diff --git a/core/resolver.py b/core/resolver.py
index 00bc723..daa9439 100644
--- a/core/resolver.py
+++ b/core/resolver.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ from .path_utils import (
     prefer_local_base_directory,
     dedupe_local_base_directories,
     get_filename_from_path,
+    read_json_safe,
 )
 
 
@@ -438,11 +439,9 @@ def search_local_matches_by_hash(
         if not metadata_path:
             continue
 
-        try:
-            with open(metadata_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as handle:
-                metadata = json.load(handle)
-        except Exception as exc:
-            log.debug(f"Could not read metadata sidecar for hash match: {metadata_path} ({exc})")
+        metadata = read_json_safe(metadata_path, None)
+        if not isinstance(metadata, dict) or not metadata:
+            log.debug(f"Could not read metadata sidecar for hash match: {metadata_path}")
             continue
 
         metadata_hashes = _extract_model_sha256_from_metadata(metadata, model)
@@ -505,14 +504,9 @@ def get_local_model_hash_metadata(
         if not first_metadata_path:
             first_metadata_path = metadata_path
 
-        try:
-            with open(metadata_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as handle:
-                metadata = json.load(handle)
-        except Exception as exc:
-            log.debug(f"Could not read metadata sidecar for local hash lookup: {metadata_path} ({exc})")
-            continue
-
-        if not isinstance(metadata, dict):
+        metadata = read_json_safe(metadata_path, None)
+        if not isinstance(metadata, dict) or not metadata:
+            log.debug(f"Could not read metadata sidecar for local hash lookup: {metadata_path}")
             continue
 
         last_hash_status = str(metadata.get("hash_status") or "").strip()
diff --git a/core/sources/civitai.py b/core/sources/civitai.py
index 10148f1..d4dfb62 100644
--- a/core/sources/civitai.py
+++ b/core/sources/civitai.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ from ..type_utils import (
     normalize_model_image,
 )
 from ..progress import report_progress, get_progress_reporter
-from ..path_utils import calculate_file_sha256, get_filename_from_path
+from ..path_utils import calculate_file_sha256, get_filename_from_path, read_json_safe
 from ..log_system import create_module_logger
 log = create_module_logger(__name__)
 
@@ -1498,17 +1498,11 @@ def _read_model_metadata(metadata_path: str) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
     Read model metadata from a JSON file.
     Returns the metadata if found and valid, None otherwise.
     """
-    if not metadata_path or not os.path.exists(metadata_path):
+    data = read_json_safe(metadata_path, None)
+    if not isinstance(data, dict):
         return None
 
     try:
-        with open(metadata_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
-            data = json.load(f)
-
-        # Validate it's a valid metadata file with CivitAI info
-        if not isinstance(data, dict):
-            return None
-
         files = _as_metadata_list(data.get("files"))
         file_hashes = [
             _as_metadata_dict(file_info).get("hashes")
@@ -1542,7 +1536,7 @@ def _read_model_metadata(metadata_path: str) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
         log.info(f"Successfully read metadata from: {metadata_path}")
         return data
     except Exception as e:
-        log.debug(f"Error reading metadata file {metadata_path}: {e}")
+        log.debug(f"Error parsing metadata file {metadata_path}: {e}")
         return None
 
 
diff --git a/core/sources/huggingface.py b/core/sources/huggingface.py
index c9fb901..c283db3 100644
--- a/core/sources/huggingface.py
+++ b/core/sources/huggingface.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from ..progress import report_progress, get_progress_reporter
 from ..log_system import create_module_logger
 log = create_module_logger(__name__)
 
-from ..path_utils import write_json_atomic, METADATA_DIR
+from ..path_utils import write_json_atomic, METADATA_DIR, read_json_safe
 from ..type_utils import check_credential_http, parse_size_header as _parse_size_header, fetch_remote_file_size
 
 HF_API_URL = "https://huggingface.co/api"
@@ -133,20 +133,13 @@ def _is_author_index_fresh(index: Optional[Dict[str, Any]]) -> bool:
 
 
 def _read_persistent_author_indexes() -> Dict[str, Any]:
-    if not os.path.exists(HF_AUTHOR_INDEX_CACHE_PATH):
-        return {"version": HF_AUTHOR_INDEX_CACHE_VERSION, "authors": {}}
-
-    try:
-        with open(HF_AUTHOR_INDEX_CACHE_PATH, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
-            data = json.load(f)
-        if data.get("version") != HF_AUTHOR_INDEX_CACHE_VERSION:
-            return {"version": HF_AUTHOR_INDEX_CACHE_VERSION, "authors": {}}
-        if not isinstance(data.get("authors"), dict):
-            data["authors"] = {}
-        return data
-    except Exception as e:
-        log.debug(f"Error reading HuggingFace author index cache: {e}")
+    default_val = {"version": HF_AUTHOR_INDEX_CACHE_VERSION, "authors": {}}
+    data = read_json_safe(HF_AUTHOR_INDEX_CACHE_PATH, default_val)
+    if not isinstance(data, dict) or data.get("version") != HF_AUTHOR_INDEX_CACHE_VERSION:
         return {"version": HF_AUTHOR_INDEX_CACHE_VERSION, "authors": {}}
+    if not isinstance(data.get("authors"), dict):
+        data["authors"] = {}
+    return data
 
 
 def _write_persistent_author_index(author: str, index: Dict[str, Any]) -> None: