diff --git a/.changeset/angry-camels-tie.md b/.changeset/angry-camels-tie.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..49f4581
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/angry-camels-tie.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@guardian/pan-domain-node": minor
+---
+
+Fix app crash with no cookie value
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index e8e0d3d..453908e 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@guardian/pan-domain-node",
-  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "version": "1.1.0",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@guardian/pan-domain-node",
-      "version": "1.0.0",
+      "version": "1.1.0",
       "license": "Apache-2.0",
       "dependencies": {
         "@aws-sdk/client-s3": "^3.299.0",
diff --git a/src/panda.ts b/src/panda.ts
index 0c5015e..61348a1 100644
--- a/src/panda.ts
+++ b/src/panda.ts
@@ -146,9 +146,9 @@ export class PanDomainAuthentication {
         });
     }
 
-    verify(requestCookies: string): Promise<AuthenticationResult> {
+    verify(requestCookies: string | undefined): Promise<AuthenticationResult> {
         return this.getPublicKey().then(publicKey => {
-            const cookies = cookie.parse(requestCookies);
+            const cookies = cookie.parse(requestCookies ?? '');
             const pandaCookie = cookies[this.cookieName];
             return verifyUser(pandaCookie, publicKey, new Date(), this.validateUser);
         });
diff --git a/test/panda.test.ts b/test/panda.test.ts
index 19c92f8..a27897a 100644
--- a/test/panda.test.ts
+++ b/test/panda.test.ts
@@ -349,6 +349,20 @@ describe('panda class', function () {
       };
       expect(authenticationResult).toStrictEqual(expected);
     });
+
+    it('should fail to authenticate with no-cookie reason if no cookie is present at all', async () => {
+      jest.setSystemTime(100);
+
+      const panda = new PanDomainAuthentication('rightcookiename', 'region', 'bucket', 'keyfile', guardianValidation);
+      const noCookie = undefined;
+      const authenticationResult = await panda.verify(noCookie);
+
+      const expected: CookieFailure = {
+        success: false,
+        reason: "no-cookie"
+      };
+      expect(authenticationResult).toStrictEqual(expected);
+    });
   });
 
 });