diff --git a/pkg/affected_apps/argocd_matcher.go b/pkg/affected_apps/argocd_matcher.go
index f02af778..e2a1181b 100644
--- a/pkg/affected_apps/argocd_matcher.go
+++ b/pkg/affected_apps/argocd_matcher.go
@@ -16,13 +16,22 @@ type ArgocdMatcher struct {
 func NewArgocdMatcher(vcsToArgoMap pkg.VcsToArgoMap, repo *repo.Repo) *ArgocdMatcher {
 	log.Debug().Msgf("looking for %s repos", repo.CloneURL)
 	repoApps := vcsToArgoMap.GetAppsInRepo(repo.CloneURL)
-	log.Debug().Msgf("found %d apps", repoApps.Count())
+	if repoApps == nil {
+		log.Debug().Msg("found no apps")
+	} else {
+		log.Debug().Msgf("found %d apps", repoApps.Count())
+	}
+
 	return &ArgocdMatcher{
 		appsDirectory: repoApps,
 	}
 }
 
 func (a *ArgocdMatcher) AffectedApps(ctx context.Context, changeList []string) (AffectedItems, error) {
+	if a.appsDirectory == nil {
+		return AffectedItems{}, nil
+	}
+
 	appsSlice := a.appsDirectory.FindAppsBasedOnChangeList(changeList)
 	return AffectedItems{Applications: appsSlice}, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/affected_apps/argocd_matcher_test.go b/pkg/affected_apps/argocd_matcher_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4ce77298
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/affected_apps/argocd_matcher_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+package affected_apps
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"github.com/zapier/kubechecks/pkg"
+	repo2 "github.com/zapier/kubechecks/pkg/repo"
+)
+
+func TestCreateNewMatcherWithNilVcsMap(t *testing.T) {
+	// setup
+	var (
+		vcsMap pkg.VcsToArgoMap
+		repo   repo2.Repo
+	)
+
+	// run test
+	matcher := NewArgocdMatcher(vcsMap, &repo)
+
+	// verify results
+	require.Nil(t, matcher.appsDirectory)
+}
+
+func TestFindAffectedAppsWithNilAppsDirectory(t *testing.T) {
+	// setup
+	var (
+		ctx        = context.TODO()
+		changeList = []string{"/go.mod"}
+	)
+
+	matcher := ArgocdMatcher{}
+	items, err := matcher.AffectedApps(ctx, changeList)
+
+	// verify results
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, items.Applications, 0)
+	require.Len(t, items.ApplicationSets, 0)
+}