diff --git a/src/storage.ts b/src/storage.ts
index a07bce6..0aa863f 100644
--- a/src/storage.ts
+++ b/src/storage.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { Guild } from 'discord.js'
 import { readFile, writeFile } from './fs'
 import { GlobalStorage, GuildStorage } from './storageclass'
-import { defaultJson, JSONObject } from './util'
+import { defaultJsonString, JSONObject } from './util'
 
 var GlobalCache = ''
 /** Map<guild id, stringified data> */
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const GuildCache = new Map<string, string>()
 export function initGlobalCache(defaultValue?: string | JSONObject) {
     if (GlobalCache.length === 0) {
         let data = readFile('global')
-        GlobalCache = defaultJson(data, defaultValue)
+        GlobalCache = defaultJsonString(data, defaultValue)
     }
 }
 
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export function initGuildCache(
 ) {
     if (!GuildCache.has(guild.id)) {
         let data = readFile(guild)
-        GuildCache.set(guild.id, defaultJson(data, defaultValue))
+        GuildCache.set(guild.id, defaultJsonString(data, defaultValue))
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/storageclass.ts b/src/storageclass.ts
index 580ac05..4a198cc 100644
--- a/src/storageclass.ts
+++ b/src/storageclass.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { JSONObject } from './util'
+import { defaultJson, JSONObject } from './util'
 import { Guild } from 'discord.js'
 
 export interface StorageValue {
@@ -23,14 +23,24 @@ export class StorageBase {
         return this.val.get()
     }
 
-    getJson<T = JSONObject>(): T {
-        let val
+    getJson<T = JSONObject>(defaultValue?: T): T | {} {
         try {
-            val = JSON.parse(this.val.get())
+
+            let val = JSON.parse(this.val.get())
+            if (defaultValue) {
+                val = defaultJson(val, defaultValue)
+            }
+            return val;
+
         } catch (e) {
-            val = {}
+
+            if (defaultValue) {
+                return defaultValue
+            }
+
+            return {}
+
         }
-        return val
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util.ts b/src/util.ts
index 3557d30..43d014b 100644
--- a/src/util.ts
+++ b/src/util.ts
@@ -3,10 +3,25 @@ export type JSONObject<Value = JSONDataTypes, Key extends string = string> = {
     [key in Key]: Value
 }
 
-export function defaultJson(
+export function defaultJson<T>(data: any, defaultValue: T): T {
+    if (typeof data !== 'object') {
+        return defaultValue
+    }
+
+    for (let key in defaultValue) {
+        if (!(key in data) || typeof data[key] !== typeof defaultValue[key]) {
+            //key doesnt exist OR key exists, but type is incorrect
+            data[key] = defaultValue[key]
+        }
+    }
+
+    return data as T
+}
+
+export function defaultJsonString(
     data: string,
     defaultValue: string | JSONObject = ''
-) {
+): string {
     if (data.length === 0) {
         //no existing data, give the default value instead
 
@@ -22,15 +37,7 @@ export function defaultJson(
         try {
             let foundJson = JSON.parse(data)
 
-            for (let key in defaultValue) {
-                if (
-                    !(key in foundJson) ||
-                    typeof foundJson[key] !== typeof defaultValue[key]
-                ) {
-                    //key doesnt exist OR key exists, but type is incorrect
-                    foundJson[key] = defaultValue[key]
-                }
-            }
+            foundJson = defaultJson(foundJson, defaultValue)
 
             return JSON.stringify(foundJson)
         } catch (e) {