diff --git a/backend/job/job_post/views.py b/backend/job/job_post/views.py
index 8ead2e3..6a378ff 100644
--- a/backend/job/job_post/views.py
+++ b/backend/job/job_post/views.py
@@ -49,9 +49,15 @@ MAX_JOB_IMAGE_BYTES=5*1024*1024
 
 
 def _payload_recruiter_ids(payload):
-    if payload.get("current_recruiter_ids"):
-        raw=payload.get("current_recruiter_ids")
-        return raw
+    """None = the client did not send recruiters, so leave them alone.
+    [] = the client sent an empty list, so remove every recruiter.
+
+    Checks for the key rather than truthiness: an empty list is falsy, and
+    reading it as "not sent" made the last recruiter impossible to remove.
+    """
+    if "current_recruiter_ids" not in payload:
+        return None
+    return payload.get("current_recruiter_ids") or []
 
 def _recruiter_fields(users):
     ids=[str(u.id) for u in users]