diff --git a/rules-tests/CodeQuality/Rector/ClassMethod/InlineArrayReturnAssignRector/Fixture/skip_init_not_empty_array.php.inc b/rules-tests/CodeQuality/Rector/ClassMethod/InlineArrayReturnAssignRector/Fixture/skip_init_not_empty_array.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1638e48ea10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/CodeQuality/Rector/ClassMethod/InlineArrayReturnAssignRector/Fixture/skip_init_not_empty_array.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\CodeQuality\Rector\ClassMethod\InlineArrayReturnAssignRector\Fixture;
+
+final class SkipInitNotEmptyArray
+{
+     public function some(SomeObject $someObject): array
+     {
+        $message = [
+           'type' => 'type',
+            'id' => (string) $someObject->getId(),
+        ];
+        $message['link'] = $this->getSome($someObject);
+
+       return $message;
+     }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rules/CodeQuality/Rector/ClassMethod/InlineArrayReturnAssignRector.php b/rules/CodeQuality/Rector/ClassMethod/InlineArrayReturnAssignRector.php
index a1a823fa318..3adabdd0202 100644
--- a/rules/CodeQuality/Rector/ClassMethod/InlineArrayReturnAssignRector.php
+++ b/rules/CodeQuality/Rector/ClassMethod/InlineArrayReturnAssignRector.php
@@ -215,6 +215,10 @@ private function resolveDefaultEmptyArrayAssign(array $stmts, string $returnedVa
                 continue;
             }
 
+            if ($assign->expr->items !== []) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
             return $assign;
         }