diff --git a/bindings/python/src/data_file.rs b/bindings/python/src/data_file.rs
index b0e42e7d73..7051e83280 100644
--- a/bindings/python/src/data_file.rs
+++ b/bindings/python/src/data_file.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ use pyo3::exceptions::PyValueError;
 use pyo3::prelude::*;
 use pyo3::types::PyBytes;
 
+use crate::error::to_py_err;
+
 #[pyclass()]
 pub struct PyPrimitiveLiteral {
     inner: PrimitiveLiteral,
@@ -120,20 +122,20 @@ impl PyDataFile {
     }
 
     #[getter]
-    fn upper_bounds(&self) -> HashMap<i32, Vec<u8>> {
+    fn upper_bounds(&self) -> PyResult<HashMap<i32, Vec<u8>>> {
         self.inner
             .upper_bounds()
             .iter()
-            .map(|(k, v)| (*k, v.to_bytes().unwrap().to_vec()))
+            .map(|(k, v)| Ok((*k, v.to_bytes().map_err(to_py_err)?.to_vec())))
             .collect()
     }
 
     #[getter]
-    fn lower_bounds(&self) -> HashMap<i32, Vec<u8>> {
+    fn lower_bounds(&self) -> PyResult<HashMap<i32, Vec<u8>>> {
         self.inner
             .lower_bounds()
             .iter()
-            .map(|(k, v)| (*k, v.to_bytes().unwrap().to_vec()))
+            .map(|(k, v)| Ok((*k, v.to_bytes().map_err(to_py_err)?.to_vec())))
             .collect()
     }
 
diff --git a/bindings/python/src/manifest.rs b/bindings/python/src/manifest.rs
index 6c042475b6..15b80c3e3e 100644
--- a/bindings/python/src/manifest.rs
+++ b/bindings/python/src/manifest.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ use iceberg::spec::{
 use pyo3::prelude::*;
 
 use crate::data_file::PyDataFile;
+use crate::error::to_py_err;
 
 #[pyclass]
 pub struct PyManifest {
@@ -145,14 +146,13 @@ impl PyManifestFile {
     }
 
     #[getter]
-    fn partitions(&self) -> Vec<PyFieldSummary> {
-        self.inner
-            .partitions
-            .clone()
-            .unwrap()
-            .iter()
-            .map(|s| PyFieldSummary { inner: s.clone() })
-            .collect()
+    fn partitions(&self) -> Option<Vec<PyFieldSummary>> {
+        self.inner.partitions.as_ref().map(|partitions| {
+            partitions
+                .iter()
+                .map(|s| PyFieldSummary { inner: s.clone() })
+                .collect()
+        })
     }
 
     #[getter]
@@ -195,11 +195,10 @@ impl PyManifestEntry {
 }
 
 #[pyfunction]
-pub fn read_manifest_entries(bs: &[u8]) -> PyManifest {
-    // TODO: Some error handling
-    PyManifest {
-        inner: Manifest::parse_avro(bs).unwrap(),
-    }
+pub fn read_manifest_entries(bs: &[u8]) -> PyResult<PyManifest> {
+    Ok(PyManifest {
+        inner: Manifest::parse_avro(bs).map_err(to_py_err)?,
+    })
 }
 
 #[pyclass]
@@ -221,10 +220,10 @@ impl PyManifestList {
 }
 
 #[pyfunction]
-pub fn read_manifest_list(bs: &[u8]) -> PyManifestList {
-    PyManifestList {
-        inner: ManifestList::parse_with_version(bs, FormatVersion::V2).unwrap(),
-    }
+pub fn read_manifest_list(bs: &[u8]) -> PyResult<PyManifestList> {
+    Ok(PyManifestList {
+        inner: ManifestList::parse_with_version(bs, FormatVersion::V2).map_err(to_py_err)?,
+    })
 }
 
 pub fn register_module(py: Python<'_>, m: &Bound<'_, PyModule>) -> PyResult<()> {
diff --git a/bindings/python/tests/test_manifest.py b/bindings/python/tests/test_manifest.py
index e024b28086..147b81fccc 100644
--- a/bindings/python/tests/test_manifest.py
+++ b/bindings/python/tests/test_manifest.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 # specific language governing permissions and limitations
 # under the License.
 
+from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any
 
 import pytest
@@ -26,7 +27,9 @@
     FileFormat,
     ManifestEntry,
     ManifestEntryStatus,
+    ManifestFile,
     _manifests,
+    write_manifest_list,
 )
 
 
@@ -171,3 +174,64 @@ def test_read_manifest_entry(generated_manifest_entry_file: str) -> None:
     assert data_file.split_offsets == [4]
     assert data_file.equality_ids is None
     assert data_file.sort_order_id == 0
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "payload", [b"", b"not-an-avro-file", b"Obj\x01truncated-after-the-avro-magic"]
+)
+def test_read_manifest_entries_raises_on_invalid_avro(payload: bytes) -> None:
+    from pyiceberg_core import manifest
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        manifest.read_manifest_entries(payload)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "payload", [b"", b"not-an-avro-file", b"Obj\x01truncated-after-the-avro-magic"]
+)
+def test_read_manifest_list_raises_on_invalid_avro(payload: bytes) -> None:
+    from pyiceberg_core import manifest
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        manifest.read_manifest_list(payload)
+
+
+def test_manifest_file_without_partition_summaries(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """Field summaries are optional, so a manifest list without them reads back as None."""
+    from pyiceberg_core import manifest
+
+    manifest_list_file = str(tmp_path / "snap.avro")
+    io = PyArrowFileIO()
+
+    with write_manifest_list(
+        format_version=2,
+        output_file=io.new_output(manifest_list_file),
+        snapshot_id=25,
+        parent_snapshot_id=None,
+        sequence_number=1,
+        avro_compression="null",
+    ) as writer:
+        writer.add_manifests(
+            [
+                ManifestFile.from_args(
+                    manifest_path="s3://bucket/metadata/manifest.avro",
+                    manifest_length=1024,
+                    partition_spec_id=0,
+                    added_snapshot_id=25,
+                    sequence_number=1,
+                    min_sequence_number=1,
+                    added_files_count=1,
+                    existing_files_count=0,
+                    deleted_files_count=0,
+                    added_rows_count=10,
+                    existing_rows_count=0,
+                    deleted_rows_count=0,
+                    partitions=None,
+                )
+            ]
+        )
+
+    bs = io.new_input(manifest_list_file).open().read()
+    manifest_file = manifest.read_manifest_list(bs).entries()[0]
+
+    assert manifest_file.partitions is None