diff --git a/includes/Helpers/ManageWikiPermissions.php b/includes/Helpers/ManageWikiPermissions.php
index a7916df..255f965 100644
--- a/includes/Helpers/ManageWikiPermissions.php
+++ b/includes/Helpers/ManageWikiPermissions.php
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public function __construct( string $wiki ) {
 				'removegroups' => json_decode( $perm->perm_removegroups, true ),
 				'addself' => json_decode( $perm->perm_addgroupstoself, true ),
 				'removeself' => json_decode( $perm->perm_removegroupsfromself, true ),
-				'autopromote' => json_decode( $perm->perm_autopromote, true )
+				'autopromote' => json_decode( $perm->perm_autopromote ?? '', true )
 			];
 		}
 	}
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ public function commit() {
 						'perm_removegroups' => json_encode( $this->livePermissions[$group]['removegroups'] ),
 						'perm_addgroupstoself' => json_encode( $this->livePermissions[$group]['addself'] ),
 						'perm_removegroupsfromself' => json_encode( $this->livePermissions[$group]['removeself'] ),
-						'perm_autopromote' => $this->livePermissions[$group]['autopromote'] === null ? null : json_encode( $this->livePermissions[$group]['autopromote'] )
+						'perm_autopromote' => $this->livePermissions[$group]['autopromote'] === null ? null : json_encode( $this->livePermissions[$group]['autopromote'] ?? '' )
 					];
 
 					$this->dbw->upsert(
diff --git a/includes/Hooks.php b/includes/Hooks.php
index 400a5f7..0473257 100644
--- a/includes/Hooks.php
+++ b/includes/Hooks.php
@@ -172,16 +172,16 @@ public static function onCreateWikiJsonBuilder( string $wiki, DBConnRef $dbr, ar
 					}
 				}
 
-				$permissions = array_merge( json_decode( $perm->perm_permissions, true ) ?? [], $addPerms );
+				$permissions = array_merge( json_decode( $perm->perm_permissions ?? '', true ) ?? [], $addPerms );
 				$filteredPermissions = array_diff( $permissions, $removePerms );
 
 				$jsonArray['permissions'][$perm->perm_group] = [
 					'permissions' => $filteredPermissions,
-					'addgroups' => array_merge( json_decode( $perm->perm_addgroups, true ) ?? [], self::getConfig( 'ManageWikiPermissionsAdditionalAddGroups' )[$perm->perm_group] ?? [] ),
-					'removegroups' => array_merge( json_decode( $perm->perm_removegroups, true ) ?? [], self::getConfig( 'ManageWikiPermissionsAdditionalRemoveGroups' )[$perm->perm_group] ?? [] ),
-					'addself' => array_merge( json_decode( $perm->perm_addgroupstoself, true ) ?? [], self::getConfig( 'ManageWikiPermissionsAdditionalAddGroupsSelf' )[$perm->perm_group] ?? [] ),
-					'removeself' => array_merge( json_decode( $perm->perm_removegroupsfromself, true ) ?? [], self::getConfig( 'ManageWikiPermissionsAdditionalRemoveGroupsSelf' )[$perm->perm_group] ?? [] ),
-					'autopromote' => json_decode( $perm->perm_autopromote, true )
+					'addgroups' => array_merge( json_decode( $perm->perm_addgroups ?? '', true ) ?? [], self::getConfig( 'ManageWikiPermissionsAdditionalAddGroups' )[$perm->perm_group] ?? [] ),
+					'removegroups' => array_merge( json_decode( $perm->perm_removegroups ?? '', true ) ?? [], self::getConfig( 'ManageWikiPermissionsAdditionalRemoveGroups' )[$perm->perm_group] ?? [] ),
+					'addself' => array_merge( json_decode( $perm->perm_addgroupstoself ?? '', true ) ?? [], self::getConfig( 'ManageWikiPermissionsAdditionalAddGroupsSelf' )[$perm->perm_group] ?? [] ),
+					'removeself' => array_merge( json_decode( $perm->perm_removegroupsfromself ?? '', true ) ?? [], self::getConfig( 'ManageWikiPermissionsAdditionalRemoveGroupsSelf' )[$perm->perm_group] ?? [] ),
+					'autopromote' => json_decode( $perm->perm_autopromote ?? '', true )
 				];
 			}