diff --git a/apps/portal/src/pages/questions/browse.tsx b/apps/portal/src/pages/questions/browse.tsx
index 89ca2954..87654ef4 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/pages/questions/browse.tsx
+++ b/apps/portal/src/pages/questions/browse.tsx
@@ -418,7 +418,8 @@ export default function QuestionsBrowsePage() {
                   {questions?.length === 0 && (
                     <div className="flex w-full items-center justify-center gap-2 rounded-md border border-slate-300 bg-slate-200 p-4 text-slate-600">
                       <NoSymbolIcon className="h-6 w-6" />
-                      <p>Nothing found. Try changing your search filters.</p>
+                      <p>Nothing found.</p>
+                      {hasFilters && <p>Try changing your search criteria.</p>}
                     </div>
                   )}
                 </div>
diff --git a/apps/portal/src/server/router/questions-question-router.ts b/apps/portal/src/server/router/questions-question-router.ts
index c7d304d6..3768b852 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/server/router/questions-question-router.ts
+++ b/apps/portal/src/server/router/questions-question-router.ts
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ import { createProtectedRouter } from './context';
 import type { Question } from '~/types/questions';
 import { SortOrder, SortType } from '~/types/questions.d';
 
-const TWO_WEEK_IN_MS = 12096e5;
-
 export const questionsQuestionRouter = createProtectedRouter()
   .query('getQuestionsByFilter', {
     input: z.object({
@@ -20,7 +18,7 @@ export const questionsQuestionRouter = createProtectedRouter()
       roles: z.string().array(),
       sortOrder: z.nativeEnum(SortOrder),
       sortType: z.nativeEnum(SortType),
-      startDate: z.date().default(new Date(Date.now() - TWO_WEEK_IN_MS)),
+      startDate: z.date().optional(),
     }),
     async resolve({ ctx, input }) {
       const sortCondition =