diff --git a/lib/publish.js b/lib/publish.js
index fd3adce..81342eb 100644
--- a/lib/publish.js
+++ b/lib/publish.js
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ function putFirst (registry, data, tarbuffer, access, auth, cb) {
 
   if (!auth.token) {
     root.maintainers = [{ name: auth.username, email: auth.email }]
-    data.maintainers = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(root.maintainers))
+    data.maintainers = root.maintainers === undefined ? undefined : JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(root.maintainers))
   }
 
   root.versions[ data.version ] = data
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ function putNext (registry, newVersion, root, current, auth, cb) {
         current[i] = root[i]
     }
   }
-  var maint = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(root.maintainers))
+  var maint = root.maintainers === undefined ? undefined : JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(root.maintainers))
   root.versions[newVersion].maintainers = maint
 
   var uri = url.resolve(registry, escaped(root.name))
diff --git a/test/publish.js b/test/publish.js
index cb2a7a1..8ed5175 100644
--- a/test/publish.js
+++ b/test/publish.js
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ test('publish call contract', function (t) {
   )
 
   t.test('malformed semver in publish', function (t) {
-    var metadata = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(METADATA))
+    var metadata = METADATA === undefined ? undefined : JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(METADATA))
     metadata.version = '%!@#$'
     var params = {
       metadata: metadata,