diff --git a/machines/store.ts b/machines/store.ts
index 4a99821a80..edfec4164d 100644
--- a/machines/store.ts
+++ b/machines/store.ts
@@ -594,8 +594,13 @@ export async function removeItem(
       await removeVCMetaData(MY_VCS_STORE_KEY, key, encryptionKey);
     } else if (key === MY_VCS_STORE_KEY) {
       const data = await Storage.getItem(key, encryptionKey);
-      const decryptedData = await decryptJson(encryptionKey, data);
-      const list = JSON.parse(decryptedData) as Object[];
+      let list: Object[] = [];
+
+      if (data !== null) {
+        const decryptedData = await decryptJson(encryptionKey, data);
+        list = JSON.parse(decryptedData) as Object[];
+      }
+
       const newList = list.filter((vcMetadataObject: Object) => {
         return new VCMetadata(vcMetadataObject).getVcKey() !== value;
       });
@@ -616,8 +621,13 @@ export async function removeVCMetaData(
 ) {
   try {
     const data = await Storage.getItem(key, encryptionKey);
-    const decryptedData = await decryptJson(encryptionKey, data);
-    const list = JSON.parse(decryptedData) as Object[];
+    let list: Object[] = [];
+
+    if (data != null) {
+      const decryptedData = await decryptJson(encryptionKey, data);
+      list = JSON.parse(decryptedData) as Object[];
+    }
+
     const newList = list.filter((vcMetadataObject: Object) => {
       return new VCMetadata(vcMetadataObject).getVcKey() !== vcKey;
     });
@@ -648,8 +658,13 @@ export async function removeItems(
 ) {
   try {
     const data = await Storage.getItem(key, encryptionKey);
-    const decryptedData = await decryptJson(encryptionKey, data);
-    const list = JSON.parse(decryptedData) as Object[];
+    let list: Object[] = [];
+
+    if (data !== null) {
+      const decryptedData = await decryptJson(encryptionKey, data);
+      list = JSON.parse(decryptedData) as Object[];
+    }
+
     const newList = list.filter(
       (vcMetadataObject: Object) =>
         !values.includes(new VCMetadata(vcMetadataObject).getVcKey()),
diff --git a/shared/cryptoutil/cryptoUtil.ts b/shared/cryptoutil/cryptoUtil.ts
index 1983de9d0f..f36c6fb9a9 100644
--- a/shared/cryptoutil/cryptoUtil.ts
+++ b/shared/cryptoutil/cryptoUtil.ts
@@ -115,6 +115,10 @@ export async function decryptJson(
   encryptedData: string,
 ): Promise<string> {
   try {
+    if (encryptedData === null || encryptedData === undefined) {
+      // to avoid crash in case of null or undefined
+      return '';
+    }
     // Disable Encryption in debug mode
     if (DEBUG_MODE_ENABLED && __DEV__) {
       return JSON.parse(encryptedData);
@@ -125,6 +129,7 @@ export async function decryptJson(
         CryptoJS.enc.Utf8,
       );
     }
+
     return await SecureKeystore.decryptData(ENCRYPTION_ID, encryptedData);
   } catch (e) {
     console.error('error decryptJson:', e);