diff --git a/shortcuts/whiteboard/whiteboard_query.go b/shortcuts/whiteboard/whiteboard_query.go
index 6abcc9a5e..09bdbdc51 100644
--- a/shortcuts/whiteboard/whiteboard_query.go
+++ b/shortcuts/whiteboard/whiteboard_query.go
@@ -184,10 +184,7 @@ func fetchWhiteboardNodes(runtime *common.RuntimeContext, wbToken string) (*wbNo
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	var nodes wbNodesResp
-	rawNodes, ok := data["nodes"]
-	if !ok {
-		return nil, wbInvalidResponse("get whiteboard nodes failed: missing data.nodes")
-	}
+	rawNodes, _ := data["nodes"]
 	if rawNodes != nil {
 		var ok bool
 		nodes.Data.Nodes, ok = rawNodes.([]interface{})
diff --git a/shortcuts/whiteboard/whiteboard_query_test.go b/shortcuts/whiteboard/whiteboard_query_test.go
index 60eda5299..b00375a90 100644
--- a/shortcuts/whiteboard/whiteboard_query_test.go
+++ b/shortcuts/whiteboard/whiteboard_query_test.go
@@ -848,11 +848,6 @@ func TestFetchWhiteboardNodes_InvalidResponseTypedError(t *testing.T) {
 		token string
 		data  map[string]interface{}
 	}{
-		{
-			name:  "missing nodes",
-			token: "test-token-missing-nodes",
-			data:  map[string]interface{}{},
-		},
 		{
 			name:  "nodes not array",
 			token: "test-token-bad-nodes",
@@ -880,6 +875,32 @@ func TestFetchWhiteboardNodes_InvalidResponseTypedError(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestFetchWhiteboardNodes_MissingNodesIsEmpty verifies that a response with
+// missing nodes field is treated as an empty whiteboard (success), not an error.
+// This matches the behavior introduced in commit 4b39b037.
+func TestFetchWhiteboardNodes_MissingNodesIsEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	factory, stdout, reg := newExecuteFactory(t)
+
+	reg.Register(&httpmock.Stub{
+		Method: "GET",
+		URL:    "/open-apis/board/v1/whiteboards/test-token-missing-nodes/nodes",
+		Body: map[string]interface{}{
+			"code": 0,
+			"msg":  "success",
+			"data": map[string]interface{}{},
+		},
+	})
+
+	args := []string{"+query", "--whiteboard-token", "test-token-missing-nodes", "--output_as", "raw"}
+	if err := runShortcut(t, WhiteboardQuery, args, factory, stdout); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected success for missing nodes (empty whiteboard), got err=%v", err)
+	}
+
+	if !strings.Contains(stdout.String(), "whiteboard is empty") {
+		t.Fatalf("stdout missing empty whiteboard message: %s", stdout.String())
+	}
+}
+
 func assertInvalidResponse(t *testing.T, err error) {
 	t.Helper()
 	if err == nil {