diff --git a/gateway/platforms/slack.py b/gateway/platforms/slack.py
index 26184b7eb..afd1a8aa8 100644
--- a/gateway/platforms/slack.py
+++ b/gateway/platforms/slack.py
@@ -1239,10 +1239,9 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
         }
         choice = choice_map.get(action_id, "deny")
 
-        # Prevent double-clicks
-        if self._approval_resolved.get(msg_ts, False):
+        # Prevent double-clicks — atomic pop; first caller gets False, others get True (default)
+        if self._approval_resolved.pop(msg_ts, True):
             return
-        self._approval_resolved[msg_ts] = True
 
         # Update the message to show the decision and remove buttons
         label_map = {
@@ -1297,8 +1296,7 @@ class SlackAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
         except Exception as exc:
             logger.error("Failed to resolve gateway approval from Slack button: %s", exc)
 
-        # Clean up stale approval state
-        self._approval_resolved.pop(msg_ts, None)
+        # (approval state already consumed by atomic pop above)
 
     # ----- Thread context fetching -----
 
diff --git a/hermes_state.py b/hermes_state.py
index a845dbb9f..c6825a3e6 100644
--- a/hermes_state.py
+++ b/hermes_state.py
@@ -944,7 +944,8 @@ class SessionDB:
                 try:
                     msg["tool_calls"] = json.loads(msg["tool_calls"])
                 except (json.JSONDecodeError, TypeError):
-                    pass
+                    logger.warning("Failed to deserialize tool_calls in get_messages, falling back to []")
+                    msg["tool_calls"] = []
             result.append(msg)
         return result
 
@@ -972,7 +973,8 @@ class SessionDB:
                 try:
                     msg["tool_calls"] = json.loads(row["tool_calls"])
                 except (json.JSONDecodeError, TypeError):
-                    pass
+                    logger.warning("Failed to deserialize tool_calls in conversation replay, falling back to []")
+                    msg["tool_calls"] = []
             # Restore reasoning fields on assistant messages so providers
             # that replay reasoning (OpenRouter, OpenAI, Nous) receive
             # coherent multi-turn reasoning context.
@@ -983,12 +985,14 @@ class SessionDB:
                     try:
                         msg["reasoning_details"] = json.loads(row["reasoning_details"])
                     except (json.JSONDecodeError, TypeError):
-                        pass
+                        logger.warning("Failed to deserialize reasoning_details, falling back to None")
+                        msg["reasoning_details"] = None
                 if row["codex_reasoning_items"]:
                     try:
                         msg["codex_reasoning_items"] = json.loads(row["codex_reasoning_items"])
                     except (json.JSONDecodeError, TypeError):
-                        pass
+                        logger.warning("Failed to deserialize codex_reasoning_items, falling back to None")
+                        msg["codex_reasoning_items"] = None
             messages.append(msg)
         return messages