diff --git a/__tests__/bundle/absentOptionalFields.test.ts b/__tests__/bundle/absentOptionalFields.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cc99272
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__tests__/bundle/absentOptionalFields.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+import type { FakeGithub } from './fakeGithub'
+import { Buffer } from 'node:buffer'
+import { afterAll, afterEach, beforeAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+import issuesLabeledEvent from '../fixtures/issues/issuesLabeledEvent.json'
+import labelFileContents from '../fixtures/labels/labelFileContentsResp.json'
+import pullReqOpenedEvent from '../fixtures/pullReq/pullReqOpenedEvent.json'
+import { start } from './fakeGithub'
+import { configReads, helpersFor, ownersProbe, ownersReads, queueRead, repo, token } from './helpers'
+import { runBundle } from './runBundle'
+
+vi.setConfig({ testTimeout: 30_000 })
+
+// the REST schema types `issue-comment.body` and the object form of `issue.labels[].name` as optional;
+// every other bundle scenario serves both fields, so the `?? ''` folds that stand in for them
+// (comments.ts:58 in createCommentOnce, requireMatchingLabel.ts:248 in botCommentsWithMarker,
+// trigger.ts:181 in okToTestOnPullRequest) are driven here, through dist/index.js
+describe('dist/index.js optional REST fields served absent', () => {
+  const head = pullReqOpenedEvent.pull_request.head.sha
+  const short = head.slice(0, 7)
+  const bot = { login: 'github-actions[bot]', type: 'Bot' }
+  let gh: FakeGithub
+  const { expectRequests, routeOwners } = helpersFor(() => gh)
+
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    gh = await start()
+  })
+  beforeEach(() => gh.mergeQueueFallback({ pullRequestId: 'PR_none', headOid: head, enabled: false }))
+  afterEach(() => gh.reset())
+  afterAll(() => gh.close())
+
+  it('synchronize skips a label object without a name and still approves the runs when another label is ok-to-test', async () => {
+    routeOwners({}, ['src/file1.txt'])
+    gh.route('GET', `${repo}/actions/runs`, { status: 200, body: { total_count: 1, workflow_runs: [
+      { id: 9, name: 'CI', path: '.github/workflows/ci.yml', head_sha: head, status: 'action_required', conclusion: 'action_required' },
+    ] } })
+    gh.route('POST', `${repo}/actions/runs/9/approve`, { status: 201 })
+
+    const result = await runBundle({
+      eventName: 'pull_request',
+      payload: { ...pullReqOpenedEvent, action: 'synchronize', pull_request: { ...pullReqOpenedEvent.pull_request, labels: [{ id: 2 }, { name: 'ok-to-test' }] } },
+      inputs: token,
+      apiUrl: gh.url,
+    })
+
+    expect(result.status, result.stdout).toBe(0)
+    expect(result.errors).toEqual([])
+    expect(result.stdout).toContain(`trigger: #1 approved 1 run(s) on ${short}`)
+    expect(gh.requests.map(r => `${r.method} ${r.path}`)).toEqual([...ownersReads, ownersProbe, `GET ${repo}/actions/runs?head_sha=${head}&per_page=100`, `POST ${repo}/actions/runs/9/approve`])
+  })
+
+  it('synchronize with only a nameless label object does not carry ok-to-test and reads no runs', async () => {
+    routeOwners({}, ['src/file1.txt'])
+
+    const result = await runBundle({
+      eventName: 'pull_request',
+      payload: { ...pullReqOpenedEvent, action: 'synchronize', pull_request: { ...pullReqOpenedEvent.pull_request, labels: [{ id: 2 }] } },
+      inputs: token,
+      apiUrl: gh.url,
+    })
+
+    expect(result.status, result.stdout).toBe(0)
+    expect(result.errors).toEqual([])
+    expect(result.stdout).toContain('::debug::trigger: the pull request does not carry ok-to-test')
+    expect(gh.requestsMatching('GET', /\/actions\/runs/)).toEqual([])
+    expect(gh.requests.map(r => `${r.method} ${r.path}`)).toEqual([...ownersReads, ownersProbe])
+  })
+
+  it('stripping a stale lgtm posts the notice when the only bot comment on the pull request has no body', async () => {
