diff --git a/imap_processing/glows/l1a/glows_l1a.py b/imap_processing/glows/l1a/glows_l1a.py
index 5a35abdea..1378af783 100644
--- a/imap_processing/glows/l1a/glows_l1a.py
+++ b/imap_processing/glows/l1a/glows_l1a.py
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ def process_de_l0(
             l1a_output.append(first_de)
 
     # Filter out DE records with no direct_events (incomplete packet sequences)
-    l1a_output = [de for de in l1a_output if de.direct_events is not None]
+    l1a_output = [de for de in l1a_output if de.direct_events]
 
     return l1a_output
 
diff --git a/imap_processing/glows/l1a/glows_l1a_data.py b/imap_processing/glows/l1a/glows_l1a_data.py
index f8c509851..164d4d832 100644
--- a/imap_processing/glows/l1a/glows_l1a_data.py
+++ b/imap_processing/glows/l1a/glows_l1a_data.py
@@ -441,6 +441,14 @@ def _generate_direct_events(self, direct_events: bytearray) -> list[DirectEvent]
             An array containing DirectEvent objects.
         """
         # read the first direct event, which is always uncompressed
+
+        if len(direct_events) < 8:
+            logger.warning(
+                "GLOWS: Direct event data is too short to contain any events "
+                f"(got {len(direct_events)} bytes, need at least 8). "
+                "Returning empty event list."
+            )
+            return []
         current_event = self._build_uncompressed_event(direct_events[:8])
         processed_events = [current_event]
 
diff --git a/imap_processing/tests/external_test_data_config.py b/imap_processing/tests/external_test_data_config.py
index 736e506d4..32c99e35a 100644
--- a/imap_processing/tests/external_test_data_config.py
+++ b/imap_processing/tests/external_test_data_config.py
@@ -277,5 +277,6 @@
     ("swe_l0_unpacked-data_20240510_v001_VALIDATION_L2_bins_v0H_14_6.dat", "swe/l2_validation/"),
 
     # GLOWS
-    ("combined_de_l1a.csv", "glows/validation_data")
+    ("combined_de_l1a.csv", "glows/validation_data"),
+    ("imap_glows_l0_raw_20260202-repoint00145_v001.pkts", "glows/validation_data"),
 ]  # fmt: skip
diff --git a/imap_processing/tests/glows/conftest.py b/imap_processing/tests/glows/conftest.py
index fcf055e00..688111c66 100644
--- a/imap_processing/tests/glows/conftest.py
+++ b/imap_processing/tests/glows/conftest.py
@@ -22,6 +22,16 @@ def packet_path():
     return current_directory / "validation_data" / "glows_test_packet_20110921_v01.pkts"
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def repoint_packet_path():
+    current_directory = Path(__file__).parent
+    return (
+        current_directory
+        / "validation_data"
+        / "imap_glows_l0_raw_20260202-repoint00145_v001.pkts"
+    )
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def decom_test_data(packet_path):
     """Read test data from file"""
diff --git a/imap_processing/tests/glows/test_glows_l1a_data.py b/imap_processing/tests/glows/test_glows_l1a_data.py
index 90c389397..525e6a546 100644
--- a/imap_processing/tests/glows/test_glows_l1a_data.py
+++ b/imap_processing/tests/glows/test_glows_l1a_data.py
@@ -589,3 +589,11 @@ def test_glows_l1a_no_packet_data(decom_packets_mock):
     decom_packets_mock.return_value = ([], [])
     output = glows_l1a("fake/filepath/packets.bin")
     assert output == []
+
+
+@pytest.mark.external_test_data
+def test_glows_l1a_empty_de_packet(repoint_packet_path):
+    """Test that L1A processing handles packets with no direct event data."""
+    result = glows_l1a(repoint_packet_path)
+
+    assert len(result) == 2