diff --git a/scripts/odysseus-notes b/scripts/odysseus-notes
index 1e61568..8b9a374 100755
--- a/scripts/odysseus-notes
+++ b/scripts/odysseus-notes
@@ -29,12 +29,22 @@ except ModuleNotFoundError as e:
     sys.exit(2)
 
 
+def _load_items(raw) -> list:
+    if not raw:
+        return []
+    try:
+        items = json.loads(raw)
+    except (TypeError, json.JSONDecodeError):
+        return []
+    return items if isinstance(items, list) else []
+
+
 def _serialize(n: "Note") -> dict:
     return {
         "id": n.id,
         "title": n.title or "",
         "content": n.content or "",
-        "items": json.loads(n.items) if n.items else [],
+        "items": _load_items(n.items),
         "note_type": n.note_type or "note",
         "color": n.color or "",
         "label": n.label or "",
diff --git a/tests/test_notes_cli_items.py b/tests/test_notes_cli_items.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c282aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_notes_cli_items.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import importlib.machinery
+import importlib.util
+import sys
+import types
+from pathlib import Path
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+
+
+def _load_cli(monkeypatch):
+    db_stub = types.ModuleType("core.database")
+    db_stub.SessionLocal = MagicMock()
+    db_stub.Note = MagicMock()
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "core.database", db_stub)
+
+    path = ROOT / "scripts" / "odysseus-notes"
+    loader = importlib.machinery.SourceFileLoader("odysseus_notes_cli", str(path))
+    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_loader(loader.name, loader)
+    module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    loader.exec_module(module)
+    return module
+
+
+def test_serialize_ignores_invalid_note_items(monkeypatch):
+    cli = _load_cli(monkeypatch)
+    note = SimpleNamespace(
+        id="n1",
+        title="Checklist",
+        content="",
+        items="{bad json",
+        note_type="checklist",
+        color=None,
+        label=None,
+        pinned=False,
+        archived=False,
+        due_date=None,
+        source=None,
+        created_at=None,
+        updated_at=None,
+    )
+
+    assert cli._serialize(note)["items"] == []
+
+
+def test_serialize_keeps_list_note_items(monkeypatch):
+    cli = _load_cli(monkeypatch)
+    note = SimpleNamespace(
+        id="n1",
+        title="Checklist",
+        content="",
+        items='[{"text": "done"}]',
+        note_type="checklist",
+        color=None,
+        label=None,
+        pinned=False,
+        archived=False,
+        due_date=None,
+        source=None,
+        created_at=None,
+        updated_at=None,
+    )
+
+    assert cli._serialize(note)["items"] == [{"text": "done"}]