diff --git a/src/go/rpk/pkg/cli/cmd/group/describe.go b/src/go/rpk/pkg/cli/cmd/group/describe.go
index 7b295f63262cf..d7a8ff7c75369 100644
--- a/src/go/rpk/pkg/cli/cmd/group/describe.go
+++ b/src/go/rpk/pkg/cli/cmd/group/describe.go
@@ -64,8 +64,11 @@ information about the members.
 				out.Die("unable to fetch offsets for any group")
 			}
 
-			listed, err := adm.ListEndOffsets(ctx, described.AssignedPartitions().Topics()...)
-			out.HandleShardError("ListOffsets", err)
+			var listed kadm.ListedOffsets
+			if topics := described.AssignedPartitions().Topics(); len(topics) > 0 {
+				listed, err = adm.ListEndOffsets(ctx, topics...)
+				out.HandleShardError("ListOffsets", err)
+			}
 
 			printDescribed(
 				described,
diff --git a/src/go/rpk/pkg/cli/cmd/group/seek.go b/src/go/rpk/pkg/cli/cmd/group/seek.go
index 8118b994a158e..5efbf63491c56 100644
--- a/src/go/rpk/pkg/cli/cmd/group/seek.go
+++ b/src/go/rpk/pkg/cli/cmd/group/seek.go
@@ -220,28 +220,33 @@ func seek(
 			tps[topic] = map[int32]struct{}{} // ensure exists
 		}
 		topics := tps.Topics()
-
 		var listed kadm.ListedOffsets
-		var err error
-		switch to {
-		case "start":
-			listed, err = adm.ListStartOffsets(context.Background(), topics...)
-		case "end":
-			listed, err = adm.ListEndOffsets(context.Background(), topics...)
-		default:
-			var milli int64
-			milli, err = strconv.ParseInt(to, 10, 64)
-			out.MaybeDie(err, "unable to parse millisecond %q: %v", to, err)
-			switch len(to) {
-			case 10: // e.g. "1622505600"; sec to milli
-				milli *= 1000
-			case 13: // e.g. "1622505600000", already in milli
-			case 19: // e.g. "1622505600000000000"; nano to milli
-				milli /= 1e6
+		if len(topics) > 0 {
+			var err error
+			switch to {
+			case "start":
+				listed, err = adm.ListStartOffsets(context.Background(), topics...)
+			case "end":
+				listed, err = adm.ListEndOffsets(context.Background(), topics...)
 			default:
-				out.Die("--to timestamp %q is not a second, nor a millisecond, nor a nanosecond", to)
+				var milli int64
+				milli, err = strconv.ParseInt(to, 10, 64)
+				out.MaybeDie(err, "unable to parse millisecond %q: %v", to, err)
+				switch len(to) {
+				case 10: // e.g. "1622505600"; sec to milli
+					milli *= 1000
+				case 13: // e.g. "1622505600000", already in milli
+				case 19: // e.g. "1622505600000000000"; nano to milli
+					milli /= 1e6
+				default:
+					out.Die("--to timestamp %q is not a second, nor a millisecond, nor a nanosecond", to)
+				}
+				listed, err = adm.ListOffsetsAfterMilli(context.Background(), milli, topics...)
+			}
+			if err == nil { // ListOffsets can return ShardErrors, but we want to be entirely successful
+				err = listed.Error()
 			}
-			listed, err = adm.ListOffsetsAfterMilli(context.Background(), milli, topics...)
+			out.MaybeDie(err, "unable to list all offsets successfully: %v", err)
 		}
 		if err == nil { // ListOffsets can return ShardErrors, but we want to be entirely successful
 			err = listed.Error()
diff --git a/src/go/rpk/pkg/cli/cmd/topic/list.go b/src/go/rpk/pkg/cli/cmd/topic/list.go
index 77e1c86727630..2236b577a6143 100644
--- a/src/go/rpk/pkg/cli/cmd/topic/list.go
+++ b/src/go/rpk/pkg/cli/cmd/topic/list.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ information.
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, topics []string) {
 			// The purpose of the regex flag really is for users to
 			// know what topics they will delete when using regex.
-			// We forbit deleting internal topics (redpanda
+			// We forbid deleting internal topics (redpanda
 			// actually does not expose these currently), so we
 			// make -r and -i incompatible.
 			if internal && re {