diff --git a/ods/extensions/services/dashboard-api/config.py b/ods/extensions/services/dashboard-api/config.py
index a49b57c12..5dc8ba0f5 100644
--- a/ods/extensions/services/dashboard-api/config.py
+++ b/ods/extensions/services/dashboard-api/config.py
@@ -535,9 +535,20 @@ def _load_core_service_ids() -> frozenset:
     core_ids_path = Path(INSTALL_DIR) / "config" / "core-service-ids.json"
     if core_ids_path.exists():
         try:
-            return frozenset(json.loads(core_ids_path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")))
-        except (json.JSONDecodeError, OSError):
-            pass
+            payload = json.loads(core_ids_path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+            if (
+                not isinstance(payload, list)
+                or not payload
+                or any(not isinstance(item, str) or not item for item in payload)
+            ):
+                raise ValueError("core service IDs must be a non-empty string list")
+            return frozenset(payload)
+        except (json.JSONDecodeError, OSError, ValueError) as exc:
+            logger.warning(
+                "Invalid core service ID registry at %s: %s; using defaults",
+                core_ids_path,
+                exc,
+            )
     # Fallback to hardcoded list
     return frozenset({
         "dashboard-api", "dashboard", "llama-server", "model-router", "open-webui",
diff --git a/ods/extensions/services/dashboard-api/tests/test_config.py b/ods/extensions/services/dashboard-api/tests/test_config.py
index e1e0adfe3..6f1c52fa7 100644
--- a/ods/extensions/services/dashboard-api/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/ods/extensions/services/dashboard-api/tests/test_config.py
@@ -102,6 +102,32 @@ def test_extension_catalog_skips_non_object_entries(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
     monkeypatch.setattr(config, "CATALOG_PATH", catalog)
 
     assert config.load_extension_catalog() == [valid]
+def test_core_service_ids_load_valid_registry(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    registry = tmp_path / "config" / "core-service-ids.json"
+    registry.parent.mkdir()
+    registry.write_text(
+        json.dumps(["custom-core", "dashboard"]), encoding="utf-8"
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(config, "INSTALL_DIR", str(tmp_path))
+
+    assert config._load_core_service_ids() == frozenset({
+        "custom-core", "dashboard",
+    })
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("payload", [{"dashboard": True}, [], [None], "dashboard"])
+def test_core_service_ids_fall_back_for_invalid_registry(
+    monkeypatch, tmp_path, payload
+):
+    registry = tmp_path / "config" / "core-service-ids.json"
+    registry.parent.mkdir()
+    registry.write_text(json.dumps(payload), encoding="utf-8")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(config, "INSTALL_DIR", str(tmp_path))
+
+    loaded = config._load_core_service_ids()
+
+    assert "dashboard-api" in loaded
+    assert "llama-server" in loaded
 
 
 class TestReadManifestFile: