diff --git a/internal/chart/v3/util/dependencies.go b/internal/chart/v3/util/dependencies.go
index bd5032ce4..129c46372 100644
--- a/internal/chart/v3/util/dependencies.go
+++ b/internal/chart/v3/util/dependencies.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package util
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -265,8 +266,8 @@ func processImportValues(c *chart.Chart, merge bool) error {
 		for _, riv := range r.ImportValues {
 			switch iv := riv.(type) {
 			case map[string]interface{}:
-				child := iv["child"].(string)
-				parent := iv["parent"].(string)
+				child := fmt.Sprintf("%v", iv["child"])
+				parent := fmt.Sprintf("%v", iv["parent"])
 
 				outiv = append(outiv, map[string]string{
 					"child":  child,
diff --git a/pkg/chart/v2/util/dependencies.go b/pkg/chart/v2/util/dependencies.go
index f34144526..1a2aa1c95 100644
--- a/pkg/chart/v2/util/dependencies.go
+++ b/pkg/chart/v2/util/dependencies.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package util
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -265,8 +266,8 @@ func processImportValues(c *chart.Chart, merge bool) error {
 		for _, riv := range r.ImportValues {
 			switch iv := riv.(type) {
 			case map[string]interface{}:
-				child := iv["child"].(string)
-				parent := iv["parent"].(string)
+				child := fmt.Sprintf("%v", iv["child"])
+				parent := fmt.Sprintf("%v", iv["parent"])
 
 				outiv = append(outiv, map[string]string{
 					"child":  child,
diff --git a/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile.go b/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile.go
index 724c3f2ea..103c28374 100644
--- a/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile.go
+++ b/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile.go
@@ -160,6 +160,9 @@ func validateChartVersion(cf *chart.Metadata) error {
 
 func validateChartMaintainer(cf *chart.Metadata) error {
 	for _, maintainer := range cf.Maintainers {
+		if maintainer == nil {
+			return errors.New("a maintainer entry is empty")
+		}
 		if maintainer.Name == "" {
 			return errors.New("each maintainer requires a name")
 		} else if maintainer.Email != "" && !govalidator.IsEmail(maintainer.Email) {
diff --git a/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile_test.go b/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile_test.go
index bbb14a5e8..1719a2011 100644
--- a/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile_test.go
+++ b/pkg/lint/rules/chartfile_test.go
@@ -142,6 +142,16 @@ func TestValidateChartMaintainer(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("validateChartMaintainer(%s, %s) to return no error, got %s", test.Name, test.Email, err.Error())
 		}
 	}
+
+	// Testing for an empty maintainer
+	badChart.Maintainers = []*chart.Maintainer{nil}
+	err := validateChartMaintainer(badChart)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("validateChartMaintainer did not return error for nil maintainer as expected")
+	}
+	if err.Error() != "a maintainer entry is empty" {
+		t.Errorf("validateChartMaintainer returned unexpected error for nil maintainer: %s", err.Error())
+	}
 }
 
 func TestValidateChartSources(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/repo/index.go b/pkg/repo/index.go
index c26d7581c..4de8bb463 100644
--- a/pkg/repo/index.go
+++ b/pkg/repo/index.go
@@ -355,7 +355,8 @@ func loadIndex(data []byte, source string) (*IndexFile, error) {
 	for name, cvs := range i.Entries {
 		for idx := len(cvs) - 1; idx >= 0; idx-- {
 			if cvs[idx] == nil {
-				slog.Warn("skipping loading invalid entry for chart %q from %s: empty entry", name, source)
+				slog.Warn(fmt.Sprintf("skipping loading invalid entry for chart %q from %s: empty entry", name, source))
+				cvs = append(cvs[:idx], cvs[idx+1:]...)
 				continue
 			}
 			// When metadata section missing, initialize with no data
@@ -366,7 +367,7 @@ func loadIndex(data []byte, source string) (*IndexFile, error) {
 				cvs[idx].APIVersion = chart.APIVersionV1
 			}
 			if err := cvs[idx].Validate(); ignoreSkippableChartValidationError(err) != nil {
-				slog.Warn("skipping loading invalid entry for chart %q %q from %s: %s", name, cvs[idx].Version, source, err)
+				slog.Warn(fmt.Sprintf("skipping loading invalid entry for chart %q %q from %s: %s", name, cvs[idx].Version, source, err))
 				cvs = append(cvs[:idx], cvs[idx+1:]...)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/repo/index_test.go b/pkg/repo/index_test.go
index d40719b12..7810d3ac0 100644
--- a/pkg/repo/index_test.go
+++ b/pkg/repo/index_test.go
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ entries:
   grafana:
   - apiVersion: v2
     name: grafana
+  - null
   foo:
   -
   bar: