diff --git a/launcher/Application.cpp b/launcher/Application.cpp
index 3084caca8..1a7f2d9d3 100644
--- a/launcher/Application.cpp
+++ b/launcher/Application.cpp
@@ -816,7 +816,7 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv) : QApplication(argc, argv)
         m_settings->registerSetting("TPDownloadGeometry", "");
         m_settings->registerSetting("ShaderDownloadGeometry", "");
 
-        m_settings->registerSetting("UI/FolderResourceColumnVisibility", QVariantMap{});
+        m_settings->registerSetting("UI/FolderResourceColumnVisibility", "{}");
 
         // HACK: This code feels so stupid is there a less stupid way of doing this?
         {
@@ -855,7 +855,7 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv) : QApplication(argc, argv)
         m_settings->registerSetting("CloseAfterLaunch", false);
         m_settings->registerSetting("QuitAfterGameStop", false);
 
-        m_settings->registerSetting("Env", QVariant(QMap<QString, QVariant>()));
+        m_settings->registerSetting("Env", "{}");
 
         // Custom Microsoft Authentication Client ID
         m_settings->registerSetting("MSAClientIDOverride", "");
diff --git a/launcher/BaseInstance.cpp b/launcher/BaseInstance.cpp
index 096052a45..f4bc7e30b 100644
--- a/launcher/BaseInstance.cpp
+++ b/launcher/BaseInstance.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include <QJsonObject>
 
 #include "Application.h"
+#include "Json.h"
 #include "settings/INISettingsObject.h"
 #include "settings/OverrideSetting.h"
 #include "settings/Setting.h"
@@ -202,25 +203,25 @@ bool BaseInstance::shouldStopOnConsoleOverflow() const
 
 QStringList BaseInstance::getLinkedInstances() const
 {
-    return m_settings->get("linkedInstances").toStringList();
+    auto setting = m_settings->get("linkedInstances").toString();
+    return Json::toStringList(setting);
 }
 
 void BaseInstance::setLinkedInstances(const QStringList& list)
 {
-    auto linkedInstances = m_settings->get("linkedInstances").toStringList();
-    m_settings->set("linkedInstances", list);
+    m_settings->set("linkedInstances", Json::fromStringList(list));
 }
 
 void BaseInstance::addLinkedInstanceId(const QString& id)
 {
-    auto linkedInstances = m_settings->get("linkedInstances").toStringList();
+    auto linkedInstances = getLinkedInstances();
     linkedInstances.append(id);
     setLinkedInstances(linkedInstances);
 }
 
 bool BaseInstance::removeLinkedInstanceId(const QString& id)
 {
-    auto linkedInstances = m_settings->get("linkedInstances").toStringList();
+    auto linkedInstances = getLinkedInstances();
     int numRemoved = linkedInstances.removeAll(id);
     setLinkedInstances(linkedInstances);
     return numRemoved > 0;
@@ -228,7 +229,7 @@ bool BaseInstance::removeLinkedInstanceId(const QString& id)
 
 bool BaseInstance::isLinkedToInstanceId(const QString& id) const
 {
-    auto linkedInstances = m_settings->get("linkedInstances").toStringList();
+    auto linkedInstances = getLinkedInstances();
     return linkedInstances.contains(id);
 }
 
diff --git a/launcher/Json.cpp b/launcher/Json.cpp
index 8623eb2a8..8eedb9b05 100644
--- a/launcher/Json.cpp
+++ b/launcher/Json.cpp
@@ -304,4 +304,23 @@ QString fromStringList(const QStringList& list)
     return QString::fromUtf8(doc.toJson(QJsonDocument::Compact));
 }
 
