diff --git a/.changeset/tall-lies-raise.md b/.changeset/tall-lies-raise.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..478cda3e3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/tall-lies-raise.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'hive': patch
+---
+
+A minor defect in Laboratory has been fixed that previously caused the application to crash when local storage was in a particular state.
diff --git a/packages/web/app/src/components/target/explorer/provider.tsx b/packages/web/app/src/components/target/explorer/provider.tsx
index dc98e836b8..ff40835d26 100644
--- a/packages/web/app/src/components/target/explorer/provider.tsx
+++ b/packages/web/app/src/components/target/explorer/provider.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ import {
   useState,
 } from 'react';
 import { startOfDay } from 'date-fns';
-import { resolveRange, type Period } from '@/lib/date-math';
+import { z } from 'zod';
+import { Period, resolveRange } from '@/lib/date-math';
 import { subDays } from '@/lib/date-time';
 import { useLocalStorageJson } from '@/lib/hooks';
 import { UTCDate } from '@date-fns/utc';
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ type SchemaExplorerContextType = {
   refreshResolvedPeriod(): void;
 };
 
-const defaultPeriod = {
+const defaultPeriod: Period = {
   from: 'now-7d',
   to: 'now',
 };
@@ -56,11 +57,11 @@ export function SchemaExplorerProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }): R
 
   const [isArgumentListCollapsed, setArgumentListCollapsed] = useLocalStorageJson(
     'hive:schema-explorer:collapsed',
-    true,
+    z.boolean().default(true),
   );
-  const [period, setPeriod] = useLocalStorageJson<Period>(
+  const [period, setPeriod] = useLocalStorageJson(
     'hive:schema-explorer:period-1',
-    defaultPeriod,
+    Period.default(defaultPeriod),
   );
   const [resolvedPeriod, setResolvedPeriod] = useState<Period>(() => resolveRange(period));
 
diff --git a/packages/web/app/src/components/ui/changelog/changelog.tsx b/packages/web/app/src/components/ui/changelog/changelog.tsx
index 2ccd9aaf0c..df710671a3 100644
--- a/packages/web/app/src/components/ui/changelog/changelog.tsx
+++ b/packages/web/app/src/components/ui/changelog/changelog.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { ReactElement, useCallback, useEffect } from 'react';
 import { format } from 'date-fns/format';
+import { z } from 'zod';
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
 import { Popover, PopoverArrow, PopoverContent, PopoverTrigger } from '@/components/ui/popover';
 import { useLocalStorageJson, useToggle } from '@/lib/hooks';
@@ -19,8 +20,14 @@ export function Changelog(props: { changes: Changelog[] }): ReactElement {
 
 function ChangelogPopover(props: { changes: Changelog[] }) {
   const [isOpen, toggle] = useToggle();
-  const [displayDot, setDisplayDot] = useLocalStorageJson<boolean>('hive:changelog:dot', false);
-  const [readChanges, setReadChanges] = useLocalStorageJson<string[]>('hive:changelog:read', []);
+  const [displayDot, setDisplayDot] = useLocalStorageJson(
+    'hive:changelog:dot',
+    z.boolean().default(false),
+  );
+  const [readChanges, setReadChanges] = useLocalStorageJson(
+    'hive:changelog:read',
+    z.array(z.string()).default([]),
+  );
   const hasNewChanges = props.changes.some(change => !readChanges.includes(change.href));
 
   useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/packages/web/app/src/lib/date-math.ts b/packages/web/app/src/lib/date-math.ts
index 0b9d6f52c0..64d0b66a75 100644
--- a/packages/web/app/src/lib/date-math.ts
+++ b/packages/web/app/src/lib/date-math.ts
@@ -3,12 +3,14 @@
  * @source https://github.com/grafana/grafana/blob/411c89012febe13323e4b8aafc8d692f4460e680/packages/grafana-data/src/datetime/datemath.ts#L1C1-L208C2
  */
 import { add, format, formatISO, parse as parseDate, sub, type Duration } from 'date-fns';
+import { z } from 'zod';
 import { UTCDate } from '@date-fns/utc';
 
