diff --git a/src/queries/ChoreQueries.jsx b/src/queries/ChoreQueries.jsx
index fff13b8..61d567e 100644
--- a/src/queries/ChoreQueries.jsx
+++ b/src/queries/ChoreQueries.jsx
@@ -76,15 +76,20 @@ export const useChores = (includeArchive = false) => {
     refetchOnWindowFocus: true,
     queryFn: async () => {
       if (isOfflineFeatureEnabled()) {
-        // Sync from server first (no-op if already syncing or offline)
-        if (networkManager.isOnline) {
-          await syncEngine.sync()
-        }
-        const cursor = await offlineDB.getSyncCursor()
-        if (cursor > 0) {
-          const cached = await offlineDB.getChores(includeArchive)
-          const merged = await mergePendingCreates(cached || [])
-          return { res: merged }
+        try {
+          // Sync from server first (no-op if already syncing or offline)
+          if (networkManager.isOnline) {
+            await syncEngine.sync()
+          }
+          const cursor = await offlineDB.getSyncCursor()
+          if (cursor > 0) {
+            const cached = await offlineDB.getChores(includeArchive)
+            const merged = await mergePendingCreates(cached || [])
+            return { res: merged }
+          }
+        } catch (err) {
+          // A broken cache must not brick the app — fall through to the API
+          console.error('Offline cache read failed, falling back to API', err)
         }
       }
 
diff --git a/src/utils/CommandQueue.js b/src/utils/CommandQueue.js
index f9f8794..44df434 100644
--- a/src/utils/CommandQueue.js
+++ b/src/utils/CommandQueue.js
@@ -17,6 +17,17 @@ export const CommandType = {
   UNARCHIVE_CHORE: 'unarchive_chore',
 }
 
+// Parse a stored command payload; a corrupt payload must not take down every
+// consumer of the queue, so parse failures surface as null payloads.
+const parsePayload = command => {
+  try {
+    return { ...command, payload: JSON.parse(command.payload) }
+  } catch {
+    console.warn('Skipping corrupt command payload', command.id)
+    return null
+  }
+}
+
 class CommandQueue {
   _sanitizeCreatePayload(payload = {}) {
     const sanitized = { ...payload }
@@ -77,7 +88,8 @@ class CommandQueue {
     const commands = await offlineDB.getCommands()
     return commands
       .filter(c => c.status === 'pending' || c.status === 'syncing')
-      .map(c => ({ ...c, payload: JSON.parse(c.payload) }))
+      .map(parsePayload)
+      .filter(Boolean)
   }
 
   // Get all failed commands
@@ -86,7 +98,8 @@ class CommandQueue {
     const commands = await offlineDB.getCommands()
     return commands
       .filter(c => c.status === 'failed')
-      .map(c => ({ ...c, payload: JSON.parse(c.payload) }))
+      .map(parsePayload)
+      .filter(Boolean)
   }
 
   // Get pending commands for a specific entity (for undo/UI)
@@ -103,7 +116,8 @@ class CommandQueue {
       .sort((a, b) => a.createdAt - b.createdAt)
     return commands
       .filter(c => c.status === 'pending' || c.status === 'syncing')
-      .map(c => ({ ...c, payload: JSON.parse(c.payload) }))
+      .map(parsePayload)
+      .filter(Boolean)
   }
 
   // Cancel/undo a pending command
diff --git a/src/utils/OfflineDB.js b/src/utils/OfflineDB.js
index 24b8b68..39b511a 100644
--- a/src/utils/OfflineDB.js
+++ b/src/utils/OfflineDB.js
@@ -20,6 +20,29 @@ const isNative = () => {
   return _isNative
 }
 
+// The raw CapacitorSQLite query API prepends a metadata row on iOS
+// (e.g. { ios_columns: ["data"] }). The plugin's SQLiteDBConnection wrapper
+// strips it, but we call the plugin directly, so filter it here — otherwise
+// the metadata row reaches JSON.parse(undefined) and crashes offline reads.
+const queryRows = result =>
+  (result?.values || []).filter(
+    row => row && typeof row === 'object' && !('ios_columns' in row),
+  )
+
+// Parse a JSON column across rows, skipping corrupt rows instead of letting
+// one bad row take down the whole offline cache.
+const parseJsonRows = (result, column) => {
+  const parsed = []
+  for (const row of queryRows(result)) {
+    try {
+      parsed.push(JSON.parse(row[column]))
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.warn('Skipping corrupt offline cache row', err)
+    }
+  }
+  return parsed
+}
+
 // ── SQLite backend (iOS/Android) ──
 
