diff --git a/pkgs/scribble-pkgs/scribble-lib/scriblib/autobib.rkt b/pkgs/scribble-pkgs/scribble-lib/scriblib/autobib.rkt
index 04e7f30713..d26f9d8dd1 100644
--- a/pkgs/scribble-pkgs/scribble-lib/scriblib/autobib.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/scribble-pkgs/scribble-lib/scriblib/autobib.rkt
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@
    (append
     (list 'nbsp (send style get-cite-open))
     (add-between
-     (for/list ([k (if sort? (sort keys string-ci<?) keys)])
+     (for/list ([k (if sort? (sort keys (lambda (x y) (if (not (and x y)) x (string-ci<? x y)))) keys)])
        (let ([v (hash-ref groups k)])
          (make-element
           #f
diff --git a/pkgs/scribble-pkgs/scribble-lib/scriblib/bibtex.rkt b/pkgs/scribble-pkgs/scribble-lib/scriblib/bibtex.rkt
index 65252de9af..67ce875bfc 100644
--- a/pkgs/scribble-pkgs/scribble-lib/scriblib/bibtex.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/scribble-pkgs/scribble-lib/scriblib/bibtex.rkt
@@ -214,12 +214,13 @@
     (define citet-id (make-citer autobib-citet))))
 
 (define (parse-author as)
-  (apply authors
+  (and as
+      (apply authors
          (for/list ([a (in-list (regexp-split #rx" *and *" as))])
            (match (regexp-split #rx" +" a)
              [(list one) (org-author-name one)]
              [(list one two) (author-name one two)]
-             [(list-rest first rest) (author-name first (apply string-append (add-between rest " ")))]))))
+             [(list-rest first rest) (author-name first (apply string-append (add-between rest " ")))])))))
 (define (parse-pages ps)
   (match ps
     [(regexp #rx"^([0-9]+)\\-+([0-9]+)$" (list _ f l))