diff --git a/src/aegis_gitea_mcp/tools/read_tools.py b/src/aegis_gitea_mcp/tools/read_tools.py
index 594112a..ca439a2 100644
--- a/src/aegis_gitea_mcp/tools/read_tools.py
+++ b/src/aegis_gitea_mcp/tools/read_tools.py
@@ -272,9 +272,9 @@ async def get_issue_tool(gitea: GiteaClient, arguments: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[
             "title": limit_text(str(issue.get("title", ""))),
             "body": limit_text(str(issue.get("body", ""))),
             "state": issue.get("state", ""),
-            "author": issue.get("user", {}).get("login", ""),
-            "labels": [label.get("name", "") for label in issue.get("labels", [])],
-            "assignees": [assignee.get("login", "") for assignee in issue.get("assignees", [])],
+            "author": (issue.get("user") or {}).get("login", ""),
+            "labels": [label.get("name", "") for label in (issue.get("labels") or [])],
+            "assignees": [assignee.get("login", "") for assignee in (issue.get("assignees") or [])],
             "created_at": issue.get("created_at", ""),
             "updated_at": issue.get("updated_at", ""),
             "url": issue.get("html_url", ""),
diff --git a/tests/test_tools_extended.py b/tests/test_tools_extended.py
index 8828c1c..5749c75 100644
--- a/tests/test_tools_extended.py
+++ b/tests/test_tools_extended.py
@@ -265,6 +265,34 @@ async def test_extended_read_tools_failure_mode() -> None:
         await list_commits_tool(ErrorGitea(), {"owner": "acme", "repo": "app"})
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_get_issue_tolerates_null_collections() -> None:
+    """Regression for #13: Gitea may return null for labels/assignees/user.
+
+    `.get(key, [])` returns None when the key is present with a null value, so
+    iterating the result raised `'NoneType' object is not iterable`.
+    """
+
+    class NullFieldsGitea(StubGitea):
+        async def get_issue(self, owner, repo, index):
+            return {
+                "number": index,
+                "title": "Issue",
+                "body": "Body",
+                "state": "open",
+                "user": None,
+                "labels": None,
+                "assignees": None,
+            }
+
+    result = await get_issue_tool(
+        NullFieldsGitea(), {"owner": "acme", "repo": "app", "issue_number": 1}
+    )
+    assert result["author"] == ""
+    assert result["labels"] == []
+    assert result["assignees"] == []
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "tool,args,expected_key",