diff --git a/mediapipe/calculators/core/get_vector_item_calculator.h b/mediapipe/calculators/core/get_vector_item_calculator.h
index dc98ccfe7..25d90bfe6 100644
--- a/mediapipe/calculators/core/get_vector_item_calculator.h
+++ b/mediapipe/calculators/core/get_vector_item_calculator.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ class GetVectorItemCalculator : public Node {
   MEDIAPIPE_NODE_CONTRACT(kIn, kIdx, kOut);
 
   absl::Status Open(CalculatorContext* cc) final {
+    cc->SetOffset(mediapipe::TimestampDiff(0));
     auto& options = cc->Options<mediapipe::GetVectorItemCalculatorOptions>();
     RET_CHECK(kIdx(cc).IsConnected() || options.has_item_index());
     return absl::OkStatus();
@@ -90,8 +91,12 @@ class GetVectorItemCalculator : public Node {
       return absl::OkStatus();
     }
 
-    RET_CHECK(idx >= 0 && idx < items.size());
-    kOut(cc).Send(items[idx]);
+    RET_CHECK(idx >= 0);
+    RET_CHECK(options.output_empty_on_oob() || idx < items.size());
+
+    if (idx < items.size()) {
+      kOut(cc).Send(items[idx]);
+    }
 
     return absl::OkStatus();
   }
diff --git a/mediapipe/calculators/core/get_vector_item_calculator.proto b/mediapipe/calculators/core/get_vector_item_calculator.proto
index c406283e4..9cfb579e4 100644
--- a/mediapipe/calculators/core/get_vector_item_calculator.proto
+++ b/mediapipe/calculators/core/get_vector_item_calculator.proto
@@ -26,4 +26,7 @@ message GetVectorItemCalculatorOptions {
   // Index of vector item to get. INDEX input stream can be used instead, or to
   // override.
   optional int32 item_index = 1;
+
+  // Set to true to output an empty packet when the index is out of bounds.
+  optional bool output_empty_on_oob = 2;
 }
diff --git a/mediapipe/calculators/core/get_vector_item_calculator_test.cc b/mediapipe/calculators/core/get_vector_item_calculator_test.cc
index c148aa9d1..c2974e20a 100644
--- a/mediapipe/calculators/core/get_vector_item_calculator_test.cc
+++ b/mediapipe/calculators/core/get_vector_item_calculator_test.cc
@@ -32,18 +32,21 @@ CalculatorRunner MakeRunnerWithStream() {
   )");
 }
 
-CalculatorRunner MakeRunnerWithOptions(int set_index) {
-  return CalculatorRunner(absl::StrFormat(R"(
+CalculatorRunner MakeRunnerWithOptions(int set_index,
+                                       bool output_empty_on_oob = false) {
+  return CalculatorRunner(
+      absl::StrFormat(R"(
     calculator: "TestGetIntVectorItemCalculator"
     input_stream: "VECTOR:vector_stream"
     output_stream: "ITEM:item_stream"
     options {
       [mediapipe.GetVectorItemCalculatorOptions.ext] {
         item_index: %d
+        output_empty_on_oob: %s
       }
     }
   )",
-                                          set_index));
+                      set_index, output_empty_on_oob ? "true" : "false"));
 }
 
 void AddInputVector(CalculatorRunner& runner, const std::vector<int>& inputs,
@@ -140,8 +143,7 @@ TEST(TestGetIntVectorItemCalculatorTest, StreamIndexBoundsCheckFail1) {
 
   absl::Status status = runner.Run();
   ASSERT_FALSE(status.ok());
-  EXPECT_THAT(status.message(),
-              testing::HasSubstr("idx >= 0 && idx < items.size()"));
+  EXPECT_THAT(status.message(), testing::HasSubstr("idx >= 0"));
 }
 
 TEST(TestGetIntVectorItemCalculatorTest, StreamIndexBoundsCheckFail2) {
@@ -155,7 +157,8 @@ TEST(TestGetIntVectorItemCalculatorTest, StreamIndexBoundsCheckFail2) {
   absl::Status status = runner.Run();
   ASSERT_FALSE(status.ok());
   EXPECT_THAT(status.message(),
-              testing::HasSubstr("idx >= 0 && idx < items.size()"));
+              testing::HasSubstr(
+                  "options.output_empty_on_oob() || idx < items.size()"));
 }
 
