diff --git a/command/issue.go b/command/issue.go
index ec4f7b188..15c0a7177 100644
--- a/command/issue.go
+++ b/command/issue.go
@@ -169,10 +169,10 @@ func issueStatus(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	out := colorableOut(cmd)
 
 	printHeader(out, "Issues assigned to you")
-	if issuePayload.Assigned != nil {
+	if len(issuePayload.Assigned) > 0 {
 		printIssues(out, "  ", issuePayload.Assigned...)
 	} else {
-		message := fmt.Sprintf("  There are no issues assgined to you")
+		message := fmt.Sprintf("  There are no issues assigned to you")
 		printMessage(out, message)
 	}
 	fmt.Fprintln(out)
diff --git a/command/issue_test.go b/command/issue_test.go
index b5f8f0272..5b6e4c3e3 100644
--- a/command/issue_test.go
+++ b/command/issue_test.go
@@ -40,6 +40,38 @@ func TestIssueStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestIssueStatus_blankSlate(t *testing.T) {
+	initBlankContext("OWNER/REPO", "master")
+	http := initFakeHTTP()
+
+	http.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
+	{ "data": {
+		"assigned": { "issues": { "nodes": [] } },
+		"mentioned": { "issues": { "nodes": [] } },
+		"authored": { "issues": { "nodes": [] } }
+	} }
+	`))
+
+	output, err := RunCommand(issueStatusCmd, "issue status")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("error running command `issue status`: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	expectedOutput := `Issues assigned to you
+  There are no issues assigned to you
+
+Issues mentioning you
+  There are no issues mentioning you
+
+Issues opened by you
+  There are no issues opened by you
+
+`
+	if output != expectedOutput {
+		t.Errorf("expected %q, got %q", expectedOutput, output)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestIssueList(t *testing.T) {
 	initBlankContext("OWNER/REPO", "master")
 	http := initFakeHTTP()