diff --git a/apps/app-frontend/src/components/ui/settings/instances/DefaultInstanceSettings.vue b/apps/app-frontend/src/components/ui/settings/instances/DefaultInstanceSettings.vue
index fcfa509e8b..e8b39a6def 100644
--- a/apps/app-frontend/src/components/ui/settings/instances/DefaultInstanceSettings.vue
+++ b/apps/app-frontend/src/components/ui/settings/instances/DefaultInstanceSettings.vue
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import {
 import { ref, watch } from 'vue'
 
 import useMemorySlider from '@/composables/useMemorySlider'
-import { get, set } from '@/helpers/settings.ts'
+import { get, parseEnvVars, serializeEnvVars, set } from '@/helpers/settings.ts'
 
 const { handleError } = injectNotificationManager()
 const { formatMessage } = useVIntl()
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ const messages = defineMessages({
 
 const fetchSettings = await get()
 fetchSettings.launchArgs = fetchSettings.extra_launch_args.join(' ')
-fetchSettings.envVars = fetchSettings.custom_env_vars.map((x) => x.join('=')).join(' ')
+fetchSettings.envVars = serializeEnvVars(fetchSettings.custom_env_vars)
 
 const settings = ref(fetchSettings)
 
@@ -164,27 +164,15 @@ watch(
 		const setSettings = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(settings.value))
 
 		setSettings.extra_launch_args = setSettings.launchArgs.trim().split(/\s+/).filter(Boolean)
-		setSettings.custom_env_vars = setSettings.envVars
-			.trim()
-			.split(/\s+/)
-			.filter(Boolean)
-			.map((x) => x.split('=').filter(Boolean))
-
-		if (!setSettings.hooks.pre_launch) {
-			setSettings.hooks.pre_launch = null
-		}
-		if (!setSettings.hooks.wrapper) {
-			setSettings.hooks.wrapper = null
-		}
-		if (!setSettings.hooks.post_exit) {
-			setSettings.hooks.post_exit = null
-		}
+		setSettings.custom_env_vars = parseEnvVars(setSettings.envVars)
+		delete setSettings.launchArgs
+		delete setSettings.envVars
 
 		if (!setSettings.custom_dir) {
 			setSettings.custom_dir = null
 		}
 
-		await set(setSettings)
+		await set(setSettings).catch(handleError)
 	},
 	{ deep: true },
 )
diff --git a/apps/app-frontend/src/helpers/settings.ts b/apps/app-frontend/src/helpers/settings.ts
index dd6bdf3ac6..b9f68d16dd 100644
--- a/apps/app-frontend/src/helpers/settings.ts
+++ b/apps/app-frontend/src/helpers/settings.ts
@@ -72,6 +72,26 @@ export type AppSettings = {
 	version: number
 }
 
+export function serializeEnvVars(vars: [string, string][] | undefined | null): string {
+	return (vars ?? []).map(([key, value]) => `${key}=${value}`).join(' ')
+}
+
+export function parseEnvVars(input: string | undefined | null): [string, string][] {
+	if (!input?.trim()) {
+		return []
+	}
+
+	const vars: [string, string][] = []
+	for (const entry of input.trim().split(/\s+/)) {
+		const separator = entry.indexOf('=')
+		if (separator <= 0) {
+			continue
+		}
+		vars.push([entry.slice(0, separator), entry.slice(separator + 1)])
+	}
+	return vars
+}
+
 // Get full settings object
 export async function get() {
 	return (await invoke('plugin:settings|settings_get')) as AppSettings
diff --git a/apps/app-frontend/src/pages/instance/components/settings-modal/hooks-settings.vue b/apps/app-frontend/src/pages/instance/components/settings-modal/hooks-settings.vue
index a40a173b8e..86e08ba3a8 100644
--- a/apps/app-frontend/src/pages/instance/components/settings-modal/hooks-settings.vue
+++ b/apps/app-frontend/src/pages/instance/components/settings-modal/hooks-settings.vue
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { computed, ref, watch } from 'vue'
 import { edit } from '@/helpers/instance'
 import { get } from '@/helpers/settings.ts'
 
