diff --git a/quartz/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip28PublicChat/admin/ChannelCreateEvent.kt b/quartz/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip28PublicChat/admin/ChannelCreateEvent.kt
index c9dac836c..b43d0e8ab 100644
--- a/quartz/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip28PublicChat/admin/ChannelCreateEvent.kt
+++ b/quartz/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip28PublicChat/admin/ChannelCreateEvent.kt
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class ChannelCreateEvent(
 
         val newInfo =
             try {
-                if (isEncrypted()) {
+                if (content.isEmpty() || !content.startsWith("{") || isEncrypted()) {
                     ChannelDataNorm()
                 } else {
                     ChannelData.parse(content)?.normalize() ?: ChannelDataNorm()
diff --git a/quartz/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip28PublicChat/admin/ChannelMetadataEvent.kt b/quartz/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip28PublicChat/admin/ChannelMetadataEvent.kt
index 526214f20..eabbdb754 100644
--- a/quartz/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip28PublicChat/admin/ChannelMetadataEvent.kt
+++ b/quartz/src/main/java/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip28PublicChat/admin/ChannelMetadataEvent.kt
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class ChannelMetadataEvent(
 
         val newInfo =
             try {
-                if (isEncrypted()) {
+                if (content.isEmpty() || !content.startsWith("{") || isEncrypted()) {
                     ChannelDataNorm()
                 } else {
                     ChannelData.parse(content)?.normalize() ?: ChannelDataNorm()