diff --git a/lib/neography/node_relationship.rb b/lib/neography/node_relationship.rb
index 71fbc3a..217557a 100644
--- a/lib/neography/node_relationship.rb
+++ b/lib/neography/node_relationship.rb
@@ -21,15 +21,15 @@ def rels(*types)
 
     def rel(dir, type)
       rel = Neography::RelationshipTraverser.new(self, type, dir)
-      rel = rel.first unless rel.nil?
+      rel = rel.first unless rel.empty?
       rel
     end
 
     def rel?(dir=nil, type=nil)
       if DIRECTIONS.include?(dir.to_s)
-        !self.neo_server.get_node_relationships(self, dir, type).nil? 
+        !self.neo_server.get_node_relationships(self, dir, type).empty? 
       else
-        !self.neo_server.get_node_relationships(self, type, dir).nil? 
+        !self.neo_server.get_node_relationships(self, type, dir).empty? 
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/neography/rest/node_relationships.rb b/lib/neography/rest/node_relationships.rb
index 33fa68a..a819438 100644
--- a/lib/neography/rest/node_relationships.rb
+++ b/lib/neography/rest/node_relationships.rb
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ def get(id, direction = nil, types = nil)
           node_relationships = @connection.get(type_path(:id => get_id(id), :direction => direction, :types => Array(types).join('&'))) || []
         end
 
-        return nil if node_relationships.empty?
+        return [] if node_relationships.empty?
         node_relationships
       end
 
diff --git a/lib/neography/rest/other_node_relationships.rb b/lib/neography/rest/other_node_relationships.rb
index a2d8c8d..d52e438 100644
--- a/lib/neography/rest/other_node_relationships.rb
+++ b/lib/neography/rest/other_node_relationships.rb
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def get(id, other_id, direction = "all", types = [nil])
 
         node_relationships = @connection.post(base_path(:id => get_id(id)), options) || []
 
-        return nil if node_relationships.empty?
+        return [] if node_relationships.empty?
         node_relationships
       end
 
diff --git a/spec/integration/node_relationship_spec.rb b/spec/integration/node_relationship_spec.rb
index 3fef3b1..258f1e7 100644
--- a/spec/integration/node_relationship_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/node_relationship_spec.rb
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ def create_nodes
     it "#rel returns nil if there is no relationship" do
       a = Neography::Node.create
       b = Neography::Node.create
-      a.rel(:outgoing, :friend).should be_nil
+      a.rel(:outgoing, :friend).should be_empty
     end
 
     it "#rel should only return one relationship even if there are more" do
diff --git a/spec/integration/rest_other_node_relationship_spec.rb b/spec/integration/rest_other_node_relationship_spec.rb
index fa2364f..27c127e 100644
--- a/spec/integration/rest_other_node_relationship_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/rest_other_node_relationship_spec.rb
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@
       existing_relationships[0]["self"].should == new_relationship["self"]
     end
 
-    it "returns nil if it tries to get a relationship that does not exist" do
+    it "returns empty array if it tries to get a relationship that does not exist" do
       new_node1 = @neo.create_node
       new_node2 = @neo.create_node
       new_node3 = @neo.create_node
       new_relationship = @neo.create_relationship("friends", new_node1, new_node2)
       existing_relationship = @neo.get_node_relationships_to(new_node1, new_node3)
-      existing_relationship.should be_nil
+      existing_relationship.should be_empty
     end
   end
 
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@
       new_node1 = @neo.create_node
       new_node2 = @neo.create_node
       relationships = @neo.get_node_relationships_to(new_node1, new_node2)
-      relationships.should be_nil
+      relationships.should be_empty
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/integration/rest_relationship_spec.rb b/spec/integration/rest_relationship_spec.rb
index fa90edd..42be9ee 100644
--- a/spec/integration/rest_relationship_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/rest_relationship_spec.rb
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@
       new_relationship = @neo.create_relationship("friends", new_node1, new_node2, {"since" => '10-1-2010', "met" => "college"})
       @neo.delete_relationship(new_relationship)
       relationships = @neo.get_node_relationships(new_node1)
-      relationships.should be_nil
+      relationships.should be_empty
     end
 
     it "raises error if it tries to delete a relationship that does not exist" do
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@
     it "returns nil if there are no relationships" do
       new_node1 = @neo.create_node
       relationships = @neo.get_node_relationships(new_node1)
-      relationships.should be_nil
+      relationships.should be_empty
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/rest/node_relationships_spec.rb b/spec/unit/rest/node_relationships_spec.rb
index 06d8af4..d11d700 100644
--- a/spec/unit/rest/node_relationships_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/rest/node_relationships_spec.rb
@@ -43,13 +43,13 @@ class Rest
         subject.get("42", :in, ["foo", "bar"])
       end
 
-      it "returns nil if no relationships were found" do
-        connection.stub(:get).and_return(nil)
-        subject.get("42", :in).should be_nil
+      it "returns empty array if no relationships were found" do
+        connection.stub(:get).and_return([])
+        subject.get("42", :in).should be_empty
       end
 
-      it "returns nil if no relationships were found by type" do
-        connection.stub(:get).and_return(nil)
+      it "returns empty array if no relationships were found by type" do
+        connection.stub(:get).and_return([])
         subject.get("42", :in, "foo")
       end