diff --git a/Directory.Packages.props b/Directory.Packages.props
index dd3d247e..2eb384ad 100644
--- a/Directory.Packages.props
+++ b/Directory.Packages.props
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 		<PackageVersion Include="Umbraco.Cms.DevelopmentMode.Backoffice" Version="17.4.2" />
 		<PackageVersion Include="Our.Umbraco.ConditionalDisplayers" Version="16.6.0" />
 		<PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.ICU.ICU4C.Runtime" Version="72.1.0.3" />
+		<PackageVersion Include="Clean" Version="7.0.5" />
 		<PackageVersion Include="Clean.Core" Version="7.0.5" />
 	</ItemGroup>
 	<!-- umbraco libraries for packages -->
diff --git a/uSync.BackOffice/HealthChecks/SyncFolderIntegrityChecks.cs b/uSync.BackOffice/HealthChecks/SyncFolderIntegrityChecks.cs
index c440942f..866e292b 100644
--- a/uSync.BackOffice/HealthChecks/SyncFolderIntegrityChecks.cs
+++ b/uSync.BackOffice/HealthChecks/SyncFolderIntegrityChecks.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.IO;
+using System.Linq;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using System.Xml.Linq;
 
@@ -23,7 +24,6 @@ public class SyncFolderIntegrityChecks : HealthCheck
     private readonly ISyncConfigService? _configService;
     private readonly ISyncFileService? _fileService;
 
-
     public SyncFolderIntegrityChecks() { }
 
     /// <summary>
@@ -44,17 +44,8 @@ public override HealthCheckStatus ExecuteAction(HealthCheckAction action)
     /// <inheritdoc/>
     public override Task<IEnumerable<HealthCheckStatus>> GetStatusAsync()
     {
-        if (_configService is null || _fileService is null)
-        {
-            return Task.FromResult((IEnumerable<HealthCheckStatus>)new List<HealthCheckStatus>
-            {
-                new HealthCheckStatus("uSync services not available")
-                {
-                    Description = "The uSync services are not available, this likely means the site has no backoffice loaded.",
-                    ResultType = StatusResultType.Info
-                }
-            });
-        }
+        if (_configService is null || _fileService is null) 
+            return Task.FromResult(Enumerable.Empty<HealthCheckStatus>());
 
         var items = new List<HealthCheckStatus>
         {
@@ -67,6 +58,9 @@ public override Task<IEnumerable<HealthCheckStatus>> GetStatusAsync()
 
     private HealthCheckStatus CheckuSyncFolder()
     {
+        if (_configService is null || _fileService is null)
+            return new HealthCheckStatus("Unable to check uSync folder integrity");
+
         var root = _fileService.GetAbsPath(_configService.GetWorkingFolder());
 
         if (_fileService.DirectoryExists(root) is false)
@@ -100,6 +94,8 @@ private HealthCheckStatus CheckuSyncFolder()
 
     private List<string> CheckFolder(string folder)
     {
+        if (_fileService is null) return [];
+
         var _keys = new Dictionary<Guid, string>();
 
         var clashes = new List<string>();
@@ -143,6 +139,9 @@ private List<string> CheckFolder(string folder)
 
     private HealthCheckStatus CheckConfigFolderValidity()
     {
+        if (_configService is null || _fileService is null)
+            return new HealthCheckStatus("Unable to check uSync folder integrity");
+
         var root = _fileService.GetAbsPath(_configService.GetWorkingFolder());
 
         if (_fileService.DirectoryExists(root) is false)
diff --git a/uSync.Backoffice.Management.Client/usync-assets/package-lock.json b/uSync.Backoffice.Management.Client/usync-assets/package-lock.json
index a0c082e7..fafc88bb 100644
--- a/uSync.Backoffice.Management.Client/usync-assets/package-lock.json
+++ b/uSync.Backoffice.Management.Client/usync-assets/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
 	"name": "@jumoo/usync",
-	"version": "17.3.3",
+	"version": "17.3.4",
 	"lockfileVersion": 3,
 	"requires": true,
 	"packages": {
 		"": {
 			"name": "@jumoo/usync",
-			"version": "17.3.3",
+			"version": "17.3.4",
 			"license": "MPL-2.0",
 			"devDependencies": {
 				"@hey-api/openapi-ts": "^0.95.0",
diff --git a/uSync.Backoffice.Management.Client/usync-assets/package.json b/uSync.Backoffice.Management.Client/usync-assets/package.json
index 82b5cbd2..a09d7e7e 100644
--- a/uSync.Backoffice.Management.Client/usync-assets/package.json
+++ b/uSync.Backoffice.Management.Client/usync-assets/package.json
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 	"homepage": "https://jumoo.co.uk/uSync",
 	"license": "MPL-2.0",
 	"type": "module",
-	"version": "17.3.3",
+	"version": "17.3.4",
 	"main": "./dist/usync.js",
 	"types": "./dist/index.d.ts",
 	"module": "./dist/usync.js",
diff --git a/uSync.Core/Mapping/SyncBlockMapperBase.cs b/uSync.Core/Mapping/SyncBlockMapperBase.cs
index 267d288e..92218a53 100644
--- a/uSync.Core/Mapping/SyncBlockMapperBase.cs
+++ b/uSync.Core/Mapping/SyncBlockMapperBase.cs
@@ -62,18 +62,11 @@ public SyncBlockMapperBase(
             _logger.LogDebug("Importing block value for {PropertyEditorAlias} {valueType}", propertyType.PropertyEditorAlias, value?.GetType().Name ?? "blank");
 
         var importString = SyncBlockMapperBase<TBlockValue>.GetStringValue(value) ?? string.Empty;
-        var result = await _mapperCollection.Value.GetImportValueAsync(importString, propertyType, options);
 
-        // When the original value was a non-string JSON type (array, object, number, etc.),
-        // convert string results back to JsonNode to preserve the correct JSON type
-        // and prevent double-encoding when the block value is re-serialized.
-        if (result is string stringResult && value.IsNonStringJsonValue())
-        {
-            return stringResult.ConvertStringToExpandedJson() ?? result;
-            // return stringResult.ConvertToJsonNode() ?? result;
-        }
-
-        return result;
+        // revert this back to the old way - we don't expand the json we get back because umbraco is very 
+        // sensitve to what the exact format of the blocks is, and if we expand them, then calls during render
+        // can return null. 
+        return await _mapperCollection.Value.GetImportValueAsync(importString, propertyType, options);
     }
 
     private async Task<object?> GetExportProperty(object? value, IPropertyType? propertyType, SyncSerializerOptions options)
diff --git a/uSync.History/history-client/package-lock.json b/uSync.History/history-client/package-lock.json
index 426fb256..c0b6f51a 100644
--- a/uSync.History/history-client/package-lock.json
+++ b/uSync.History/history-client/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "usync-history-client",
-  "version": "17.3.3",
+  "version": "17.3.4",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "usync-history-client",
-      "version": "17.3.3",
+      "version": "17.3.4",
       "devDependencies": {
         "@hey-api/openapi-ts": "^0.95.0",
         "@jumoo/translate": "^17.2.3",
diff --git a/uSync.History/history-client/package.json b/uSync.History/history-client/package.json
index 9696c20e..7d491ab4 100644
--- a/uSync.History/history-client/package.json
+++ b/uSync.History/history-client/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "usync-history-client",
-  "version": "17.3.3",
+  "version": "17.3.4",
   "licence": "Custom",
   "description": "uSync history function",
   "type": "module",