+QVariantMap toMap(const QString& jsonString)
+{
+    QJsonParseError parseError;
+    QJsonDocument doc = QJsonDocument::fromJson(jsonString.toUtf8(), &parseError);
+
+    if (parseError.error != QJsonParseError::NoError || !doc.isObject())
+        return {};
+
+    QJsonObject obj = doc.object();
+    return obj.toVariantMap();
+}
+
+QString fromMap(const QVariantMap& map)
+{
+    QJsonObject obj = QJsonObject::fromVariantMap(map);
+    QJsonDocument doc(obj);
+    return QString::fromUtf8(doc.toJson(QJsonDocument::Compact));
+}
+
 }  // namespace Json
diff --git a/launcher/Json.h b/launcher/Json.h
index 509a41fd5..e51c737c2 100644
--- a/launcher/Json.h
+++ b/launcher/Json.h
@@ -282,5 +282,8 @@ JSON_HELPERFUNCTIONS(Variant, QVariant)
 QStringList toStringList(const QString& jsonString);
 QString fromStringList(const QStringList& list);
 
+QVariantMap toMap(const QString& jsonString);
+QString fromMap(const QVariantMap& map);
+
 }  // namespace Json
 using JSONValidationError = Json::JsonException;
diff --git a/launcher/minecraft/MinecraftInstance.cpp b/launcher/minecraft/MinecraftInstance.cpp
index ed8ed398d..6df86bbed 100644
--- a/launcher/minecraft/MinecraftInstance.cpp
+++ b/launcher/minecraft/MinecraftInstance.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "MinecraftInstance.h"
 #include "Application.h"
 #include "BuildConfig.h"
+#include "Json.h"
 #include "QObjectPtr.h"
 #include "minecraft/launch/AutoInstallJava.h"
 #include "minecraft/launch/CreateGameFolders.h"
@@ -232,7 +233,7 @@ void MinecraftInstance::loadSpecificSettings()
         m_settings->registerOverride(global_settings->getSetting("Env"), envSetting);
 
         m_settings->registerSetting("UI/ColumnsOverride", false);
-        m_settings->registerSetting("UI/FolderResourceColumnVisibility", QVariantMap{});
+        m_settings->registerSetting("UI/FolderResourceColumnVisibility", "{}");
 
         m_settings->set("InstanceType", "OneSix");
     }
@@ -623,7 +624,8 @@ QProcessEnvironment MinecraftInstance::createEnvironment()
     }
     // custom env
 
-    auto insertEnv = [&env](QMap<QString, QVariant> envMap) {
+    auto insertEnv = [&env](QString value) {
+        auto envMap = Json::toMap(value);
         if (envMap.isEmpty())
             return;
 
@@ -634,9 +636,9 @@ QProcessEnvironment MinecraftInstance::createEnvironment()
     bool overrideEnv = settings()->get("OverrideEnv").toBool();
 
     if (!overrideEnv)
-        insertEnv(APPLICATION->settings()->get("Env").toMap());
+        insertEnv(APPLICATION->settings()->get("Env").toString());
     else
-        insertEnv(settings()->get("Env").toMap());
+        insertEnv(settings()->get("Env").toString());
     return env;
 }
 
diff --git a/launcher/minecraft/mod/ResourceFolderModel.cpp b/launcher/minecraft/mod/ResourceFolderModel.cpp
index 183367b8b..7b745b46f 100644
--- a/launcher/minecraft/mod/ResourceFolderModel.cpp
+++ b/launcher/minecraft/mod/ResourceFolderModel.cpp
@@ -597,14 +597,14 @@ void ResourceFolderModel::saveColumns(QTreeView* tree)
     if (!settings->get("UI/ColumnsOverride").toBool()) {
         settings = APPLICATION->settings();
     }
-    auto visibility = settings->get("UI/FolderResourceColumnVisibility").toMap();
+    auto visibility = Json::toMap(settings->get("UI/FolderResourceColumnVisibility").toString());
     for (auto i = 0; i < m_column_names.size(); ++i) {
         if (m_columnsHideable[i]) {
             auto name = m_column_names[i];
             visibility[name] = !tree->isColumnHidden(i);
         }
     }
-    settings->set("UI/FolderResourceColumnVisibility", visibility);
+    settings->set("UI/FolderResourceColumnVisibility", Json::fromMap(visibility));
 }
 
 void ResourceFolderModel::loadColumns(QTreeView* tree)
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ void ResourceFolderModel::loadColumns(QTreeView* tree)
     tree->header()->restoreState(QByteArray::fromBase64(setting->get().toString().toUtf8()));
 
