diff --git a/code/modules/client/preferences_savefile.dm b/code/modules/client/preferences_savefile.dm
index dfa58209de..5856a7b6e1 100644
--- a/code/modules/client/preferences_savefile.dm
+++ b/code/modules/client/preferences_savefile.dm
@@ -514,8 +514,12 @@ SAVEFILE UPDATING/VERSIONING - 'Simplified', or rather, more coder-friendly ~Car
 	S["scars3"]							>> scars_list["3"]
 	S["scars4"]							>> scars_list["4"]
 	S["scars5"]							>> scars_list["5"]
-	if(length(S["modified_limbs"]))
-		safe_json_decode(S["modified_limbs"])					>> modified_limbs
+	var/limbmodstr
+	S["modified_limbs"] >> limbmodstr
+	if(length(limbmodstr))
+		modified_limbs = safe_json_decode(limbmodstr)
+	else
+		modified_limbs = list()
 	S["chosen_limb_id"]					>> chosen_limb_id
 	S["hide_ckey"]						>> hide_ckey //saved per-character
 
@@ -874,7 +878,7 @@ SAVEFILE UPDATING/VERSIONING - 'Simplified', or rather, more coder-friendly ~Car
 	WRITE_FILE(S["scars3"]						, scars_list["3"])
 	WRITE_FILE(S["scars4"]						, scars_list["4"])
 	WRITE_FILE(S["scars5"]						, scars_list["5"])
-	if(length(modified_limbs))
+	if(islist(modified_limbs))
 		WRITE_FILE(S["modified_limbs"]				, safe_json_encode(modified_limbs))
 	WRITE_FILE(S["chosen_limb_id"],   chosen_limb_id)