diff --git a/rslib/src/storage/deck/mod.rs b/rslib/src/storage/deck/mod.rs
index b8380e381..afbf768a7 100644
--- a/rslib/src/storage/deck/mod.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/storage/deck/mod.rs
@@ -361,7 +361,9 @@ impl SqliteStorage {
 
     pub(crate) fn upgrade_decks_to_schema15(&self, server: bool) -> Result<()> {
         let usn = self.usn(server)?;
-        let decks = self.get_schema11_decks()?;
+        let decks = self
+            .get_schema11_decks()
+            .map_err(|e| AnkiError::JsonError(format!("decoding decks: {}", e)))?;
         let mut names = HashSet::new();
         for (_id, deck) in decks {
             let oldname = deck.name().to_string();
diff --git a/rslib/src/storage/deckconfig/mod.rs b/rslib/src/storage/deckconfig/mod.rs
index 3d1895982..66d61f43c 100644
--- a/rslib/src/storage/deckconfig/mod.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/storage/deckconfig/mod.rs
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ impl SqliteStorage {
                             let conf: Value = serde_json::from_str(text)?;
                             serde_json::from_value(conf)
                         })
-                        .map_err(Into::into)
+                        .map_err(|e| AnkiError::JsonError(format!("decoding deck config: {}", e)))
                 })?;
         for (id, mut conf) in conf.into_iter() {
             // buggy clients may have failed to set inner id to match hash key
diff --git a/rslib/src/storage/notetype/mod.rs b/rslib/src/storage/notetype/mod.rs
index 24ce24de2..558ded5b5 100644
--- a/rslib/src/storage/notetype/mod.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/storage/notetype/mod.rs
@@ -302,7 +302,9 @@ impl SqliteStorage {
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn upgrade_notetypes_to_schema15(&self) -> Result<()> {
-        let nts = self.get_schema11_notetypes()?;
+        let nts = self
+            .get_schema11_notetypes()
+            .map_err(|e| AnkiError::JsonError(format!("decoding models: {}", e)))?;
         let mut names = HashSet::new();
         for (mut ntid, nt) in nts {
             let mut nt = Notetype::from(nt);