     auto setVisible = [this, tree](QVariant value) {
-        auto visibility = value.toMap();
+        auto visibility = Json::toMap(value.toString());
         for (auto i = 0; i < m_column_names.size(); ++i) {
             if (m_columnsHideable[i]) {
                 auto name = m_column_names[i];
@@ -630,13 +630,13 @@ void ResourceFolderModel::loadColumns(QTreeView* tree)
         settings = APPLICATION->settings();
     }
     auto visibility = settings->getSetting("UI/FolderResourceColumnVisibility");
-    setVisible(visibility->get().toMap());
+    setVisible(visibility->get());
 
     // allways connect the signal in case the setting is toggled on and off
     auto gSetting = APPLICATION->settings()->getOrRegisterSetting("UI/FolderResourceColumnVisibility");
     connect(gSetting.get(), &Setting::SettingChanged, tree, [this, setVisible](const Setting&, QVariant value) {
         if (!m_instance->settings()->get("UI/ColumnsOverride").toBool()) {
-            setVisible(value.toMap());
+            setVisible(value);
         }
     });
 }
diff --git a/launcher/settings/INIFile.cpp b/launcher/settings/INIFile.cpp
index 8403642fa..75e888938 100644
--- a/launcher/settings/INIFile.cpp
+++ b/launcher/settings/INIFile.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include <QTextStream>
 
 #include <QSettings>
+#include "Json.h"
 
 INIFile::INIFile() {}
 
@@ -151,16 +152,22 @@ bool parseOldFileFormat(QIODevice& device, QSettings::SettingsMap& map)
 
 QVariant migrateQByteArrayToBase64(QString key, QVariant value)
 {
-    if (key.startsWith("WideBarVisibility_") || (key.startsWith("UI/") && key.endsWith("_Page/Columns"))) {
-        return QString::fromUtf8(value.toByteArray().toBase64());
-    }
     static const QStringList otherByteArrays = { "MainWindowState",       "MainWindowGeometry", "ConsoleWindowState",
                                                  "ConsoleWindowGeometry", "PagedGeometry",      "NewInstanceGeometry",
                                                  "ModDownloadGeometry",   "RPDownloadGeometry", "TPDownloadGeometry",
                                                  "ShaderDownloadGeometry" };
+    if (key.startsWith("WideBarVisibility_") || (key.startsWith("UI/") && key.endsWith("_Page/Columns"))) {
+        return QString::fromUtf8(value.toByteArray().toBase64());
+    }
     if (otherByteArrays.contains(key)) {
         return QString::fromUtf8(value.toByteArray());
     }
+    if (key == "linkedInstances") {
+        return Json::fromStringList(value.toStringList());
+    }
+    if (key == "Env") {
+        return Json::fromMap(value.toMap());
+    }
     return value;
 }
 
diff --git a/launcher/ui/widgets/MinecraftSettingsWidget.cpp b/launcher/ui/widgets/MinecraftSettingsWidget.cpp
index 610dc143b..8ec5640c3 100644
--- a/launcher/ui/widgets/MinecraftSettingsWidget.cpp
+++ b/launcher/ui/widgets/MinecraftSettingsWidget.cpp
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ void MinecraftSettingsWidget::loadSettings()
 
     // Environment variables
     m_ui->environmentVariables->initialize(m_instance != nullptr, m_instance == nullptr || settings->get("OverrideEnv").toBool(),
-                                           settings->get("Env").toMap());
+                                           Json::toMap(settings->get("Env").toString()));
 
     // Legacy Tweaks
     m_ui->legacySettingsGroupBox->setChecked(m_instance == nullptr || settings->get("OverrideLegacySettings").toBool());
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ void MinecraftSettingsWidget::saveSettings()
             settings->set("OverrideEnv", env);
 
         if (env)
-            settings->set("Env", m_ui->environmentVariables->value());
+            settings->set("Env", Json::fromMap(m_ui->environmentVariables->value()));
         else
             settings->reset("Env");