diff --git a/AppScaffolding/AppScaffolding.csproj b/AppScaffolding/AppScaffolding.csproj
index 67f3972d..a5810f21 100644
--- a/AppScaffolding/AppScaffolding.csproj
+++ b/AppScaffolding/AppScaffolding.csproj
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
   <PropertyGroup>
     <TargetFramework>net5.0</TargetFramework>
-    <Version>6.4.1.1</Version>
+    <Version>6.4.2.1</Version>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
diff --git a/FileManager/PersistentDictionary.cs b/FileManager/PersistentDictionary.cs
index 34cd13d3..bbbd46e6 100644
--- a/FileManager/PersistentDictionary.cs
+++ b/FileManager/PersistentDictionary.cs
@@ -205,8 +205,25 @@ namespace FileManager
 
         private JObject readFile()
         {
+            if (!File.Exists(Filepath))
+            {
+                var msg = "Unrecoverable error. Settings file cannot be found";
+                var ex = new FileNotFoundException(msg, Filepath);
+                Serilog.Log.Logger.Error(msg, ex);
+                throw ex;
+            }
+
             var settingsJsonContents = File.ReadAllText(Filepath);
             var jObject = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<JObject>(settingsJsonContents);
+
+            if (jObject is null)
+            {
+                var msg = "Unrecoverable error. Unable to read settings from Settings file";
+                var ex = new NullReferenceException(msg);
+                Serilog.Log.Logger.Error(msg, ex);
+                throw ex;
+            }
+
             return jObject;
         }
     }