diff --git a/.github/scripts/install-platformio-esp32.sh b/.github/scripts/install-platformio-esp32.sh
index c50fb253bf8..35ac29966b7 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/install-platformio-esp32.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/install-platformio-esp32.sh
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ function count_sketches(){ # count_sketches <examples-path>
             fi
 
             # Check if the sketch requires any configuration options
-            requirements=$(jq -r '.requires[]' $sketchdir/ci.json)
+            requirements=$(jq -r '.requires[]? // empty' $sketchdir/ci.json)
             if [[ "$requirements" != "null" ]] || [[ "$requirements" != "" ]]; then
                 for requirement in $requirements; do
                     found_line=$(grep "$requirement" $LIBS_DIR/esp32/sdkconfig)
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ function build_pio_sketches(){ # build_pio_sketches <board> <options> <examples-
             fi
 
             # Check if the sketch requires any configuration options
-            requirements=$(jq -r '.requires[]' $sketchdir/ci.json)
+            requirements=$(jq -r '.requires[]? // empty' $sketchdir/ci.json)
             if [[ "$requirements" != "null" ]] || [[ "$requirements" != "" ]]; then
                 for requirement in $requirements; do
                     found_line=$(grep "$requirement" $LIBS_DIR/esp32/sdkconfig)
diff --git a/.github/scripts/sketch_utils.sh b/.github/scripts/sketch_utils.sh
index be0c470b71b..bf2c69b3ccc 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/sketch_utils.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/sketch_utils.sh
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ function build_sketch(){ # build_sketch <ide_path> <user_path> <path-to-ino> [ex
         fi
 
         # Check if the sketch requires any configuration options
-        requirements=$(jq -r '.requires[]' $sketchdir/ci.json)
+        requirements=$(jq -r '.requires[]? // empty' $sketchdir/ci.json)
         if [[ "$requirements" != "null" ]] || [[ "$requirements" != "" ]]; then
             for requirement in $requirements; do
                 found_line=$(grep "$requirement" $LIBS_DIR/$target/sdkconfig)
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ function count_sketches(){ # count_sketches <path> [target] [file]
             fi
 
             # Check if the sketch requires any configuration options
-            requirements=$(jq -r '.requires[]' $sketchdir/ci.json)
+            requirements=$(jq -r '.requires[]? // empty' $sketchdir/ci.json)
             if [[ "$requirements" != "null" ]] || [[ "$requirements" != "" ]]; then
                 for requirement in $requirements; do
                     found_line=$(grep "$requirement" $LIBS_DIR/$target/sdkconfig)
diff --git a/.github/scripts/tests_run.sh b/.github/scripts/tests_run.sh
index 52b78a190b3..bdf1f6d1e19 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/tests_run.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/tests_run.sh
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ function run_test() {
         fi
 
         # Check if the sketch requires any configuration options
-        requirements=$(jq -r '.requires[]' $sketchdir/ci.json)
+        requirements=$(jq -r '.requires[]? // empty' $sketchdir/ci.json)
         if [[ "$requirements" != "null" ]] || [[ "$requirements" != "" ]]; then
             for requirement in $requirements; do
                 found_line=$(grep "$requirement" $LIBS_DIR/$target/sdkconfig)