diff --git a/src/fetcher.php b/src/fetcher.php
index 8975ab8..56d6918 100644
--- a/src/fetcher.php
+++ b/src/fetcher.php
@@ -179,14 +179,9 @@ private function serveFromCache(string $url, ?string $rawContent, ?callable $cal
 
         $merged = json_decode((string) $rawContent);
 
-        if (!$options->firstPageOnly) {
+        if (!$options->firstPageOnly && is_array($merged)) {
             $stmt = Workflow::getStatement('SELECT url, content FROM request_cache WHERE parent = ? ORDER BY `timestamp` DESC');
-            $hasChildren = false;
             while ($stmt->execute([$url]) && $data = $stmt->fetchObject()) {
-                if (!$hasChildren) {
-                    $merged = self::asList($merged);
-                    $hasChildren = true;
-                }
                 $merged = array_merge($merged, self::asList(json_decode($data->content)));
                 $url = $data->url;
             }
@@ -244,7 +239,8 @@ private function handleResponse(CurlResponse $response, ?string $cachedContent,
         Workflow::getStatement('REPLACE INTO request_cache VALUES(?, ?, ?, ?, 0, ?)')
             ->execute([$url, time(), $response->etag, json_encode($decoded), $parent]);
 
-        if ($options->firstPageOnly) {
+        if ($options->firstPageOnly || !is_array($decoded)) {
+            Workflow::getStatement('DELETE FROM request_cache WHERE parent = ?')->execute([$url]);
             $this->finish($rootUrl, $accumulator, $callback, $options);
 
             return;
diff --git a/src/search.php b/src/search.php
index 5a2de7d..87f2777 100644
--- a/src/search.php
+++ b/src/search.php
@@ -43,11 +43,14 @@ public static function run(string $scope, string $query, bool|string $hotkey): v
             return;
         }
 
-        if (!Workflow::getAccessToken() || !(self::$user = Fetcher::requestApi('/user'))) {
+        $user = Workflow::getAccessToken() ? Fetcher::requestApi('/user') : null;
+        if (!$user instanceof stdClass) {
+            Workflow::getStatement('DELETE FROM request_cache WHERE url = ?')->execute([Workflow::getApiUrl('/user')]);
             self::addLoginCommands();
 
             return;
         }
+        self::$user = $user;
 
         Workflow::stopServer();
 
diff --git a/tests/FetcherTest.php b/tests/FetcherTest.php
index 0571add..c4d5102 100644
--- a/tests/FetcherTest.php
+++ b/tests/FetcherTest.php
@@ -148,6 +148,39 @@ public function testRequestUrlReusesCachedContentOn304(): void
         self::assertSame(2, $this->totalHits());
     }
 
+    public function testRequestUrlDoesNotMergeCorruptChildRowsIntoObjectResponse(): void
+    {
+        $url = self::baseUrl() . '/json?id=object';
+        $childUrl = self::baseUrl() . '/json?id=child';
+
+        Workflow::getStatement('REPLACE INTO request_cache VALUES(?, ?, ?, ?, 0, NULL)')
+            ->execute([$url, time(), '"root"', json_encode(['id' => 'object', 'value' => 'val-object'])]);
+        Workflow::getStatement('REPLACE INTO request_cache VALUES(?, ?, ?, ?, 0, ?)')
+            ->execute([$childUrl, time(), '"child"', json_encode([['id' => 'child']]), $url]);
+
+        $result = Fetcher::requestUrl($url);
+
+        self::assertInstanceOf(stdClass::class, $result);
+        self::assertSame('object', $result->id);
+    }
+
+    public function testRequestUrlDoesNotFollowCorruptCachedChildOnObject304(): void
+    {
+        $url = self::baseUrl() . '/etag?v=v1';
+        $childUrl = self::baseUrl() . '/json?id=child';
+
+        Fetcher::requestUrl($url);
+        Workflow::getStatement('UPDATE request_cache SET timestamp = ? WHERE url = ?')
+            ->execute([time() - 3600, $url]);
+        Workflow::getStatement('REPLACE INTO request_cache VALUES(?, ?, ?, ?, 0, ?)')
+            ->execute([$childUrl, time(), '"child"', json_encode([['id' => 'child']]), $url]);
+
+        $result = Fetcher::requestUrl($url, new FetchOptions(refreshInBackground: false));
+
+        self::assertInstanceOf(stdClass::class, $result);
+        self::assertSame('v1', $result->value);
+    }
+
     public function testRequestUrlStaleWithBackgroundRefreshServesCacheAndMarksUrl(): void
     {
         $url = self::baseUrl() . '/json?id=stale';