 TEST(TestGetIntVectorItemCalculatorTest, OptionsIndexBoundsCheckFail1) {
@@ -167,8 +170,7 @@ TEST(TestGetIntVectorItemCalculatorTest, OptionsIndexBoundsCheckFail1) {
 
   absl::Status status = runner.Run();
   ASSERT_FALSE(status.ok());
-  EXPECT_THAT(status.message(),
-              testing::HasSubstr("idx >= 0 && idx < items.size()"));
+  EXPECT_THAT(status.message(), testing::HasSubstr("idx >= 0"));
 }
 
 TEST(TestGetIntVectorItemCalculatorTest, OptionsIndexBoundsCheckFail2) {
@@ -181,7 +183,21 @@ TEST(TestGetIntVectorItemCalculatorTest, OptionsIndexBoundsCheckFail2) {
   absl::Status status = runner.Run();
   ASSERT_FALSE(status.ok());
   EXPECT_THAT(status.message(),
-              testing::HasSubstr("idx >= 0 && idx < items.size()"));
+              testing::HasSubstr(
+                  "options.output_empty_on_oob() || idx < items.size()"));
+}
+
+TEST(TestGetIntVectorItemCalculatorTest, OptionsIndexBoundsCheckFail3) {
+  const int try_index = 3;
+  CalculatorRunner runner = MakeRunnerWithOptions(try_index, true);
+  const std::vector<int> inputs = {1, 2, 3};
+
+  AddInputVector(runner, inputs, 1);
+
+  MP_ASSERT_OK(runner.Run());
+
+  const std::vector<Packet>& outputs = runner.Outputs().Tag("ITEM").packets;
+  EXPECT_THAT(outputs, testing::ElementsAre());
 }
 
 TEST(TestGetIntVectorItemCalculatorTest, IndexStreamTwoTimestamps) {
diff --git a/mediapipe/calculators/core/merge_to_vector_calculator.cc b/mediapipe/calculators/core/merge_to_vector_calculator.cc
index cca64bc9a..5f05ad725 100644
--- a/mediapipe/calculators/core/merge_to_vector_calculator.cc
+++ b/mediapipe/calculators/core/merge_to_vector_calculator.cc
@@ -23,5 +23,9 @@ namespace api2 {
 typedef MergeToVectorCalculator<mediapipe::Image> MergeImagesToVectorCalculator;
 MEDIAPIPE_REGISTER_NODE(MergeImagesToVectorCalculator);
 
+typedef MergeToVectorCalculator<mediapipe::GpuBuffer>
+    MergeGpuBuffersToVectorCalculator;
+MEDIAPIPE_REGISTER_NODE(MergeGpuBuffersToVectorCalculator);
+
 }  // namespace api2
 }  // namespace mediapipe
diff --git a/mediapipe/calculators/core/merge_to_vector_calculator.h b/mediapipe/calculators/core/merge_to_vector_calculator.h
index bed616695..f63d86ee4 100644
--- a/mediapipe/calculators/core/merge_to_vector_calculator.h
+++ b/mediapipe/calculators/core/merge_to_vector_calculator.h
@@ -42,11 +42,20 @@ class MergeToVectorCalculator : public Node {
     return absl::OkStatus();
   }
 
+  absl::Status Open(::mediapipe::CalculatorContext* cc) {
+    cc->SetOffset(::mediapipe::TimestampDiff(0));
+    return absl::OkStatus();
+  }
+
   absl::Status Process(CalculatorContext* cc) {
     const int input_num = kIn(cc).Count();
-    std::vector<T> output_vector(input_num);
-    std::transform(kIn(cc).begin(), kIn(cc).end(), output_vector.begin(),
-                   [](const auto& elem) -> T { return elem.Get(); });
+    std::vector<T> output_vector;
+    for (auto it = kIn(cc).begin(); it != kIn(cc).end(); it++) {
+      const auto& elem = *it;
+      if (!elem.IsEmpty()) {
+        output_vector.push_back(elem.Get());
+      }
+    }
     kOut(cc).Send(output_vector);
     return absl::OkStatus();
   }