Queries :: How To Handle Empty Dataset As Form Recordsource

In Access 2010, I'm writing VBA code that assigns an ADO dataset as the recordsource for a form. The query itself varies and is constructed from a search term typed in a textbox by the user. The code below works perfectly until the dataset is empty, when no records satisfied the WHERE criteria. In that case, there is a very long pause (presumably a timeout?) and I eventually get the error message "ODBC call failed." I tried to get around this by testing the number of records in the dataset (see toward the end) before assigning it, but it makes no difference in the behavior, so I'm thinking the actual assignment isn't the issue ... something else is.

If it matters, the "FROM qry_beneficial_owners" in this case is predefined query local to my Access db. That query is based on a linked view from a SQL server.

Code:
Public Sub RunSearch(SearchTerm As String)
Dim cn As ADODB.Connection
Dim rs As ADODB.Recordset
Dim sql As String
Dim cols As String
cols = "[acct], [acctname], [planid]"

[Code] ....