diff --git a/project/paperbench/paperbench/judge/token_usage.py b/project/paperbench/paperbench/judge/token_usage.py
index 1cd8cacc..91c929e8 100644
--- a/project/paperbench/paperbench/judge/token_usage.py
+++ b/project/paperbench/paperbench/judge/token_usage.py
@@ -45,10 +45,11 @@ def _get_leaf_node_token_usages(task: GradedTaskNode) -> list[TokenUsage]:
 
     if task.is_leaf():
         # need this check because judge_metadata may be malformed in case of node errors
-        if task.judge_metadata is not None and "token_usage" in task.judge_metadata:
-            return [TokenUsage.from_dict(task.judge_metadata["token_usage"])]
-        else:
-            return []
+        if task.judge_metadata is not None:
+            usage = task.judge_metadata.get("token_usage")
+            if isinstance(usage, dict):
+                return [TokenUsage.from_dict(usage)]
+        return []
 
     token_usages = []
 
diff --git a/project/paperbench/tests/unit/test_token_usage.py b/project/paperbench/tests/unit/test_token_usage.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0d0d255f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/project/paperbench/tests/unit/test_token_usage.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+from paperbench.judge.graded_task_node import GradedTaskNode
+from paperbench.judge.token_usage import get_total_token_usage
+from paperbench.rubric.tasks import TaskNode
+
+
+def _leaf(node_id: str, token_usage):
+    task = TaskNode(
+        id=node_id,
+        requirements=node_id,
+        weight=1,
+        task_category="Code Development",
+    )
+    return GradedTaskNode.from_task(
+        task,
+        score=1.0,
+        valid_score=True,
+        explanation="graded",
+        judge_metadata={"token_usage": token_usage},
+    )
+
+
+def test_total_token_usage_skips_null_leaf_usage() -> None:
+    root = GradedTaskNode(
+        id="root",
+        requirements="root",
+        weight=1,
+        sub_tasks=[
+            _leaf("without-usage", None),
+            _leaf("with-usage", {"gpt-test": {"in": 12, "out": 5}}),
+        ],
+        score=1.0,
+        valid_score=True,
+        explanation="aggregate",
+    )
+
+    total = get_total_token_usage(root)
+
+    assert total.to_dict() == {"gpt-test": {"in": 12, "out": 5}}
+
+
+def test_total_token_usage_skips_missing_leaf_usage_key() -> None:
+    task = TaskNode(
+        id="leaf",
+        requirements="leaf",
+        weight=1,
+        task_category="Code Development",
+    )
+    leaf = GradedTaskNode.from_task(
+        task,
+        score=1.0,
+        valid_score=True,
+        explanation="graded",
+        judge_metadata={},
+    )
+
+    assert get_total_token_usage(leaf).to_dict() == {}