diff --git a/Emby.Server.Implementations/Channels/ChannelManager.cs b/Emby.Server.Implementations/Channels/ChannelManager.cs
index 2d5b19fa69..8c5fa09f69 100644
--- a/Emby.Server.Implementations/Channels/ChannelManager.cs
+++ b/Emby.Server.Implementations/Channels/ChannelManager.cs
@@ -336,19 +336,19 @@ namespace Emby.Server.Implementations.Channels
             return GetChannel(GetInternalChannelId(channel.Name)) ?? GetChannel(channel, CancellationToken.None).Result;
         }
 
-        private List<MediaSourceInfo> GetSavedMediaSources(BaseItem item)
+        private MediaSourceInfo[] GetSavedMediaSources(BaseItem item)
         {
             var path = Path.Combine(item.GetInternalMetadataPath(), "channelmediasourceinfos.json");
 
             try
             {
-                var jsonString = File.ReadAllText(path, Encoding.UTF8);
-                return JsonSerializer.Deserialize<List<MediaSourceInfo>>(jsonString, _jsonOptions)
-                    ?? new List<MediaSourceInfo>();
+                var bytes = File.ReadAllBytes(path);
+                return JsonSerializer.Deserialize<MediaSourceInfo[]>(bytes, _jsonOptions)
+                    ?? Array.Empty<MediaSourceInfo>();
             }
             catch
             {
-                return new List<MediaSourceInfo>();
+                return Array.Empty<MediaSourceInfo>();
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/Emby.Server.Implementations/LiveTv/EmbyTV/ItemDataProvider.cs b/Emby.Server.Implementations/LiveTv/EmbyTV/ItemDataProvider.cs
index c80ecd6b3c..57424f0435 100644
--- a/Emby.Server.Implementations/LiveTv/EmbyTV/ItemDataProvider.cs
+++ b/Emby.Server.Implementations/LiveTv/EmbyTV/ItemDataProvider.cs
@@ -47,11 +47,11 @@ namespace Emby.Server.Implementations.LiveTv.EmbyTV
 
                 try
                 {
-                    var jsonString = File.ReadAllText(_dataPath, Encoding.UTF8);
-                    _items = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<T[]>(jsonString, _jsonOptions);
+                    var bytes = File.ReadAllBytes(_dataPath);
+                    _items = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<T[]>(bytes, _jsonOptions);
                     return;
                 }
-                catch (Exception ex)
+                catch (JsonException ex)
                 {
                     Logger.LogError(ex, "Error deserializing {Path}", _dataPath);
                 }
diff --git a/Emby.Server.Implementations/Plugins/PluginManager.cs b/Emby.Server.Implementations/Plugins/PluginManager.cs
index 1ab01252d0..e7fcc1f585 100644
--- a/Emby.Server.Implementations/Plugins/PluginManager.cs
+++ b/Emby.Server.Implementations/Plugins/PluginManager.cs
@@ -514,12 +514,10 @@ namespace Emby.Server.Implementations.Plugins
             {
                 try
                 {
-                    var data = File.ReadAllText(metafile, Encoding.UTF8);
+                    var data = File.ReadAllBytes(metafile);
                     manifest = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<PluginManifest>(data, _jsonOptions);
                 }
-#pragma warning disable CA1031 // Do not catch general exception types
-                catch (Exception ex)
-#pragma warning restore CA1031 // Do not catch general exception types
+                catch (JsonException ex)
                 {
                     _logger.LogError(ex, "Error deserializing {Path}.", dir);
                 }
diff --git a/Emby.Server.Implementations/ScheduledTasks/ScheduledTaskWorker.cs b/Emby.Server.Implementations/ScheduledTasks/ScheduledTaskWorker.cs
index 29440b64a0..1d93b63a87 100644
--- a/Emby.Server.Implementations/ScheduledTasks/ScheduledTaskWorker.cs
+++ b/Emby.Server.Implementations/ScheduledTasks/ScheduledTaskWorker.cs
@@ -143,21 +143,21 @@ namespace Emby.Server.Implementations.ScheduledTasks
                     {
                         if (File.Exists(path))
                         {
-                            try
+                            var bytes = File.ReadAllBytes(path);
+                            if (bytes.Length > 0)
                             {
-                                var jsonString = File.ReadAllText(path, Encoding.UTF8);
-                                if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(jsonString))
+                                try
                                 {
-                                    _lastExecutionResult = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<TaskResult>(jsonString, _jsonOptions);
+                                    _lastExecutionResult = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<TaskResult>(bytes, _jsonOptions);
                                 }
-                                else
+                                catch (JsonException ex)
                                 {
-                                    _logger.LogDebug("Scheduled Task history file {Path} is empty. Skipping deserialization.", path);
+                                    _logger.LogError(ex, "Error deserializing {File}", path);
                                 }
                             }
-                            catch (Exception ex)
+                            else
                             {
-                                _logger.LogError(ex, "Error deserializing {File}", path);
+                                _logger.LogDebug("Scheduled Task history file {Path} is empty. Skipping deserialization.", path);
                             }
                         }
 
@@ -541,8 +541,8 @@ namespace Emby.Server.Implementations.ScheduledTasks
             TaskTriggerInfo[] list = null;
             if (File.Exists(path))
             {
-                var jsonString = File.ReadAllText(path, Encoding.UTF8);
-                list = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<TaskTriggerInfo[]>(jsonString, _jsonOptions);
+                var bytes = File.ReadAllBytes(path);
+                list = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<TaskTriggerInfo[]>(bytes, _jsonOptions);
             }
 
             // Return defaults if file doesn't exist.
diff --git a/Jellyfin.Server/Migrations/Routines/MigrateDisplayPreferencesDb.cs b/Jellyfin.Server/Migrations/Routines/MigrateDisplayPreferencesDb.cs
index f4040748d7..07829c6969 100644
--- a/Jellyfin.Server/Migrations/Routines/MigrateDisplayPreferencesDb.cs
+++ b/Jellyfin.Server/Migrations/Routines/MigrateDisplayPreferencesDb.cs
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Server.Migrations.Routines
                 var results = connection.Query("SELECT * FROM userdisplaypreferences");
                 foreach (var result in results)
                 {
-                    var dto = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<DisplayPreferencesDto>(result[3].ToString(), _jsonOptions);
+                    var dto = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<DisplayPreferencesDto>(result[3].ToBlob(), _jsonOptions);
                     if (dto == null)
                     {
                         continue;