 class SQLiteBackend {
@@ -125,7 +148,7 @@ class SQLiteBackend {
       statement: 'SELECT data FROM cached_chores',
       values: [],
     })
-    const chores = (result.values || []).map(row => JSON.parse(row.data))
+    const chores = parseJsonRows(result, 'data')
     if (includeArchive) {
       return chores
     }
@@ -139,10 +162,7 @@ class SQLiteBackend {
       statement: 'SELECT data FROM cached_chores WHERE id = ?',
       values: [isNaN(numericId) ? id : numericId],
     })
-    if (result.values && result.values.length > 0) {
-      return JSON.parse(result.values[0].data)
-    }
-    return null
+    return parseJsonRows(result, 'data')[0] ?? null
   }
 
   async deleteChores(ids) {
@@ -216,7 +236,7 @@ class SQLiteBackend {
         'SELECT data FROM cached_history WHERE chore_id = ? ORDER BY performed_at DESC',
       values: [Number(choreId)],
     })
-    return (result.values || []).map(row => JSON.parse(row.data))
+    return parseJsonRows(result, 'data')
   }
 
   async getHistoryByDays(days) {
@@ -229,7 +249,7 @@ class SQLiteBackend {
           : 'SELECT data FROM cached_history WHERE performed_at >= ? ORDER BY performed_at DESC',
       values: since === 0 ? [] : [since],
     })
-    return (result.values || []).map(row => JSON.parse(row.data))
+    return parseJsonRows(result, 'data')
   }
 
   async deleteHistory(ids) {
@@ -248,10 +268,16 @@ class SQLiteBackend {
       values: [historyId],
     })
 
-    if (!existing.values?.length) return
+    const existingRows = queryRows(existing)
+    if (!existingRows.length) return
 
-    const row = existing.values[0]
-    const current = JSON.parse(row.data)
+    const row = existingRows[0]
+    let current
+    try {
+      current = JSON.parse(row.data)
+    } catch {
+      return
+    }
     const merged = {
       ...current,
       ...updates,
@@ -314,7 +340,7 @@ class SQLiteBackend {
       statement: 'SELECT * FROM command_queue ORDER BY created_at ASC',
       values: [],
     })
-    return (result.values || []).map(row => ({
+    return queryRows(result).map(row => ({
       id: row.id,
       commandType: row.command_type,
       entityId: row.entity_id,
@@ -332,7 +358,7 @@ class SQLiteBackend {
         'SELECT * FROM command_queue WHERE entity_id = ? ORDER BY created_at ASC',
       values: [entityId],
     })
-    return (result.values || []).map(row => ({
+    return queryRows(result).map(row => ({
       id: row.id,
       commandType: row.command_type,
       entityId: row.entity_id,
@@ -358,9 +384,10 @@ class SQLiteBackend {
       values: [id],
     })
 
-    if (!result.values?.length) return
+    const resultRows = queryRows(result)
+    if (!resultRows.length) return
 
-    const row = result.values[0]
+    const row = resultRows[0]
     await CapacitorSQLite.run({
       database: DB_NAME,
       statement: `UPDATE command_queue
@@ -403,8 +430,10 @@ class SQLiteBackend {
       statement: "SELECT value FROM sync_meta WHERE key = 'sync_cursor'",
       values: [],
     })
-    if (result.values && result.values.length > 0) {
-      return Number(result.values[0].value)
+    const rows = queryRows(result)
+    if (rows.length > 0) {
+      const cursor = Number(rows[0].value)
+      return Number.isFinite(cursor) ? cursor : 0
     }
     return 0
   }
@@ -424,8 +453,10 @@ class SQLiteBackend {
       statement: "SELECT value FROM sync_meta WHERE key = 'last_sync_time'",
       values: [],
     })
-    if (result.values && result.values.length > 0) {
-      return Number(result.values[0].value)
+    const rows = queryRows(result)
+    if (rows.length > 0) {
+      const time = Number(rows[0].value)
+      return Number.isFinite(time) ? time : null
     }
     return null
   }
@@ -453,9 +484,10 @@ class SQLiteBackend {
       statement: 'SELECT value FROM sync_meta WHERE key = ?',
       values: [key],
     })
-    if (result.values && result.values.length > 0) {
+    const rows = queryRows(result)
+    if (rows.length > 0) {
       try {
-        return JSON.parse(result.values[0].value)
+        return JSON.parse(rows[0].value)
       } catch {
         return null
       }