Just an added thought.
Your gas pump is not made to pump air. It will suck fluid, but will spin hopelessly in air. If you get an air pocket in the pump it may stop pumping until it gets primed. Priming may be happening by the “head pressure” when you fill the tank, which is basically just the weight of the gas…in essence the fluid is trying to seek a common level between the tank and the gas in the line, and the opening of the injectors is venting what’s in the line and allowing the gas to get to the pump just via the fluid finding its own level.
In short, start filling up earlier. You’re courting disaster and have been lucky in spite of your practice of running the tank dry.