patch_and_target_ref.json
+++ b/recipes/recipe_modules/tryserver/examples/full.expected/with_gerrit_patch_and_target_ref.json
@@ -138,36 +138,8 @@
     "name": "parse description",
     "stdin": "Change commit message",
     "~followup_annotations": [
-      "@@@STEP_LOG_END@json.output (invalid)@@@",
-      "@@@STEP_LOG_LINE@json.output (exception)@No JSON object could be decoded@@@",
-      "@@@STEP_LOG_END@json.output (exception)@@@"
-    ]
-  },
-  {
-    "cmd": [
-      "python3",
-      "RECIPE_REPO[depot_tools]/git_footers.py",
-      "--json",
-      "/path/to/tmp/json"
-    ],
-    "luci_context": {
-      "realm": {
-        "name": "chromium:linux"
-      },
-      "resultdb": {
-        "current_invocation": {
-          "name": "invocations/build:8945511751514863184",
-          "update_token": "token"
-        },
-        "hostname": "rdbhost"
-      }
-    },
-    "name": "parse description (2)",
-    "stdin": "Change commit message",
-    "~followup_annotations": [
-      "@@@STEP_LOG_END@json.output (invalid)@@@",
-      "@@@STEP_LOG_LINE@json.output (exception)@No JSON object could be decoded@@@",
-      "@@@STEP_LOG_END@json.output (exception)@@@"
+      "@@@STEP_LOG_LINE@json.output@{}@@@",
+      "@@@STEP_LOG_END@json.output@@@"
     ]
   },
   {