diff --git a/mcp_codebase.py b/mcp_codebase.py
index ca7a7f8..56203e0 100644
--- a/mcp_codebase.py
+++ b/mcp_codebase.py
@@ -4996,10 +4996,11 @@ def _build_enhanced_result(chunk_text: str, meta: dict, score: float, graph: Opt
 
 def _get_result_graph_context(meta: dict, graph: Optional[LocalGraph] = None) -> dict:
     """Enhanced graph context that provides queryable node IDs and relationships."""
+    context = {}  # Initialize context at the start
+
     if graph is None or graph.graph.number_of_nodes() == 0:
-        return {}
+        return context
 
-    _format_enhanced_results = {}
     file_path = meta.get('file', '')
     entity_name = meta.get('name', '')
     entity_type = meta.get('type', '')
@@ -5084,7 +5085,7 @@ def _format_enhanced_results(results: List[Dict], query: str, result_type: str)
     ]
 
     for result in results:
-        # Extract all fields
+        # Extract all fields with safe defaults
         file_path = result.get('file', '')
         line_num = result.get('line', '')
         entity_type = result.get('type', 'code')
@@ -5092,7 +5093,7 @@ def _format_enhanced_results(results: List[Dict], query: str, result_type: str)
         language = result.get('language', '')
         score = result.get('score', 0.0)
         content = result.get('content', '')
-        graph_context = result.get('graph_context', {})
+        graph_context = result.get('graph_context', {})  # Safe default: empty dict
 
         # Build compact graph context string for queries
         graph_parts = []
@@ -5103,15 +5104,22 @@ def _format_enhanced_results(results: List[Dict], query: str, result_type: str)
 
         # Cross-file dependencies for import/call queries
         if graph_context.get('cross_file'):
-            graph_parts.append(f"xfile:{'|'.join(graph_context['cross_file'][:4])}")
+            # Ensure we're working with a list and take first 4
+            cross_files = graph_context['cross_file']
+            if isinstance(cross_files, list):
+                graph_parts.append(f"xfile:{'|'.join(cross_files[:4])}")
 
         # Reverse dependencies for "used by" queries
         if graph_context.get('used_by'):
-            graph_parts.append(f"used:{'|'.join(graph_context['used_by'][:3])}")
+            used_by = graph_context['used_by']
+            if isinstance(used_by, list):
+                graph_parts.append(f"used:{'|'.join(used_by[:3])}")
 
         # Same-file relationships for file context queries
         if graph_context.get('same_file'):
-            graph_parts.append(f"same:{'|'.join(graph_context['same_file'][:5])}")
+            same_files = graph_context['same_file']
+            if isinstance(same_files, list):
+                graph_parts.append(f"same:{'|'.join(same_files[:5])}")
 
         graph_str = ";".join(graph_parts)