diff --git a/extensions/intellij/src/main/kotlin/com/github/continuedev/continueintellijextension/continue/CoreMessenger.kt b/extensions/intellij/src/main/kotlin/com/github/continuedev/continueintellijextension/continue/CoreMessenger.kt
index 8ccb078380..1c0ab242a1 100644
--- a/extensions/intellij/src/main/kotlin/com/github/continuedev/continueintellijextension/continue/CoreMessenger.kt
+++ b/extensions/intellij/src/main/kotlin/com/github/continuedev/continueintellijextension/continue/CoreMessenger.kt
@@ -7,9 +7,11 @@ import com.github.continuedev.continueintellijextension.`continue`.process.Conti
 import com.github.continuedev.continueintellijextension.services.ContinuePluginService
 import com.github.continuedev.continueintellijextension.utils.uuid
 import com.google.gson.Gson
+import com.google.gson.JsonSyntaxException
 import com.intellij.openapi.components.service
+import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.Logger
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project
-import kotlinx.coroutines.*
+import kotlinx.coroutines.CoroutineScope
 
 class CoreMessenger(
     private val project: Project,
@@ -20,6 +22,7 @@ class CoreMessenger(
     private val gson = Gson()
     private val responseListeners = mutableMapOf<String, (Any?) -> Unit>()
     private val process = startContinueProcess()
+    private val log = Logger.getInstance(CoreMessenger::class.java)
 
     fun request(messageType: String, data: Any?, messageId: String?, onResponse: (Any?) -> Unit) {
         val id = messageId ?: uuid()
@@ -38,13 +41,13 @@ class CoreMessenger(
     }
 
     private fun handleMessage(json: String) {
-        val responseMap = gson.fromJson(json, Map::class.java)
+        val responseMap = tryToParse(json) ?: return
         val messageId = responseMap["messageId"].toString()
         val messageType = responseMap["messageType"].toString()
         val data = responseMap["data"]
 
         // IDE listeners
-        if (MessageTypes.IDE_MESSAGE_TYPES.contains(messageType)) {
+        if (messageType in MessageTypes.IDE_MESSAGE_TYPES) {
             ideProtocolClient.handleMessage(json) { data ->
                 val message = gson.toJson(mapOf("messageId" to messageId, "messageType" to messageType, "data" to data))
                 process.write(message)
@@ -52,8 +55,9 @@ class CoreMessenger(
         }
 
         // Forward to webview
-        if (MessageTypes.PASS_THROUGH_TO_WEBVIEW.contains(messageType)) {
+        if (messageType in MessageTypes.PASS_THROUGH_TO_WEBVIEW) {
             val continuePluginService = project.service<ContinuePluginService>()
+            // todo: is this a bug below (messageType = ID)? verify
             continuePluginService.sendToWebview(messageType, responseMap["data"], messageType)
         }
 
@@ -68,6 +72,15 @@ class CoreMessenger(
         }
     }
 
+    // todo: map<*, *> = code smell
+    private fun tryToParse(json: String): Map<*, *>? =
+        try {
+            gson.fromJson(json, Map::class.java)
+        } catch (_: JsonSyntaxException) {
+            log.warn("Invalid message JSON: $json") // example: NODE_ENV undefined
+            null
+        }
+
     fun killSubProcess() {
         process.close()
     }