diff --git a/src/translations.js b/src/translations.js
index c74446d55..5b23f1c92 100644
--- a/src/translations.js
+++ b/src/translations.js
@@ -49,15 +49,17 @@ function translate(input, assets) {
 }
 
 async function getTranslations() {
-    const fallback = safe.JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(paths.TRANSLATIONS_DIR, 'en.json'), 'utf8'));
-    if (!fallback) debug(`getTranslations: Fallback language en not found. ${safe.error.message}`);
+    const fallbackData = fs.readFileSync(path.join(paths.TRANSLATIONS_DIR, 'en.json'), 'utf8');
+    if (!fallbackData) debug(`getTranslations: Fallback language en not found. ${safe.error.message}`);
+    const fallback = safe.JSON.parse(fallbackData) || {};
 
     const lang = await cloudron.getLanguage();
 
-    const translations = safe.JSON.parse(safe.fs.readFileSync(path.join(paths.TRANSLATIONS_DIR, `${lang}.json`), 'utf8'));
-    if (!translations) debug(`getTranslations: Requested language ${lang} not found. ${safe.error.message}`);
+    const translationData = safe.fs.readFileSync(path.join(paths.TRANSLATIONS_DIR, `${lang}.json`), 'utf8');
+    if (!translationData) debug(`getTranslations: Requested language ${lang} not found. ${safe.error.message}`);
+    const translations = safe.JSON.parse(translationData) || {};
 
-    return { translations: translations || {}, fallback: fallback || {} };
+    return { translations, fallback };
 }
 
 async function listLanguages() {