-export type Period = {
-  from: string;
-  to: string;
-};
+export const Period = z.object({
+  from: z.string(),
+  to: z.string(),
+});
+export type Period = z.infer<typeof Period>;
 
 export type DurationUnit = 'y' | 'M' | 'w' | 'd' | 'h' | 'm';
 export const units: DurationUnit[] = ['y', 'M', 'w', 'd', 'h', 'm'];
diff --git a/packages/web/app/src/lib/hooks/use-local-storage-json.ts b/packages/web/app/src/lib/hooks/use-local-storage-json.ts
index 54c99c04bc..97bd5a4465 100644
--- a/packages/web/app/src/lib/hooks/use-local-storage-json.ts
+++ b/packages/web/app/src/lib/hooks/use-local-storage-json.ts
@@ -1,23 +1,75 @@
 import { useCallback, useState } from 'react';
+import { z } from 'zod';
+import { Kit } from '../kit';
 
-export function useLocalStorageJson<T>(key: string, defaultValue: T) {
-  const [value, setValue] = useState<T>(() => {
-    const json = localStorage.getItem(key);
+export function useLocalStorageJson<$Schema extends z.ZodType>(...args: ArgsInput<$Schema>) {
+  const [key, schema, manualDefaultValue] = args as any as Args<$Schema>;
+  // The parameter types will force the user to give a manual default
+  // if their given Zod schema does not have default.
+  //
+  // We resolve that here because in the event of a Zod parse failure, we fallback
+  // to the default value, meaning we are needing a reference to the Zod default outside
+  // of the regular parse process.
+  //
+  const defaultValue =
+    manualDefaultValue !== undefined
+      ? manualDefaultValue
+      : Kit.ZodHelpers.isDefaultType(schema)
+        ? (schema._def.defaultValue() as z.infer<$Schema>)
+        : Kit.never();
+
+  const [value, setValue] = useState<z.infer<$Schema>>(() => {
+    // Note: `null` is returned for missing values. However Zod only kicks in
+    // default values for `undefined`, not `null`. However-however, this is ok,
+    // because we manually pre-compute+return the default value, thus we don't
+    // rely on Zod's behaviour. If that changes this should have `?? undefined`
+    // added.
+    const storedValue = localStorage.getItem(key);
+
+    if (!storedValue) {
+      return defaultValue;
+    }
+
+    // todo: Some possible improvements:
+    // - Monitor json/schema parse failures.
+    // - Let caller choose an error strategy: 'return' / 'default' / 'throw'
     try {
-      const result = json ? JSON.parse(json) : defaultValue;
-      return result;
-    } catch (_) {
+      return schema.parse(JSON.parse(storedValue));
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (error instanceof SyntaxError) {
+        console.warn(`useLocalStorageJson: JSON parsing failed for key "${key}"`, error);
+      } else if (error instanceof z.ZodError) {
+        console.warn(`useLocalStorageJson: Schema validation failed for key "${key}"`, error);
+      } else {
+        Kit.neverCatch(error);
+      }
       return defaultValue;
     }
   });
 
   const set = useCallback(
-    (value: T) => {
+    (value: z.infer<$Schema>) => {
       localStorage.setItem(key, JSON.stringify(value));
       setValue(value);
     },
-    [setValue],
+    [key],
   );
 
   return [value, set] as const;
 }
+
+type ArgsInput<$Schema extends z.ZodType> =
+  $Schema extends z.ZodDefault<z.ZodType>
+    ? [key: string, schema: ArgsInputGuardZodJsonSchema<$Schema>]
+    : [key: string, schema: ArgsInputGuardZodJsonSchema<$Schema>, defaultValue: z.infer<$Schema>];
+
+type ArgsInputGuardZodJsonSchema<$Schema extends z.ZodType> =
+  z.infer<$Schema> extends Kit.Json.Value
+    ? $Schema
+    : 'Error: Your Zod schema is or contains a type that is not valid JSON.';
+
+type Args<$Schema extends z.ZodType> = [
+  key: string,
+  schema: $Schema,
+  defaultValue?: z.infer<$Schema>,
+];
diff --git a/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/index.ts b/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/index.ts
index 87c64a4bfd..99ad012ff5 100644
--- a/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/index.ts
+++ b/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
-// eslint-disable-next-line import/no-self-import
-export * as Kit from './index';
+// Storybook (or the version we are using)
+// is using a version of Babel that does not
+// support re-exporting as namespaces:
+//
+// export * as Kit from './index';
+//
+// So we have to re-export everything manually
+// and incur an additional index_ file for it
+// too:
 