-import type { AppSettings, Hooks } from '../../../../helpers/types'
+import type { AppSettings } from '../../../../helpers/types'
 import { injectInstanceSettings } from './instance-settings-context'
 
 const { handleError } = injectNotificationManager()
@@ -26,23 +26,31 @@ const overrideHooks = ref(
 		!!instance.value.hooks.wrapper ||
 		!!instance.value.hooks.post_exit,
 )
-const hooks = ref(instance.value.hooks ?? globalSettings.hooks)
-
-const editInstanceObject = computed(() => {
-	const editInstancePatch: {
-		hooks?: Hooks
-	} = {}
-
-	// When hooks are not overridden per-instance, we want to clear them
-	editInstancePatch.hooks = overrideHooks.value ? hooks.value : {}
-
-	return editInstancePatch
+const hooksRaw = instance.value.hooks ?? globalSettings.hooks
+const hooks = ref({
+	pre_launch: hooksRaw.pre_launch ?? '',
+	wrapper: hooksRaw.wrapper ?? '',
+	post_exit: hooksRaw.post_exit ?? '',
 })
 
+const editInstanceObject = computed(() => ({
+	hooks: overrideHooks.value
+		? {
+				pre_launch: hooks.value.pre_launch ?? '',
+				wrapper: hooks.value.wrapper ?? '',
+				post_exit: hooks.value.post_exit ?? '',
+			}
+		: {
+				pre_launch: '',
+				wrapper: '',
+				post_exit: '',
+			},
+}))
+
 watch(
 	[overrideHooks, hooks],
 	async () => {
-		await edit(instance.value.id, editInstanceObject.value)
+		await edit(instance.value.id, editInstanceObject.value).catch(handleError)
 	},
 	{ deep: true },
 )
diff --git a/apps/app-frontend/src/pages/instance/components/settings-modal/java-settings.vue b/apps/app-frontend/src/pages/instance/components/settings-modal/java-settings.vue
index 97a9ab101a..3c1786ac06 100644
--- a/apps/app-frontend/src/pages/instance/components/settings-modal/java-settings.vue
+++ b/apps/app-frontend/src/pages/instance/components/settings-modal/java-settings.vue
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import JavaDetectionModal from '@/components/ui/JavaDetectionModal.vue'
 import useJavaTest from '@/composables/useJavaTest'
 import useMemorySlider from '@/composables/useMemorySlider'
 import { edit, get_optimal_jre_key } from '@/helpers/instance'
-import { get } from '@/helpers/settings.ts'
+import { get, parseEnvVars, serializeEnvVars } from '@/helpers/settings.ts'
 
 import type { AppSettings } from '../../../../helpers/types'
 import { injectInstanceSettings } from './instance-settings-context'
@@ -92,9 +92,7 @@ const javaArgs = ref(
 
 const overrideEnvVars = ref((instance.value.custom_env_vars?.length ?? 0) > 0)
 const envVars = ref(
-	(instance.value.custom_env_vars ?? globalSettings.custom_env_vars)
-		.map((x) => x.join('='))
-		.join(' '),
+	serializeEnvVars(instance.value.custom_env_vars ?? globalSettings.custom_env_vars),
 )
 
 const overrideMemorySettings = ref(!!instance.value.memory)
@@ -113,13 +111,7 @@ const editInstanceObject = computed(() => {
 		extra_launch_args: overrideJavaArgs.value
 			? javaArgs.value.trim().split(/\s+/).filter(Boolean)
 			: null,
-		custom_env_vars: overrideEnvVars.value
-			? envVars.value
-					.trim()
-					.split(/\s+/)
-					.filter(Boolean)
-					.map((x) => x.split('=').filter(Boolean))
-			: null,
+		custom_env_vars: overrideEnvVars.value ? parseEnvVars(envVars.value) : null,
 		memory: overrideMemorySettings.value ? memory.value : null,
 	}
 })
@@ -136,7 +128,7 @@ watch(
 		memory,
 	],
 	async () => {
-		await edit(instance.value.id, editInstanceObject.value)
+		await edit(instance.value.id, editInstanceObject.value).catch(handleError)
 	},
 	{ deep: true },
 )