diff --git a/pkg/provider/github/parse_payload.go b/pkg/provider/github/parse_payload.go
index 586e67a11..2ff3bb6d8 100644
--- a/pkg/provider/github/parse_payload.go
+++ b/pkg/provider/github/parse_payload.go
@@ -254,6 +254,9 @@ func (v *Provider) processEvent(ctx context.Context, event *info.Event, eventInt
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	case *github.PushEvent:
+		if gitEvent.GetRepo() == nil {
+			return nil, errors.New("error parsing payload the repository should not be nil")
+		}
 		processedEvent.Organization = gitEvent.GetRepo().GetOwner().GetLogin()
 		processedEvent.Repository = gitEvent.GetRepo().GetName()
 		processedEvent.DefaultBranch = gitEvent.GetRepo().GetDefaultBranch()
@@ -274,6 +277,9 @@ func (v *Provider) processEvent(ctx context.Context, event *info.Event, eventInt
 		processedEvent.HeadURL = processedEvent.BaseURL // in push events Head URL is the same as BaseURL
 	case *github.PullRequestEvent:
 		processedEvent.Repository = gitEvent.GetRepo().GetName()
+		if gitEvent.GetRepo() == nil {
+			return nil, errors.New("error parsing payload the repository should not be nil")
+		}
 		processedEvent.Organization = gitEvent.GetRepo().Owner.GetLogin()
 		processedEvent.DefaultBranch = gitEvent.GetRepo().GetDefaultBranch()
 		processedEvent.SHA = gitEvent.GetPullRequest().Head.GetSHA()
@@ -306,6 +312,9 @@ func (v *Provider) processEvent(ctx context.Context, event *info.Event, eventInt
 
 func (v *Provider) handleReRequestEvent(ctx context.Context, event *github.CheckRunEvent) (*info.Event, error) {
 	runevent := info.NewEvent()
+	if event.GetRepo() == nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("error parsing payload the repository should not be nil")
+	}
 	runevent.Organization = event.GetRepo().GetOwner().GetLogin()
 	runevent.Repository = event.GetRepo().GetName()
 	runevent.URL = event.GetRepo().GetHTMLURL()
@@ -331,6 +340,9 @@ func (v *Provider) handleReRequestEvent(ctx context.Context, event *github.Check
 
 func (v *Provider) handleCheckSuites(ctx context.Context, event *github.CheckSuiteEvent) (*info.Event, error) {
 	runevent := info.NewEvent()
+	if event.GetRepo() == nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("error parsing payload the repository should not be nil")
+	}
 	runevent.Organization = event.GetRepo().GetOwner().GetLogin()
 	runevent.Repository = event.GetRepo().GetName()
 	runevent.URL = event.GetRepo().GetHTMLURL()
@@ -393,6 +405,9 @@ func (v *Provider) handleIssueCommentEvent(ctx context.Context, event *github.Is
 func (v *Provider) handleCommitCommentEvent(ctx context.Context, event *github.CommitCommentEvent) (*info.Event, error) {
 	action := "push"
 	runevent := info.NewEvent()
+	if event.GetRepo() == nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("error parsing payload the repository should not be nil")
+	}
 	runevent.Organization = event.GetRepo().GetOwner().GetLogin()
 	runevent.Repository = event.GetRepo().GetName()
 	runevent.Sender = event.GetSender().GetLogin()
diff --git a/pkg/provider/github/parse_payload_test.go b/pkg/provider/github/parse_payload_test.go
index b6cbbc89f..ab827becc 100644
--- a/pkg/provider/github/parse_payload_test.go
+++ b/pkg/provider/github/parse_payload_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/openshift-pipelines/pipelines-as-code/pkg/params/clients"
 	"github.com/openshift-pipelines/pipelines-as-code/pkg/params/info"
 	"github.com/openshift-pipelines/pipelines-as-code/pkg/params/settings"
+	"github.com/openshift-pipelines/pipelines-as-code/pkg/params/triggertype"
 	testclient "github.com/openshift-pipelines/pipelines-as-code/pkg/test/clients"
 	ghtesthelper "github.com/openshift-pipelines/pipelines-as-code/pkg/test/github"
 	"github.com/openshift-pipelines/pipelines-as-code/pkg/test/logger"
@@ -88,6 +89,9 @@ var samplePRAnother = github.PullRequest{
 }
 
 func TestParsePayLoad(t *testing.T) {
+	samplePRNoRepo := samplePRevent
+	samplePRNoRepo.Repo = nil
+
 	tests := []struct {
 		name                       string
 		wantErrString              string
@@ -185,6 +189,20 @@ func TestParsePayLoad(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			shaRet: "samplePRsha",
 		},
+		{
+			name:               "bad/pull request",
+			eventType:          "pull_request",
+			triggerTarget:      triggertype.PullRequest.String(),
+			payloadEventStruct: samplePRNoRepo,
+			wantErrString:      "error parsing payload the repository should not be nil",
+		},
+		{
+			name:               "bad/push",
+			eventType:          "push",
+			triggerTarget:      triggertype.Push.String(),
+			payloadEventStruct: github.PushEvent{},
+			wantErrString:      "error parsing payload the repository should not be nil",
+		},
 		{
 			// specific run from a check_suite
 			name:          "good/rerequest check_run on pull request",
diff --git a/test/invalid_event_test.go b/test/invalid_event_test.go
index 0de2ff53e..4a3714377 100644
--- a/test/invalid_event_test.go
+++ b/test/invalid_event_test.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func TestSkippedEvent(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
-	assert.Equal(t, resp.StatusCode, http.StatusOK, "%s reply expected 200 OK", elURL)
+	assert.Equal(t, resp.StatusCode, http.StatusAccepted, "%s reply expected 202 OK", elURL)
 }
 
 func TestGETCall(t *testing.T) {