diff --git a/website/src/repl/panel/PatternsTab.jsx b/website/src/repl/panel/PatternsTab.jsx
index 8c66d2ea..cce1275d 100644
--- a/website/src/repl/panel/PatternsTab.jsx
+++ b/website/src/repl/panel/PatternsTab.jsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
 import { useMemo } from 'react';
 import { getMetadata } from '../../metadata_parser';
 import { useExamplePatterns } from '../useExamplePatterns';
+import { parseJSON } from '../util.mjs';
 
 function classNames(...classes) {
   return classes.filter(Boolean).join(' ');
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ function PatternButton({ showOutline, onClick, pattern, showHiglight }) {
 
 function PatternButtons({ patterns, activePattern, onClick, started }) {
   const viewingPatternStore = useViewingPatternData();
-  const viewingPatternData = JSON.parse(viewingPatternStore);
+  const viewingPatternData = parseJSON(viewingPatternStore);
   const viewingPatternID = viewingPatternData.id;
   return (
     <div className="font-mono text-sm">
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ function ActionButton({ children, onClick, label, labelIsHidden }) {
 export function PatternsTab({ context }) {
   const activePattern = useActivePattern();
   const viewingPatternStore = useViewingPatternData();
-  const viewingPatternData = JSON.parse(viewingPatternStore);
+  const viewingPatternData = parseJSON(viewingPatternStore);
 
   const { userPatterns } = useSettings();
   const examplePatterns = useExamplePatterns();
@@ -164,7 +165,7 @@ export function PatternsTab({ context }) {
             <h2 className="text-xl mb-2">{collection}</h2>
             <div className="font-mono text-sm">
               <PatternButtons
-                onClick={(id) => updateCodeWindow({ ...patterns[id], collection }, true)}
+                onClick={(id) => updateCodeWindow({ ...patterns[id], collection }, false)}
                 started={context.started}
                 patterns={patterns}
                 activePattern={activePattern}
diff --git a/website/src/repl/util.mjs b/website/src/repl/util.mjs
index 6d9e3087..65fdb4cf 100644
--- a/website/src/repl/util.mjs
+++ b/website/src/repl/util.mjs
@@ -52,6 +52,15 @@ export async function initCode() {
   }
 }
 
+export const parseJSON = (json) => {
+  json = json != null && json.length ? json : '{}';
+  try {
+    return JSON.parse(json);
+  } catch {
+    return '{}';
+  }
+};
+
 export function getRandomTune() {
   const allTunes = Object.entries(stockPatterns);
   const randomItem = (arr) => arr[Math.floor(Math.random() * arr.length)];
diff --git a/website/src/user_pattern_utils.mjs b/website/src/user_pattern_utils.mjs
index 7509e498..6d5c4e3e 100644
--- a/website/src/user_pattern_utils.mjs
+++ b/website/src/user_pattern_utils.mjs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { useStore } from '@nanostores/react';
 import { logger } from '@strudel/core';
 import { nanoid } from 'nanoid';
 import { settingsMap } from './settings.mjs';
-import { supabase } from './repl/util.mjs';
+import { parseJSON, supabase } from './repl/util.mjs';
 
 export let $publicPatterns = atom([]);
 export let $featuredPatterns = atom([]);
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export let $viewingPatternData = persistentAtom(
 );
 
 export const getViewingPatternData = () => {
-  return JSON.parse($viewingPatternData.get());
+  return parseJSON($viewingPatternData.get());
 };
 export const useViewingPatternData = () => {
   return useStore($viewingPatternData);
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ const defaultCode = '';
 export const userPattern = {
   collection: collectionName.user,
   getAll() {
-    const patterns = JSON.parse(settingsMap.get().userPatterns);
+    const patterns = parseJSON(settingsMap.get().userPatterns);
     return patterns ?? {};
   },
   getPatternData(id) {
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ export async function importPatterns(fileList) {
       const content = await file.text();
       if (file.type === 'application/json') {
         const userPatterns = userPattern.getAll();
-        setUserPatterns({ ...userPatterns, ...JSON.parse(content) });
+        setUserPatterns({ ...userPatterns, ...parseJSON(content) });
       } else if (file.type === 'text/plain') {
         const id = file.name.replace(/\.[^/.]+$/, '');
         userPattern.update(id, { code: content });