-export * from './never';
-export * from './types/headers';
-export * from './helpers';
+import * as Kit from './index_';
+
+// eslint-disable-next-line unicorn/prefer-export-from
+export { Kit };
diff --git a/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/index_.ts b/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/index_.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..187aed2b21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/index_.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+export * from './never';
+export * from './types/headers';
+export * from './helpers';
+export * from './json';
+export * from './zod-helpers';
diff --git a/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/json.ts b/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/json.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..108012f2db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/json.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { z } from 'zod';
+import { ZodHelpers } from './zod-helpers';
+
+// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-namespace
+export namespace Json {
+  export const Primitive = z.union([z.string(), z.number(), z.boolean(), z.null()]);
+  export type Primitive = z.infer<typeof Primitive>;
+  export const isPrimitive = ZodHelpers.createTypeGuard(Primitive);
+
+  export const Value: z.ZodType<Value> = z.lazy(() =>
+    z.union([Primitive, z.array(Value), z.record(Value)]),
+  );
+  export type Value = Primitive | { [key: string]: Value } | Value[];
+  export const isValue = ZodHelpers.createTypeGuard(Value);
+
+  export const Object: z.ZodType<Object> = z.record(Value);
+  export type Object = { [key: string]: Value };
+  export const isObject = ZodHelpers.createTypeGuard(Object);
+}
diff --git a/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/never.ts b/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/never.ts
index 1b7a40c724..d96bf4f2fe 100644
--- a/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/never.ts
+++ b/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/never.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
+/**
+ * This case of thrown value is impossible.
+ * If it happens, then that means there is a defect in our code.
+ */
+export const neverCatch = (value: unknown): never => {
+  never({ type: 'catch', value });
+};
+
 /**
  * This case is impossible.
- * If it happens, then that means there is a bug in our code.
+ * If it happens, then that means there is a defect in our code.
  */
 export const neverCase = (value: never): never => {
   never({ type: 'case', value });
@@ -8,7 +16,7 @@ export const neverCase = (value: never): never => {
 
 /**
  * This code cannot be reached.
- * If it is reached, then that means there is a bug in our code.
+ * If it is reached, then that means there is a defect in our code.
  */
 export const never: (context?: object) => never = context => {
   throw new Error('Something that should be impossible happened', { cause: context });
diff --git a/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/zod-helpers.ts b/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/zod-helpers.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fff3fe9837
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/web/app/src/lib/kit/zod-helpers.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import { z } from 'zod';
+
+// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-namespace
+export namespace ZodHelpers {
+  export const isDefaultType = (zodType: z.ZodType): zodType is z.ZodDefault<z.ZodType> => {
+    return 'defaultValue' in zodType._def;
+  };
+
+  export const createTypeGuard =
+    <$Schema extends z.ZodType, $Value = z.infer<$Schema>>(schema: $Schema) =>
+    (value: unknown): value is $Value => {
+      const result = schema.safeParse(value);
+      return result.success;
+    };
+}
diff --git a/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/graphiql-plugin.tsx b/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/graphiql-plugin.tsx
index b4eca68b72..05039ed020 100644
--- a/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/graphiql-plugin.tsx
+++ b/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/graphiql-plugin.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { clsx } from 'clsx';
 import { PowerIcon } from 'lucide-react';
 import type { editor } from 'monaco-editor';
 import { useMutation } from 'urql';
+import { z } from 'zod';
 import { Badge } from '@/components/ui/badge';
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
 import {
@@ -155,7 +156,7 @@ export function usePreflightScript(args: {
   const target = useFragment(PreflightScript_TargetFragment, args.target);
   const [isPreflightScriptEnabled, setIsPreflightScriptEnabled] = useLocalStorageJson(
     'hive:laboratory:isPreflightScriptEnabled',
-    false,
+    z.boolean().default(false),
   );
   const [environmentVariables, setEnvironmentVariables] = useLocalStorage(
     'hive:laboratory:environment',
diff --git a/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/json.ts b/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/json.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 0e472f8e02..0000000000
--- a/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/json.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-export type JSONPrimitive = boolean | null | string | number;
-export type JSONObject = { [key: string]: JSONValue };
-export type JSONValue = JSONPrimitive | JSONValue[] | JSONObject;
-
-function isJSONValue(value: unknown): value is JSONValue {
-  return (
-    (Array.isArray(value) && value.every(isJSONValue)) ||
-    isJSONObject(value) ||
-    isJSONPrimitive(value)
-  );
-}
-
-export function isJSONObject(value: unknown): value is JSONObject {
-  return (
-    typeof value === 'object' &&
-    !!value &&
-    !Array.isArray(value) &&
-    Object.values(value).every(isJSONValue)
-  );
-}
-
-export function isJSONPrimitive(value: unknown): value is JSONPrimitive {
-  return (
-    typeof value === 'boolean' ||
-    typeof value === 'number' ||
-    typeof value === 'string' ||
-    value === null
-  );
-}
diff --git a/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/preflight-script-worker.ts b/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/preflight-script-worker.ts
index 4b9d53f6e7..f5f92df8b7 100644
--- a/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/preflight-script-worker.ts
+++ b/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/preflight-script-worker.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 import CryptoJS from 'crypto-js';
 import CryptoJSPackageJson from 'crypto-js/package.json';
+import { Kit } from '../kit';
 import { ALLOWED_GLOBALS } from './allowed-globals';
-import { isJSONPrimitive, JSONPrimitive } from './json';
 import { LogMessage, WorkerEvents } from './shared-types';
 
