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 adf62124a7..8e5987026b 100644
--- a/Emby.Server.Implementations/Plugins/PluginManager.cs
+++ b/Emby.Server.Implementations/Plugins/PluginManager.cs
@@ -526,32 +526,36 @@ namespace Emby.Server.Implementations.Plugins
             var metafile = Path.Combine(dir, "meta.json");
             if (File.Exists(metafile))
             {
+                // Only path where this stays null is when File.ReadAllBytes throws an IOException
+                byte[] data = null!;
                 try
                 {
-                    var data = File.ReadAllText(metafile, Encoding.UTF8);
+                    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 (IOException ex)
                 {
-                    _logger.LogError(ex, "Error deserializing {Path}.", dir);
+                    _logger.LogError(ex, "Error reading file {Path}.", dir);
                 }
-            }
-
-            if (manifest != null)
-            {
-                if (!Version.TryParse(manifest.TargetAbi, out var targetAbi))
+                catch (JsonException ex)
                 {
-                    targetAbi = _minimumVersion;
+                    _logger.LogError(ex, "Error deserializing {Json}.", Encoding.UTF8.GetString(data!));
                 }
 
-                if (!Version.TryParse(manifest.Version, out version))
+                if (manifest != null)
                 {
-                    manifest.Version = _minimumVersion.ToString();
-                }
+                    if (!Version.TryParse(manifest.TargetAbi, out var targetAbi))
+                    {
+                        targetAbi = _minimumVersion;
+                    }
+
+                    if (!Version.TryParse(manifest.Version, out version))
+                    {
+                        manifest.Version = _minimumVersion.ToString();
+                    }
 
-                return new LocalPlugin(dir, _appVersion >= targetAbi, manifest);
+                    return new LocalPlugin(dir, _appVersion >= targetAbi, manifest);
+                }
             }
 
             // No metafile, so lets see if the folder is versioned.
diff --git a/Emby.Server.Implementations/ScheduledTasks/ScheduledTaskWorker.cs b/Emby.Server.Implementations/ScheduledTasks/ScheduledTaskWorker.cs
index d3cf3bf3f4..b302303f88 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;