diff --git a/robocop_ng/helpers/disabled_ids.py b/robocop_ng/helpers/disabled_ids.py
index 97d6bd52..c587b512 100644
--- a/robocop_ng/helpers/disabled_ids.py
+++ b/robocop_ng/helpers/disabled_ids.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import os
 from typing import Union
 
+from robocop_ng.helpers.notifications import report_critical_error
+
 
 def get_disabled_ids_path(bot) -> str:
     return os.path.join(bot.state_dir, "data/disabled_ids.json")
@@ -22,7 +24,19 @@ def is_ro_section_valid(ro_section: dict[str, str]) -> bool:
 def get_disabled_ids(bot) -> dict[str, dict[str, Union[str, dict[str, str]]]]:
     if os.path.isfile(get_disabled_ids_path(bot)):
         with open(get_disabled_ids_path(bot), "r") as f:
-            disabled_ids = json.load(f)
+            try:
+                disabled_ids = json.load(f)
+            except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
+                content = f.read()
+                report_critical_error(
+                    bot,
+                    e,
+                    additional_info={
+                        "file": {"length": len(content), "content": content}
+                    },
+                )
+                return {}
+
         # Migration code
         if "app_id" in disabled_ids.keys():
             old_disabled_ids = disabled_ids.copy()
diff --git a/robocop_ng/helpers/macros.py b/robocop_ng/helpers/macros.py
index 7d125024..f1fc2433 100644
--- a/robocop_ng/helpers/macros.py
+++ b/robocop_ng/helpers/macros.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import os
 from typing import Optional, Union
 
+from robocop_ng.helpers.notifications import report_critical_error
+
 
 def get_macros_path(bot):
     return os.path.join(bot.state_dir, "data/macros.json")
@@ -10,7 +12,18 @@ def get_macros_path(bot):
 def get_macros_dict(bot) -> dict[str, dict[str, Union[list[str], str]]]:
     if os.path.isfile(get_macros_path(bot)):
         with open(get_macros_path(bot), "r") as f:
-            macros = json.load(f)
+            try:
+                macros = json.load(f)
+            except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
+                content = f.read()
+                report_critical_error(
+                    bot,
+                    e,
+                    additional_info={
+                        "file": {"length": len(content), "content": content}
+                    },
+                )
+                return {}
 
         # Migration code
         if "aliases" not in macros.keys():
diff --git a/robocop_ng/helpers/restrictions.py b/robocop_ng/helpers/restrictions.py
index a5bc1d43..9a229db0 100644
--- a/robocop_ng/helpers/restrictions.py
+++ b/robocop_ng/helpers/restrictions.py
@@ -1,14 +1,28 @@
 import json
 import os
 
+from robocop_ng.helpers.notifications import report_critical_error
+
 
 def get_restrictions_path(bot):
     return os.path.join(bot.state_dir, "data/restrictions.json")
 
 
 def get_restrictions(bot):
-    with open(get_restrictions_path(bot), "r") as f:
-        return json.load(f)
+    if os.path.isfile(get_restrictions_path(bot)):
+        with open(get_restrictions_path(bot), "r") as f:
+            try:
+                return json.load(f)
+            except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
+                content = f.read()
+                report_critical_error(
+                    bot,
+                    e,
+                    additional_info={
+                        "file": {"length": len(content), "content": content}
+                    },
+                )
+    return {}
 
 
 def set_restrictions(bot, contents):
@@ -18,11 +32,10 @@ def set_restrictions(bot, contents):
 
 def get_user_restrictions(bot, uid):
     uid = str(uid)
-    with open(get_restrictions_path(bot), "r") as f:
-        rsts = json.load(f)
-        if uid in rsts:
-            return rsts[uid]
-        return []
+    rsts = get_restrictions(bot)
+    if uid in rsts:
+        return rsts[uid]
+    return []
 
 
 def add_restriction(bot, uid, rst):
diff --git a/robocop_ng/helpers/robocronp.py b/robocop_ng/helpers/robocronp.py
index 938fb4e8..97334cde 100644
--- a/robocop_ng/helpers/robocronp.py
+++ b/robocop_ng/helpers/robocronp.py
@@ -2,14 +2,28 @@
 import math
 import os
 
+from robocop_ng.helpers.notifications import report_critical_error
+
 
 def get_crontab_path(bot):
     return os.path.join(bot.state_dir, "data/robocronptab.json")
 
 
 def get_crontab(bot):
-    with open(get_crontab_path(bot), "r") as f:
-        return json.load(f)
+    if os.path.isfile(get_crontab_path(bot)):
+        with open(get_crontab_path(bot), "r") as f:
+            try:
+                return json.load(f)
+            except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
+                content = f.read()
+                report_critical_error(
+                    bot,
+                    e,
+                    additional_info={
+                        "file": {"length": len(content), "content": content}
+                    },
+                )
+    return {}
 
 
 def set_crontab(bot, contents):
diff --git a/robocop_ng/helpers/roles.py b/robocop_ng/helpers/roles.py
index f6bcac1d..6c18d052 100644
--- a/robocop_ng/helpers/roles.py
+++ b/robocop_ng/helpers/roles.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import os.path
 import os
 
+from robocop_ng.helpers.notifications import report_critical_error
+
 
 def get_persistent_roles_path(bot):
     return os.path.join(bot.state_dir, "data/persistent_roles.json")
@@ -10,7 +12,17 @@ def get_persistent_roles_path(bot):
 def get_persistent_roles(bot) -> dict[str, list[str]]:
     if os.path.isfile(get_persistent_roles_path(bot)):
         with open(get_persistent_roles_path(bot), "r") as f:
-            return json.load(f)
+            try:
+                return json.load(f)
+            except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
+                content = f.read()
+                report_critical_error(
+                    bot,
+                    e,
+                    additional_info={
+                        "file": {"length": len(content), "content": content}
+                    },
+                )
     return {}
 
 
diff --git a/robocop_ng/helpers/userlogs.py b/robocop_ng/helpers/userlogs.py
index 643a1dfb..6541e498 100644
--- a/robocop_ng/helpers/userlogs.py
+++ b/robocop_ng/helpers/userlogs.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import os
 import time
 
+from robocop_ng.helpers.notifications import report_critical_error
+
 userlog_event_types = {
     "warns": "Warn",
     "bans": "Ban",
@@ -16,8 +18,20 @@ def get_userlog_path(bot):
 
 
 def get_userlog(bot):
-    with open(get_userlog_path(bot), "r") as f:
-        return json.load(f)
+    if os.path.isfile(get_userlog_path(bot)):
+        with open(get_userlog_path(bot), "r") as f:
+            try:
+                return json.load(f)
+            except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
+                content = f.read()
+                report_critical_error(
+                    bot,
+                    e,
+                    additional_info={
+                        "file": {"length": len(content), "content": content}
+                    },
+                )
+    return {}
 
 
 def set_userlog(bot, contents):