diff --git a/mempalace/layers.py b/mempalace/layers.py
index a0f9b6d..b20c656 100644
--- a/mempalace/layers.py
+++ b/mempalace/layers.py
@@ -124,6 +124,8 @@ class Layer1:
         # Score each drawer: prefer high importance, recent filing
         scored = []
         for doc, meta in zip(docs, metas):
+            meta = meta or {}
+            doc = doc or ""
             importance = 3
             # Try multiple metadata keys that might carry weight info
             for key in ("importance", "emotional_weight", "weight"):
@@ -222,6 +224,8 @@ class Layer2:
 
         lines = [f"## L2 — ON-DEMAND ({len(docs)} drawers)"]
         for doc, meta in zip(docs[:n_results], metas[:n_results]):
+            meta = meta or {}
+            doc = doc or ""
             room_name = meta.get("room", "?")
             source = Path(meta.get("source_file", "")).name if meta.get("source_file") else ""
             snippet = doc.strip().replace("\n", " ")
diff --git a/mempalace/mcp_server.py b/mempalace/mcp_server.py
index 734e23a..ca71f60 100644
--- a/mempalace/mcp_server.py
+++ b/mempalace/mcp_server.py
@@ -742,8 +742,10 @@ def tool_check_duplicate(content: str, threshold: float = 0.9):
                 dist = results["distances"][0][i]
                 similarity = round(1 - dist, 3)
                 if similarity >= threshold:
-                    meta = results["metadatas"][0][i]
-                    doc = results["documents"][0][i]
+                    # Chroma 1.5.x can return None for partially-flushed rows;
+                    # coerce to empty sentinels so downstream .get() is safe.
+                    meta = results["metadatas"][0][i] or {}
+                    doc = results["documents"][0][i] or ""
                     duplicates.append(
                         {
                             "id": drawer_id,
diff --git a/tests/test_layers.py b/tests/test_layers.py
index 575183f..d4c54ce 100644
--- a/tests/test_layers.py
+++ b/tests/test_layers.py
@@ -655,3 +655,72 @@ def test_memory_stack_status_with_palace(tmp_path):
 
     assert result["total_drawers"] == 42
     assert result["L0_identity"]["exists"] is True
+
+
+# ── Layer1 / Layer2 None-metadata guards ───────────────────────────────
+#
+# Chroma 1.5.x can return ``None`` inside the ``metadatas`` / ``documents``
+# lists for partially-flushed rows. The Layer1.generate() and
+# Layer2.retrieve() loops previously called ``meta.get(...)`` without
+# coercing, raising ``AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute
+# 'get'`` and blowing up the whole wake-up render. These tests guard that
+# the loops tolerate the None entries and render the rest of the result.
+
+
+def test_layer1_handles_none_metadata():
+    """Layer1.generate tolerates None entries in the metadatas list."""
+    docs = ["important memory", "another memory"]
+    metas = [{"room": "decisions", "source_file": "a.txt"}, None]
+    mock_col = _mock_chromadb_for_layer(docs, metas)
+
+    with (
+        patch("mempalace.layers.MempalaceConfig") as mock_cfg,
+        patch("mempalace.layers._get_collection", return_value=mock_col),
+    ):
+        mock_cfg.return_value.palace_path = "/fake"
+        layer = Layer1(palace_path="/fake")
+        # Should not raise AttributeError on the None entry.
+        result = layer.generate()
+
+    assert "ESSENTIAL STORY" in result
+    assert "important memory" in result
+
+
+def test_layer1_handles_none_document():
+    """Layer1.generate tolerates None entries in the documents list."""
+    docs = ["first doc", None]
+    metas = [
+        {"room": "r", "source_file": "a.txt"},
+        {"room": "r", "source_file": "b.txt"},
+    ]
+    mock_col = _mock_chromadb_for_layer(docs, metas)
+
+    with (
+        patch("mempalace.layers.MempalaceConfig") as mock_cfg,
+        patch("mempalace.layers._get_collection", return_value=mock_col),
+    ):
+        mock_cfg.return_value.palace_path = "/fake"
+        layer = Layer1(palace_path="/fake")
+        result = layer.generate()
+
+    assert result  # Render succeeded despite the None document.
+
+
+def test_layer2_handles_none_metadata():
+    """Layer2.retrieve tolerates None entries in the metadatas list."""
+    mock_col = MagicMock()
+    mock_col.get.return_value = {
+        "documents": ["first doc", "second doc"],
+        "metadatas": [{"room": "r", "source_file": "a.txt"}, None],
+    }
+
+    with (
+        patch("mempalace.layers.MempalaceConfig") as mock_cfg,
+        patch("mempalace.layers._get_collection", return_value=mock_col),
+    ):
+        mock_cfg.return_value.palace_path = "/fake"
+        layer = Layer2(palace_path="/fake")
+        # Should not raise AttributeError on the None entry.
+        result = layer.retrieve()
+
+    assert "L2 — ON-DEMAND" in result
diff --git a/tests/test_mcp_server.py b/tests/test_mcp_server.py
index 5c92dcd..b036afd 100644
--- a/tests/test_mcp_server.py
+++ b/tests/test_mcp_server.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from datetime import datetime
 import json
 import os
 import sys
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -496,6 +497,41 @@ class TestWriteTools:
         result = tool_delete_drawer("nonexistent_drawer")
         assert result["success"] is False
 
+    def test_check_duplicate_handles_none_metadata(self, monkeypatch, config, kg):
+        """tool_check_duplicate must tolerate None entries in the result lists
+        that ChromaDB 1.5.x returns for partially-flushed rows.
+
+        Previously ``meta = results["metadatas"][0][i]`` was unguarded and
+        raised ``AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'get'``
+        the moment the first matching drawer came back with None metadata —
+        surfacing to the MCP client as the uninformative
+        ``"Duplicate check failed"`` because the broad ``except Exception``
+        wrapper swallows the real cause.
+        """
+        _patch_mcp_server(monkeypatch, config, kg)
+        from mempalace import mcp_server
+
+        mock_col = MagicMock()
+        mock_col.query.return_value = {
+            "ids": [["d1", "d2"]],
+            "distances": [[0.05, 0.05]],
+            "metadatas": [[{"wing": "w", "room": "r"}, None]],
+            "documents": [["first doc", None]],
+        }
+        monkeypatch.setattr(mcp_server, "_get_collection", lambda: mock_col)
+
+        result = mcp_server.tool_check_duplicate("any content", threshold=0.5)
+
+        # Both entries land in matches (above threshold), None ones rendered
+        # with sentinel values rather than crashing the whole response.
+        assert result.get("is_duplicate") is True
+        assert len(result["matches"]) == 2
+        # The None-metadata entry falls back to sentinels.
+        none_entry = result["matches"][1]
+        assert none_entry["wing"] == "?"
+        assert none_entry["room"] == "?"
+        assert none_entry["content"] == ""
+
     def test_check_duplicate(self, monkeypatch, config, palace_path, seeded_collection, kg):
         _patch_mcp_server(monkeypatch, config, kg)
         from mempalace.mcp_server import tool_check_duplicate