diff --git a/fastapi_filter/contrib/sqlalchemy/filter.py b/fastapi_filter/contrib/sqlalchemy/filter.py
index 9d5d4d99..588bcce2 100644
--- a/fastapi_filter/contrib/sqlalchemy/filter.py
+++ b/fastapi_filter/contrib/sqlalchemy/filter.py
@@ -107,7 +107,16 @@ def filter(self, query: Union[Query, Select]):
         for field_name, value in self.filtering_fields:
             field_value = getattr(self, field_name)
             if isinstance(field_value, Filter):
-                query = field_value.filter(query)
+                field_value_dump = field_value.model_dump(exclude_unset=True, exclude_none=True)
+                # Check if the filter has any value set and in case we have a nested filter check if it's not empty
+                if field_value_dump and field_value_dump and any(field_value_dump.values()):
+                    joins = getattr(self.Constants, "joins", {})
+                    if joins and field_name in joins:
+                        table_join = joins[field_name]
+                        table_join["target"] = table_join.pop("target", field_value.Constants.model)
+                        query = query.join(**table_join)
+
+                    query = field_value.filter(query)
             else:
                 if "__" in field_name:
                     field_name, operator = field_name.split("__")
diff --git a/tests/test_sqlalchemy/conftest.py b/tests/test_sqlalchemy/conftest.py
index 044583f9..a2f750dd 100644
--- a/tests/test_sqlalchemy/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/test_sqlalchemy/conftest.py
@@ -285,6 +285,13 @@ class Constants(Filter.Constants):  # type: ignore[name-defined]
             model = User
             search_model_fields = ["name"]
             search_field_name = "search"
+            joins = {
+                "address": {
+                    "target": AddressFilter.Constants.model,
+                    "onclause": AddressFilter.Constants.model.id == User.address_id,
+                    "isouter": True,
+                },
+            }
 
     yield UserFilter
 
@@ -345,7 +352,7 @@ async def get_users(
         user_filter: UserFilter = FilterDepends(UserFilter),  # type: ignore[valid-type]
         db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
     ):
-        query = user_filter.filter(select(User).outerjoin(Address))  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        query = user_filter.filter(select(User))  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
         result = await db.execute(query)
         return result.scalars().unique().all()
 
@@ -354,7 +361,7 @@ async def get_users_by_alias(
         user_filter: UserFilter = FilterDepends(UserFilterByAlias, by_alias=True),  # type: ignore[valid-type]
         db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
     ):
-        query = user_filter.filter(select(User).outerjoin(Address))  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        query = user_filter.filter(select(User))  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
         result = await db.execute(query)
         return result.scalars().unique().all()
 
@@ -363,7 +370,7 @@ async def get_users_with_order_by(
         user_filter: UserFilterOrderBy = FilterDepends(UserFilterOrderBy),  # type: ignore[valid-type]
         db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
     ):
-        query = user_filter.sort(select(User).outerjoin(Address))  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        query = user_filter.sort(select(User))  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
         query = user_filter.filter(query)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
         result = await db.execute(query)
         return result.scalars().unique().all()
diff --git a/tests/test_sqlalchemy/test_filter.py b/tests/test_sqlalchemy/test_filter.py
index 3217a60b..7202133e 100644
--- a/tests/test_sqlalchemy/test_filter.py
+++ b/tests/test_sqlalchemy/test_filter.py
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@
 )
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures("users")
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_filter(session, Address, User, UserFilter, filter_, expected_count):
-    query = select(User).outerjoin(Address)
+async def test_filter(session, User, UserFilter, filter_, expected_count):
+    query = select(User)
     query = UserFilter(**filter_).filter(query)
     result = await session.execute(query)
     assert len(result.scalars().unique().all()) == expected_count
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ async def test_filter(session, Address, User, UserFilter, filter_, expected_coun
 )
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures("users")
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_filter_deprecation_like_and_ilike(session, Address, User, UserFilter, filter_, expected_count):
-    query = select(User).outerjoin(Address)
+async def test_filter_deprecation_like_and_ilike(session, User, UserFilter, filter_, expected_count):
+    query = select(User)
     with pytest.warns(DeprecationWarning, match="like and ilike operators."):
         query = UserFilter(**filter_).filter(query)
     result = await session.execute(query)