 interface WorkerData {
   request: {
     headers: Headers;
   };
-  environmentVariables: Record<string, JSONPrimitive>;
+  environmentVariables: Record<string, Kit.Json.Primitive>;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ async function execute(args: WorkerEvents.Incoming.EventData): Promise<void> {
     };
 
   function getValidEnvVariable(value: unknown) {
-    if (isJSONPrimitive(value)) {
+    if (Kit.Json.isPrimitive(value)) {
       return value;
     }
     consoleApi.warn(
diff --git a/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/shared-types.ts b/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/shared-types.ts
index ca86490346..25d63738e8 100644
--- a/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/shared-types.ts
+++ b/packages/web/app/src/lib/preflight-sandbox/shared-types.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-namespace */
 
 import { Kit } from '../kit';
-import { JSONPrimitive } from './json';
 
 type _MessageEvent<T> = MessageEvent<T>;
 
@@ -48,7 +47,7 @@ export namespace IFrameEvents {
       export interface Result {
         type: Event.result;
         runId: string;
-        environmentVariables: Record<string, JSONPrimitive>;
+        environmentVariables: Record<string, Kit.Json.Primitive>;
         request: {
           headers: Kit.Headers.Encoded;
         };
@@ -93,7 +92,7 @@ export namespace IFrameEvents {
         type: Event.run;
         id: string;
         script: string;
-        environmentVariables: Record<string, JSONPrimitive>;
+        environmentVariables: Record<string, Kit.Json.Primitive>;
       }
 
       export interface Abort {
@@ -149,7 +148,7 @@ export namespace WorkerEvents {
 
       export interface Result {
         type: Event.result;
-        environmentVariables: Record<string, JSONPrimitive>;
+        environmentVariables: Record<string, Kit.Json.Primitive>;
         request: {
           headers: Kit.Headers.Encoded;
         };
@@ -187,7 +186,7 @@ export namespace WorkerEvents {
       export interface Run {
         type: Event.run;
         script: string;
-        environmentVariables: Record<string, JSONPrimitive>;
+        environmentVariables: Record<string, Kit.Json.Primitive>;
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/web/app/src/pages/target-laboratory.tsx b/packages/web/app/src/pages/target-laboratory.tsx
index c563202898..29ab2ccd72 100644
--- a/packages/web/app/src/pages/target-laboratory.tsx
+++ b/packages/web/app/src/pages/target-laboratory.tsx
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ import 'graphiql/style.css';
 import '@graphiql/plugin-explorer/style.css';
 import { PromptManager, PromptProvider } from '@/components/ui/prompt';
 import { useRedirect } from '@/lib/access/common';
-import { JSONPrimitive } from '@/lib/preflight-sandbox/json';
+import { Kit } from '@/lib/kit';
 
 const explorer = explorerPlugin();
 
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ function Save(props: {
 
 function substituteVariablesInHeaders(
   headers: Record<string, string>,
-  environmentVariables: Record<string, JSONPrimitive>,
+  environmentVariables: Record<string, Kit.Json.Primitive>,
 ) {
   return Object.fromEntries(
     Object.entries(headers).map(([key, value]) => {
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 809b879a47..3c7964f68c 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -3908,6 +3908,7 @@ packages:
 
   '@fastify/vite@6.0.7':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-+dRo9KUkvmbqdmBskG02SwigWl06Mwkw8SBDK1zTNH6vd4DyXbRvI7RmJEmBkLouSU81KTzy1+OzwHSffqSD6w==}
+    bundledDependencies: []
 
   '@floating-ui/core@1.2.6':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-EvYTiXet5XqweYGClEmpu3BoxmsQ4hkj3QaYA6qEnigCWffTP3vNRwBReTdrwDwo7OoJ3wM8Uoe9Uk4n+d4hfg==}