diff --git a/doc/changelog.rst b/doc/changelog.rst
index 6daa2ae9..4ff449a7 100644
--- a/doc/changelog.rst
+++ b/doc/changelog.rst
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Bug fixes
 2. Fixed typos and supported fields in docs (fixes :github:issue:`1105` and :github:issue:`1106`).
 3. Fixed bug where mixed ``jnt_limited`` joints were not being constrained correctly.
 4. Made ``device_put`` type validation more verbose (fixes :github:issue:`1113`).
+5. Removed empty EFC rows from `MJX`, for joints with no limits (fixes :github:issue:`1117`).
 
 Documentation
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
diff --git a/mjx/mujoco/mjx/_src/constraint.py b/mjx/mujoco/mjx/_src/constraint.py
index 3f020198..91e83cb9 100644
--- a/mjx/mujoco/mjx/_src/constraint.py
+++ b/mjx/mujoco/mjx/_src/constraint.py
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@ def _instantiate_limit(m: Model, d: Data) -> _Efc:
       jnt_typ = JointType(jnt_typs[i])
 
       if jnt_typ == JointType.FREE:
-        return None  # omit constraint rows for free joints
+        # this row gets removed via jnt_limited filter:
+        dist, j = jp.zeros(()), jp.zeros((m.nv))
       elif jnt_typ == JointType.BALL:
         axis, angle = math.quat_to_axis_angle(qpos[qpos_i : qpos_i + 4])
         dist = jp.amax(jnt_range[i]) - angle
@@ -228,19 +229,13 @@ def _instantiate_limit(m: Model, d: Data) -> _Efc:
 
     return jp.stack(js), jp.stack(rs), jp.stack(arefs)
 
-  jnt_range = jp.where(
-      m.jnt_limited[:, None],
-      m.jnt_range,
-      jp.array([-jp.inf, jp.inf]),
-  )
-
   j, r, aref = scan.flat(
       m,
       fn,
       'jjjjjqvv',
       'jjj',
       m.jnt_type,
-      jnt_range,
+      m.jnt_range,
       m.jnt_solref,
       m.jnt_solimp,
       m.jnt_margin,
@@ -249,6 +244,10 @@ def _instantiate_limit(m: Model, d: Data) -> _Efc:
       m.dof_invweight0,
   )
 
+  # ignore rows for joints with no limits
+  jnt_limited = m.jnt_limited.astype(bool)
+  j, r, aref = j[jnt_limited], r[jnt_limited], aref[jnt_limited]
+
   return _Efc(J=j, R=r, aref=aref, frictionloss=jp.zeros_like(r))
 
 
@@ -303,12 +302,12 @@ def count_constraints(m: Model, d: Data) -> Tuple[int, int, int, int]:
 
   nf = 0
 
-  if (m.opt.disableflags & DisableBit.LIMIT) or not m.jnt_limited.any():
+  if m.opt.disableflags & DisableBit.LIMIT:
     nl = 0
   else:
-    nl = (m.jnt_type != JointType.FREE).sum()
+    nl = int(m.jnt_limited.sum())
 
-  if (m.opt.disableflags & DisableBit.CONTACT):
+  if m.opt.disableflags & DisableBit.CONTACT:
     nc = 0
   else:
     nc = d.ncon * 4
diff --git a/mjx/mujoco/mjx/_src/constraint_test.py b/mjx/mujoco/mjx/_src/constraint_test.py
index 8bc77042..2c8c1a45 100644
--- a/mjx/mujoco/mjx/_src/constraint_test.py
+++ b/mjx/mujoco/mjx/_src/constraint_test.py
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ class ConstraintTest(parameterized.TestCase):
     # first joint is outside the joint range
     np.testing.assert_array_almost_equal(efc.J[0, 0], -1.0)
 
-    # second joint does not hit joint range
-    np.testing.assert_array_almost_equal(efc.aref[1], 0.0)
+    # second joint has no range, so only one efc row
+    self.assertEqual(efc.J.shape[0], 1)
 
   def test_disable_refsafe(self):
     m = test_util.load_test_file('ant.xml')