diff --git a/pr_data_get.py b/pr_data_get.py
index 1abc27a..d2ab656 100644
--- a/pr_data_get.py
+++ b/pr_data_get.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ def file_get_pr(upstream_vcs_link, me_read):
     merge_pre_rm, merge_post_rm, merge_pre_cont, merge_post_cont = 0, 0, 0, 0
     #list of tuples which has date and whether it was a merge
     commit_list = []
+    first_date_readme = ""
     for commit in commits:
         if "Merge" in commit['data'].keys():
             commit_list.append([commit['data']['CommitDate'], True])
@@ -56,6 +57,8 @@ def file_get_pr(upstream_vcs_link, me_read):
                 has_readme = True
                 first_date_readme = dateutil.parser.parse(commit['data']['CommitDate'])
     shutil.rmtree(full_temp_path, ignore_errors=True)
+    if first_date_readme == "":
+        return {}
     if me_read:
         project_dict['first_readme'] = first_date_readme
         before_read = pr_count(first_date_readme+ dt.timedelta(days=-window, hours=0), first_date_readme, commit_list)