diff --git a/osc/store.py b/osc/store.py
index 3aad42c5..29eeb34a 100644
--- a/osc/store.py
+++ b/osc/store.py
@@ -288,11 +288,16 @@ class Store:
     def last_buildroot(self):
         self.assert_is_package()
         items = self.read_list("_last_buildroot")
-        if items is not None and len(items) != 3:
+        if items is None:
+            return items
+
+        if len(items) != 3:
             msg = f"Package '{self.path}' contains _last_buildroot metadata that doesn't contain 3 lines: [repo, arch, vm_type]"
             raise oscerr.NoWorkingCopy(msg)
+
         if items[2] in ("", "None"):
             items[2] = None
+
         return items
 
     @last_buildroot.setter
diff --git a/tests/test_store.py b/tests/test_store.py
index c5eb9db9..90fa5f3c 100644
--- a/tests/test_store.py
+++ b/tests/test_store.py
@@ -193,6 +193,8 @@ class TestStore(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertTrue(files2[1] == files[0])
 
     def test_last_buildroot(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.store.last_buildroot, None)
+
         self.store.last_buildroot = "repo", "arch", "vm_type"
         self.fileEquals("_last_buildroot", "repo\narch\nvm_type\n")