diff --git a/Hash2Pub/src/Hash2Pub/DHTProtocol.hs b/Hash2Pub/src/Hash2Pub/DHTProtocol.hs
index 46b78ad..d2cb74f 100644
--- a/Hash2Pub/src/Hash2Pub/DHTProtocol.hs
+++ b/Hash2Pub/src/Hash2Pub/DHTProtocol.hs
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ data QueryResponse = FORWARD (Set.Set CacheEntry) -- ^return closest nodes from
 incomingQuery :: NodeState -> NodeCache -> Int -> NodeID -> QueryResponse
 incomingQuery ownState nCache lBestNodes targetID
     -- as target ID falls between own ID and first predecessor, it is handled by this node
-    -- TODO: this fails with an empty predecessor list
-      | (targetID `localCompare`  ownID) `elem` [LT, EQ] && (targetID `localCompare` (head . predecessors) ownState) == GT = FOUND ownState
+      | (targetID `localCompare`  ownID) `elem` [LT, EQ] && not (null . predecessors $ ownState) && (targetID `localCompare` (head . predecessors) ownState) == GT = FOUND ownState
     -- my interpretation: the "l best next hops" are the l-1 closest preceding nodes and
     -- the closest succeeding node (like with the p initiated parallel queries
     | otherwise = trace ("--- Query for " ++ show targetID ++ " wanting " ++ show lBestNodes ++ " results---") $
diff --git a/Hash2Pub/test/FediChordSpec.hs b/Hash2Pub/test/FediChordSpec.hs
index ebd730e..49ac188 100644
--- a/Hash2Pub/test/FediChordSpec.hs
+++ b/Hash2Pub/test/FediChordSpec.hs
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ spec = do
         let
             emptyCache = nodeCache exampleNodeState
             nid1 = toNodeID 2^(23::Integer)+1
-            node1 = exampleNodeState { nid = nid1}
+            node1 = exampleNodeState { nid = nid1, predecessors = [nid4]}
             nid2 = toNodeID 2^(230::Integer)+12
             node2 = exampleNodeState { nid = nid2}
             nid3 = toNodeID 2^(25::Integer)+10
@@ -141,6 +141,15 @@ spec = do
                 (FORWARD nodeset2) = incomingQuery exampleNodeState c4 1 (toNodeID 2^(9::Integer)+5)
             Set.map (nid . cacheGetNodeStateUnvalidated) nodeset1 `shouldBe` Set.fromList [nid4, nid2, nid3]
             Set.map (nid . cacheGetNodeStateUnvalidated) nodeset2 `shouldBe` Set.fromList [nid4]
+        it "recognises the node's own responsibility" $ do
+            nC <- cacheWith4Entries
+            incomingQuery node1 nC 3 (toNodeID 2^(22::Integer)) `shouldBe` FOUND node1
+            incomingQuery node1 nC 3 nid1 `shouldBe` FOUND node1
+        it "does not fail on nodes without neighbours (initial state)" $ do
+            nC <- cacheWith4Entries
+            let (FORWARD nodeset) = incomingQuery exampleNodeState nC 3 (toNodeID 11)
+            Set.map (nid . cacheGetNodeStateUnvalidated ) nodeset `shouldBe` Set.fromList [nid4, nid2, nid3]
+
 
 -- some example data