diff --git a/lib/neography/node_traverser.rb b/lib/neography/node_traverser.rb
index 18b1d46..9ef9b7a 100644
--- a/lib/neography/node_traverser.rb
+++ b/lib/neography/node_traverser.rb
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ def iterator
       options["depth"]           = @depth  unless @depth.nil?
 
       if @relationships[0]["type"].empty?
-        rels = @from.neo_server.get_node_relationships(@from, @relationships[0]["direction"])
+        rels = @from.neo_server.get_node_relationships(@from, @relationships[0]["direction"]) || []
         case @relationships[0]["direction"]
           when "in"
             rels.collect { |r| @from.neo_server.get_node(r["start"]) } #.uniq
diff --git a/spec/integration/node_relationship_spec.rb b/spec/integration/node_relationship_spec.rb
index f410d2c..3fef3b1 100644
--- a/spec/integration/node_relationship_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/node_relationship_spec.rb
@@ -157,6 +157,11 @@ def create_nodes
       b.outgoing.should include(c)
     end
 
+    it "#both returns an empty array for unconnected nodes" do
+      a = Neography::Node.create
+      a.both.size.should == 0
+    end
+
     it "#both(type) should return both incoming and outgoing nodes of the given type of depth one" do
       a,b,c,d,e,f = create_nodes