diff --git a/dali/operators/generic/reshape.cc b/dali/operators/generic/reshape.cc
index cdc1d919977..cddbdada462 100644
--- a/dali/operators/generic/reshape.cc
+++ b/dali/operators/generic/reshape.cc
@@ -26,13 +26,20 @@
 namespace dali {
 
 inline std::optional<int> ReshapeNDimFunc(const OpSpec &spec) {
+  // run-time shape is no-go
+  if (spec.NumRegularInput() > 1)
+    return std::nullopt;
+  if (spec.HasTensorArgument("shape") || spec.HasTensorArgument("rel_shape"))
+    return std::nullopt;
+
   std::vector<int> shape;
   if (spec.TryGetRepeatedArgument(shape, "shape"))
     return shape.size();
   std::vector<float> rel_shape;
   if (spec.TryGetRepeatedArgument(rel_shape, "rel_shape"))
     return rel_shape.size();
-  return std::nullopt;
+
+  return spec.InputDesc(0).ndim;
 }
 
 DALI_SCHEMA(Reshape)
diff --git a/dali/python/nvidia/dali/experimental/dynamic/_invocation.py b/dali/python/nvidia/dali/experimental/dynamic/_invocation.py
index edf3d2c5ea8..cb488f52c28 100644
--- a/dali/python/nvidia/dali/experimental/dynamic/_invocation.py
+++ b/dali/python/nvidia/dali/experimental/dynamic/_invocation.py
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ def dtype(self, result_index: int) -> DType:
             self.run(self._eval_context)
         return self._results[result_index].dtype
 
-    def layout(self, result_index: int) -> str:
+    def layout(self, result_index: int) -> str | None:
         if self._results is None:
             if init_spec := getattr(self._operator, "_init_spec", None):
                 init_spec(self._inputs, self._args)
@@ -160,7 +160,9 @@ def layout(self, result_index: int) -> str:
                     layout = str(layout)
                     return None if layout == "" else layout
             self.run(self._eval_context)
-        return self._results[result_index].layout()
+
+        layout = self._results[result_index].layout()
+        return layout or None  # this will override "" with None
 
     def __iter__(self):
         for index in range(len(self)):
diff --git a/dali/test/python/experimental_mode/test_output_metadata.py b/dali/test/python/experimental_mode/test_output_metadata.py
index 3a6cbc21d00..2db28da7dfa 100644
--- a/dali/test/python/experimental_mode/test_output_metadata.py
+++ b/dali/test/python/experimental_mode/test_output_metadata.py
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ def assert_correct_metadata(
     (ndd.brightness_contrast, dict(brightness=1.2)),
     (ndd.crop_mirror_normalize, dict(crop=(2, 2))),
     (ndd.crop_mirror_normalize, dict(crop=(2, 2), dtype=ndd.float32)),
+    (ndd.reshape, dict(layout="")),
 )
 def test_image_ops(func, kwargs):
     tensor = ndd.zeros(shape=(4, 4, 3), dtype=ndd.uint8, layout="HWC")
@@ -206,3 +207,15 @@ def test_gaussian_blur_fchw():
     sigmas = ndd.per_frame(sigmas)
 
     assert_correct_metadata(ndd.gaussian_blur(input, sigma=sigmas))
+
+
+# --- Empty layout handling ---
+
+
+@eval_modes(ndd.EvalMode.deferred)
+def test_empty_layout():
+    input = ndd.as_batch([ndd.zeros(shape=(3, 3)), ndd.zeros(shape=(4, 4))])
+    reshaped = ndd.reshape(input, layout="")
+    assert reshaped._invocation_result.layout is None
+    reshaped.evaluate()
+    assert reshaped._invocation_result.layout is None