diff --git a/core/sources/civitai.py b/core/sources/civitai.py
index 2038a8d..4f18071 100644
--- a/core/sources/civitai.py
+++ b/core/sources/civitai.py
@@ -326,6 +326,64 @@ def _extract_civitai_red_candidates(html: str, limit: int = 5) -> List[Dict[str,
     return candidates
 
 
+_DEVALUE_UNDEFINED = object()
+
+
+def _decode_devalue_trpc_data(value: str) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
+    """Decode CivitAI's alternate devalue-serialized tRPC data payload."""
+    try:
+        parsed = json.loads(value)
+    except (TypeError, ValueError):
+        return None
+
+    if isinstance(parsed, dict):
+        return parsed
+    if not isinstance(parsed, list) or not parsed:
+        return None
+
+    memo: Dict[int, Any] = {}
+
+    def hydrate_reference(reference: Any) -> Any:
+        if isinstance(reference, bool) or reference is None:
+            return reference
+        if not isinstance(reference, int):
+            return reference
+        if reference < 0:
+            return _DEVALUE_UNDEFINED
+        if reference >= len(parsed):
+            return _DEVALUE_UNDEFINED
+        return hydrate_index(reference)
+
+    def hydrate_index(index: int) -> Any:
+        if index in memo:
+            return memo[index]
+
+        raw_value = parsed[index]
+        if isinstance(raw_value, dict):
+            hydrated: Any = {}
+            memo[index] = hydrated
+            for key, reference in raw_value.items():
+                resolved = hydrate_reference(reference)
+                if resolved is not _DEVALUE_UNDEFINED:
+                    hydrated[key] = resolved
+            return hydrated
+
+        if isinstance(raw_value, list):
+            hydrated = []
+            memo[index] = hydrated
+            for reference in raw_value:
+                resolved = hydrate_reference(reference)
+                if resolved is not _DEVALUE_UNDEFINED:
+                    hydrated.append(resolved)
+            return hydrated
+
+        memo[index] = raw_value
+        return raw_value
+
+    decoded = hydrate_index(0)
+    return decoded if isinstance(decoded, dict) else None
+
+
 def _extract_trpc_model_candidates(
     payload: Any, limit: int = 5
 ) -> List[Dict[str, Optional[int]]]:
@@ -333,12 +391,26 @@ def _extract_trpc_model_candidates(
     candidates: List[Dict[str, Optional[int]]] = []
     seen = set()
 
-    items = (
-        payload.get("result", {})
-        .get("data", {})
-        .get("json", {})
-        .get("items", [])
-    )
+    if not isinstance(payload, dict):
+        return candidates
+
+    result = payload.get("result")
+    if not isinstance(result, dict):
+        return candidates
+
+    data = result.get("data")
+    if isinstance(data, str):
+        data = _decode_devalue_trpc_data(data)
+    if not isinstance(data, dict):
+        return candidates
+
+    json_data = data.get("json", data)
+    if isinstance(json_data, str):
+        json_data = _decode_devalue_trpc_data(json_data)
+    if not isinstance(json_data, dict):
+        return candidates
+
+    items = json_data.get("items", [])
 
     if not isinstance(items, list):
         return candidates
diff --git a/tests/test_source_internals.py b/tests/test_source_internals.py
index 8b7de44..a514a7b 100644
--- a/tests/test_source_internals.py
+++ b/tests/test_source_internals.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ from core.sources.civitai import (
     _enrich_model_info_with_details,
     _find_matching_file_in_versions,
     _extract_public_api_model_candidates,
+    _extract_trpc_model_candidates,
     _search_civitai_public_api_candidates,
     _search_civitai_red_candidates,
     _search_civitai_trpc_candidates,
@@ -634,6 +635,66 @@ class CivitaiRedSearchTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
 class CivitaiTrpcSearchTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
+    def test_extracts_candidates_from_devalue_serialized_data(self):
+        payload = {
+            "result": {
+                "data": json.dumps(
+                    [
+                        {"items": 1, "nextCursor": -1},
+                        [2],
+                        {"id": 3, "version": 4},
+                        2725430,
+                        {"id": 5},
+                        3071760,
+                    ],
+                    separators=(",", ":"),
+                )
+            }
+        }
+
+        result = _extract_trpc_model_candidates(payload)
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            result,
+            [{"model_id": 2725430, "version_id": 3071760}],
+        )
+
+    def test_unrecognized_trpc_shapes_return_no_candidates(self):
+        payloads = [
+            None,
+            "not-an-object",
+            {"result": "not-an-object"},
+            {"result": {"data": "not-json"}},
+            {"result": {"data": {"json": "not-json"}}},
+            {"result": {"data": {"json": {"items": "not-a-list"}}}},
+        ]
+
+        for payload in payloads:
+            with self.subTest(payload=payload):
+                self.assertEqual(_extract_trpc_model_candidates(payload), [])
+
+    @patch("core.sources.civitai.requests.get")
+    def test_devalue_serialized_empty_items_does_not_abort_search(self, mock_get):
+        response = MagicMock()
+        response.status_code = 200
+        response.headers = {"content-type": "application/json"}
+        response.text = (
+            '{"result":{"data":"[{\\"items\\":1,\\"nextCursor\\":-1},[]]"}}'
+        )
+        response.json.return_value = {
+            "result": {"data": '[{"items":1,"nextCursor":-1},[]]'}
+        }
+        mock_get.return_value = response
+
+        result = _search_civitai_trpc_candidates(
+            "KNPV3_1.safetensors",
+            model_type="loras",
+            limit=5,
+        )
+
+        self.assertEqual(result, [])
+        mock_get.assert_called_once()
+
     @patch("core.sources.civitai.requests.get")
     def test_does_not_retry_without_type_filter_when_typed_search_is_empty(self, mock_get):
         empty_response = MagicMock()