diff --git a/lib/mcp/prompt.rb b/lib/mcp/prompt.rb
index 128ee47..3253faa 100644
--- a/lib/mcp/prompt.rb
+++ b/lib/mcp/prompt.rb
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ def to_h
           title: title_value,
           description: description_value,
           icons: icons_value&.then { |icons| icons.empty? ? nil : icons.map(&:to_h) },
-          arguments: arguments_value&.map(&:to_h),
+          arguments: arguments_value.empty? ? nil : arguments_value.map(&:to_h),
           _meta: meta_value,
         }.compact
       end
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ def inherited(subclass)
         subclass.instance_variable_set(:@title_value, nil)
         subclass.instance_variable_set(:@description_value, nil)
         subclass.instance_variable_set(:@icons_value, nil)
-        subclass.instance_variable_set(:@arguments_value, nil)
+        subclass.instance_variable_set(:@arguments_value, [])
         subclass.instance_variable_set(:@meta_value, nil)
       end
 
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def arguments(value = NOT_SET)
         if value == NOT_SET
           @arguments_value
         else
-          @arguments_value = value
+          @arguments_value = Array(value)
         end
       end
 
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ def define(name: nil, title: nil, description: nil, icons: [], arguments: [], me
       end
 
       def validate_arguments!(args)
+        args ||= {}
         missing = required_args - args.keys
         return if missing.empty?
 
diff --git a/test/mcp/prompt_test.rb b/test/mcp/prompt_test.rb
index a434e06..a6fe18a 100644
--- a/test/mcp/prompt_test.rb
+++ b/test/mcp/prompt_test.rb
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ class FullPrompt < Prompt
       assert_equal expected, FullPrompt.to_h
     end
 
-    test "#to_h handles nil arguments value" do
+    test "#to_h omits arguments key when arguments are not declared" do
       class NoArgumentsPrompt < Prompt
         description "No arguments prompt"
       end
@@ -196,6 +196,51 @@ class NoArgumentsPrompt < Prompt
       assert_equal expected, prompt.to_h
     end
 
+    test "#validate_arguments! does not raise when arguments are not declared" do
+      prompt_class = Class.new(Prompt) do
+        prompt_name "no_args_prompt"
+        description "A prompt with no arguments"
+        # NOTE: no `arguments` declaration at all
+      end
+
+      assert_nothing_raised do
+        prompt_class.validate_arguments!({})
+      end
+    end
+
+    test "#validate_arguments! handles nil args" do
+      prompt_class = Class.new(Prompt) do
+        prompt_name "no_args_prompt"
+        description "A prompt with no arguments"
+      end
+
+      assert_nothing_raised do
+        prompt_class.validate_arguments!(nil)
+      end
+    end
+
+    test "#validate_arguments! does not raise when arguments is explicitly set to nil" do
+      prompt_class = Class.new(Prompt) do
+        prompt_name "nil_args_prompt"
+        description "A prompt with nil arguments"
+        arguments nil
+      end
+
+      assert_nothing_raised do
+        prompt_class.validate_arguments!({})
+      end
+    end
+
+    test "#to_h omits arguments key when arguments is empty" do
+      prompt = Prompt.define(
+        name: "no_args_prompt",
+        description: "a prompt without arguments",
+        arguments: [],
+      )
+
+      refute prompt.to_h.key?(:arguments)
+    end
+
     test "#to_h does not have `:icons` key when icons is empty" do
       prompt = Prompt.define(
         name: "prompt_without_icons",