+    const staleMarker = `<!-- prow-github-actions/lgtm-stale: ${short} -->`
+    gh.commitStatuses(repo, head, [])
+    gh.route('GET', `${repo}/pulls/1`, { status: 200, body: {
+      number: 1,
+      state: 'open',
+      draft: false,
+      mergeable: true,
+      mergeable_state: 'behind',
+      labels: [{ name: 'lgtm' }],
+      head: { sha: head },
+      base: { ref: 'master', sha: 'basesha' },
+      user: { login: 'some-author' },
+      html_url: pullReqOpenedEvent.pull_request.html_url,
+      requested_reviewers: [],
+      assignees: [],
+    } })
+    gh.route('DELETE', `${repo}/issues/1/labels/lgtm`, { status: 200, body: [] })
+    gh.route('GET', `${repo}/issues/1/comments`, { status: 200, body: [{ id: 11, user: bot }] })
+    gh.route('POST', `${repo}/issues/1/comments`, { status: 201, body: {} })
+
+    const result = await runBundle({
+      eventName: 'pull_request',
+      payload: { ...pullReqOpenedEvent, action: 'labeled', label: { name: 'lgtm' }, sender: { login: 'some-app[bot]', type: 'Bot' } },
+      inputs: { ...token, 'merge-method': 'squash' },
+      apiUrl: gh.url,
+    })
+
+    expect(result.status, result.stdout).toBe(0)
+    expect(result.errors).toEqual([])
+    expect(result.stdout).toContain(`skipping pr #1: lgtm not bound to ${short}`)
+    expect(result.stdout).not.toContain(`#1 already carries ${staleMarker}`)
+    const posted = gh.requestsMatching('POST', /\/issues\/1\/comments$/).map(r => (r.body as { body: string }).body)
+    expect(posted).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(posted[0]).toContain(`\`lgtm\` is not bound to the current head commit (\`${short}\`)`)
+    expect(posted[0]).toContain(staleMarker)
+    expect(gh.requestsMatching('PUT', /./)).toEqual([])
+    expectRequests(configReads(), [
+      `GET ${repo}/pulls/1`,
+      ownersProbe,
+      `GET ${repo}/commits/${head}/status?per_page=100`,
+      `DELETE ${repo}/issues/1/labels/lgtm`,
+      `POST ${repo}/statuses/${head}`,
+      `GET ${repo}/issues/1/comments?per_page=100`,
+      `POST ${repo}/issues/1/comments`,
+      queueRead,
+    ])
+  })
+
+  it('labeled kind/bug deletes only the bot comment carrying the marker, leaving a bot comment without a body alone', async () => {
+    const marker = '<!-- prow-github-actions/require-matching-label: needs-kind -->'
+    const file = structuredClone(labelFileContents)
+    file.content = Buffer.from('require_matching_label:\n  - regexp: ^kind/\n    missing_label: needs-kind\n    missing_comment: Please add a kind label.\n').toString('base64')
+    gh.route('GET', '/repos/Codertocat/.project/contents/prow.yaml', { status: 200, body: file })
+    gh.route('GET', `${repo}/issues/1`, { status: 200, body: { labels: [{ name: 'kind/bug' }, { name: 'needs-kind' }] } })
+    gh.route('DELETE', `${repo}/issues/1/labels/needs-kind`, { status: 200, body: [] })
+    gh.route('GET', `${repo}/issues/1/comments`, { status: 200, body: [
+      { id: 11, user: bot },
+      { id: 12, body: `Please add a kind label.\n\n${marker}`, user: bot },
+    ] })
+    gh.route('DELETE', `${repo}/issues/comments/12`, { status: 204 })
+
+    const payload = structuredClone(issuesLabeledEvent)
+    payload.action = 'labeled'
+    payload.issue.labels = ['kind/bug', 'needs-kind'].map(name => ({ ...payload.label, name }))
+    payload.label.name = 'kind/bug'
+
+    const result = await runBundle({ eventName: 'issues', payload, inputs: token, apiUrl: gh.url })
+
+    expect(result.status, result.stdout).toBe(0)
+    expect(result.errors).toEqual([])
+    expect(gh.requestsMatching('DELETE', /\/issues\/comments\//).map(r => r.path)).toEqual([`${repo}/issues/comments/12`])
+    expectRequests(configReads({ org: '.project' }), [
+      `GET ${repo}/issues/1`,
+      `DELETE ${repo}/issues/1/labels/needs-kind`,
+      `GET ${repo}/issues/1/comments?per_page=100`,
+      `DELETE ${repo}/issues/comments/12`,
+    ])
+  })
+})