diff --git a/beet/core/container.py b/beet/core/container.py
index 2e795b1f..093636ad 100644
--- a/beet/core/container.py
+++ b/beet/core/container.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def merge(
 class MatchMixin:
     def match(self: Mapping[str, Any], *patterns: str) -> Set[str]:
         """Return keys matching the given path patterns."""
-        spec = PathSpec.from_lines("gitwildmatch", patterns or ["*"])
+        spec = PathSpec.from_lines("gitwildmatch", patterns)
         return set(spec.match_files(self.keys()))
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_data_pack.py b/tests/test_data_pack.py
index 56784039..724bc212 100644
--- a/tests/test_data_pack.py
+++ b/tests/test_data_pack.py
@@ -184,7 +184,9 @@ def test_match():
 
     funcs = [f"path/to/func_{i:02d}" for i in range(100)]
 
-    assert custom.functions.match() == set(funcs) | {
+    assert custom.functions.match() == set()
+
+    assert custom.functions.match("*") == set(funcs) | {
         "path/to/end",
         "other/subdir/hello",
         "other/subdir/world",
@@ -227,7 +229,9 @@ def test_proxy_match():
     custom_funcs = [f"custom:path/to/func_{i:02d}" for i in range(100)]
     hey_funcs = [f"hey:path/to/func_{i:02d}" for i in range(100)]
 
-    assert pack.functions.match() == set(custom_funcs) | set(hey_funcs) | {
+    assert pack.functions.match() == set()
+
+    assert pack.functions.match("*") == set(custom_funcs) | set(hey_funcs) | {
         "custom:path/to/end",
         "custom:other/subdir/hello",
         "custom:other/subdir/world",