diff --git a/src/braket/circuits/circuit.py b/src/braket/circuits/circuit.py
index 9ce7df7f8..02d419cff 100644
--- a/src/braket/circuits/circuit.py
+++ b/src/braket/circuits/circuit.py
@@ -319,8 +319,8 @@ def add_result_type(
             observable = Circuit._extract_observable(result_type_to_add)
             # We can skip this for now for AdjointGradient (the only subtype of this
             # type) because AdjointGradient can only be used when `shots=0`, and the
-            # qubit_observable_mapping is used to generate basis rotation instrunctions
-            # and make sure the observables are simultaneously commuting for `shots>0` mode.
+            # qubit_observable_mapping is used to generate basis rotation instructions
+            # and make sure the observables mutually commute for `shots>0` mode.
             supports_basis_rotation_instructions = not isinstance(
                 result_type_to_add, ObservableParameterResultType
             )
diff --git a/src/braket/circuits/observable.py b/src/braket/circuits/observable.py
index 11ed02eb6..e0572e3d9 100644
--- a/src/braket/circuits/observable.py
+++ b/src/braket/circuits/observable.py
@@ -40,20 +40,18 @@ def __init__(
         self, qubit_count: int, ascii_symbols: Sequence[str], targets: QubitSetInput | None = None
     ):
         super().__init__(qubit_count=qubit_count, ascii_symbols=ascii_symbols)
-        if targets is not None:
-            targets = QubitSet(targets)
+        targets = QubitSet(targets)
+        if targets:
             if (num_targets := len(targets)) != qubit_count:
                 raise ValueError(
                     f"Length of target {num_targets} does not match qubit count {qubit_count}"
                 )
-            self._targets = targets
-        else:
-            self._targets = None
+        self._targets = targets
         self._coef = 1
 
     def _unscaled(self) -> Observable:
         return Observable(
-            qubit_count=self.qubit_count, ascii_symbols=self.ascii_symbols, targets=self.targets
+            qubit_count=self.qubit_count, ascii_symbols=self.ascii_symbols, targets=self._targets
         )
 
     def to_ir(
@@ -207,7 +205,7 @@ def __sub__(self, other: Observable):
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
         return (
             f"{self.name}('qubit_count': {self._qubit_count})"
-            if self._targets is None
+            if not self._targets
             else f"{self.name}('qubit_count': {self._qubit_count}, 'target': {self._targets})"
         )
 
diff --git a/src/braket/circuits/observables.py b/src/braket/circuits/observables.py
index 9346435a2..a9039ee4c 100644
--- a/src/braket/circuits/observables.py
+++ b/src/braket/circuits/observables.py
@@ -508,9 +508,9 @@ def __init__(self, observables: list[Observable], display_name: str = "Hamiltoni
         self._summands = tuple(flattened_observables)
         qubit_count = max(flattened_observables, key=lambda obs: obs.qubit_count).qubit_count
         all_targets = [observable.targets for observable in flattened_observables]
-        if all(targets is None for targets in all_targets):
-            targets = None
-        elif all(targets is not None for targets in all_targets):
+        if not any(all_targets):
+            targets = QubitSet()
+        elif all(all_targets):
             targets = all_targets
         else:
             raise ValueError("Cannot mix terms with and without targets")
diff --git a/src/braket/circuits/result_type.py b/src/braket/circuits/result_type.py
index a7ce2436c..8343429e0 100644
--- a/src/braket/circuits/result_type.py
+++ b/src/braket/circuits/result_type.py
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ def observable(self) -> Observable:
 
     @property
     def target(self) -> QubitSet:
-        return self._target
+        return self._target or self._observable.targets
 
     @target.setter
     def target(self, target: QubitSetInput) -> None:
diff --git a/src/braket/circuits/result_types.py b/src/braket/circuits/result_types.py
index 8af36ab4a..6c1232b06 100644
--- a/src/braket/circuits/result_types.py
+++ b/src/braket/circuits/result_types.py
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ def __init__(
 
     def _to_openqasm(self, serialization_properties: OpenQASMSerializationProperties) -> str:
         observable_ir = self.observable.to_ir(
-            target=self.target,
+            target=self._target,
             ir_type=IRType.OPENQASM,
             serialization_properties=serialization_properties,
         )
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ def _to_jaqcd(self) -> ir.Expectation:
 
     def _to_openqasm(self, serialization_properties: OpenQASMSerializationProperties) -> str:
         observable_ir = self.observable.to_ir(
-            target=self.target,
+            target=self._target,
             ir_type=IRType.OPENQASM,
             serialization_properties=serialization_properties,
         )
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ def _to_jaqcd(self) -> ir.Sample:
 
     def _to_openqasm(self, serialization_properties: OpenQASMSerializationProperties) -> str:
         observable_ir = self.observable.to_ir(
-            target=self.target,
+            target=self._target,
             ir_type=IRType.OPENQASM,
             serialization_properties=serialization_properties,
         )
@@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ def _to_jaqcd(self) -> ir.Variance:
 
     def _to_openqasm(self, serialization_properties: OpenQASMSerializationProperties) -> str:
         observable_ir = self.observable.to_ir(
-            target=self.target,
+            target=self._target,
             ir_type=IRType.OPENQASM,
             serialization_properties=serialization_properties,
         )
diff --git a/test/unit_tests/braket/circuits/test_result_type.py b/test/unit_tests/braket/circuits/test_result_type.py
index bc7cc0909..bb543b7c0 100644
--- a/test/unit_tests/braket/circuits/test_result_type.py
+++ b/test/unit_tests/braket/circuits/test_result_type.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 from braket.circuits.free_parameter import FreeParameter
 from braket.circuits.result_type import ObservableParameterResultType
 from braket.circuits.serialization import IRType
+from braket.registers import QubitSet
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -168,6 +169,15 @@ def test_obs_rt_repr():
     )
 
 
+def test_obs_rt_target():
+    assert ObservableResultType(
+        ascii_symbols=["Obs"], observable=Observable.X(), target=1
+    ).target == QubitSet(1)
+    assert ObservableResultType(
+        ascii_symbols=["Obs"], observable=Observable.X(1)
+    ).target == QubitSet(1)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "ir_type, serialization_properties, expected_exception, expected_message",
     [