Index: src/applications/transactions/worker/PhabricatorApplicationTransactionPublishWorker.php
===================================================================
--- src/applications/transactions/worker/PhabricatorApplicationTransactionPublishWorker.php
+++ src/applications/transactions/worker/PhabricatorApplicationTransactionPublishWorker.php
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@
     $data = $this->getTaskData();
     $viewer = PhabricatorUser::getOmnipotentUser();
 
+    if (!$data) {
+      throw new PhabricatorWorkerPermanentFailureException(
+        pht('Task has no data!'));
+    }
+
     $phid = idx($data, 'objectPHID');
     if (!$phid) {
       throw new PhabricatorWorkerPermanentFailureException(