diff --git a/crates/goose/src/session/storage.rs b/crates/goose/src/session/storage.rs
index 7be86224..3925811d 100644
--- a/crates/goose/src/session/storage.rs
+++ b/crates/goose/src/session/storage.rs
@@ -421,4 +421,129 @@ mod tests {
         // Time part should be 6 digits
         assert_eq!(parts[1].len(), 6);
     }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_special_characters_and_long_text() -> Result<()> {
+        let dir = tempdir()?;
+        let file_path = dir.path().join("special.jsonl");
+
+        // Insert some problematic JSON-like content between long text
+        let long_text = format!(
+            "Start_of_message\n{}{}SOME_MIDDLE_TEXT{}End_of_message",
+            "A".repeat(100_000),
+            "\"}]\n",
+            "A".repeat(100_000)
+        );
+
+        let special_chars = vec![
+            // Long text
+            long_text.as_str(),
+            // Newlines in different positions
+            "Line 1\nLine 2",
+            "Line 1\r\nLine 2",
+            "\nStart with newline",
+            "End with newline\n",
+            "\n\nMultiple\n\nNewlines\n\n",
+            // JSON special characters
+            "Quote\"in middle",
+            "\"Quote at start",
+            "Quote at end\"",
+            "Multiple\"\"Quotes",
+            "{\"json\": \"looking text\"}",
+            // Unicode and special characters
+            "Unicode: 🦆🤖👾",
+            "Special: \\n \\r \\t",
+            "Mixed: \n\"🦆\"\r\n\\n",
+            // Control characters
+            "Tab\there",
+            "Bell\u{0007}char",
+            "Null\u{0000}char",
+            // Long text with mixed content
+            "A very long message with multiple lines\nand \"quotes\"\nand emojis 🦆\nand \\escaped chars",
+            // Potentially problematic JSON content
+            "}{[]\",\\",
+            "]}}\"\\n\\\"{[",
+            "Edge case: } ] some text",
+            "{\"foo\": \"} ]\"}",
+            "}]",   
+        ];
+
+        let mut messages = Vec::new();
+        for text in special_chars {
+            messages.push(Message::user().with_text(text));
+            messages.push(Message::assistant().with_text(text));
+        }
+
+        // Write messages with special characters
+        persist_messages(&file_path, &messages, None).await?;
+
+        // Read them back
+        let read_messages = read_messages(&file_path)?;
+
+        // Compare all messages
+        assert_eq!(messages.len(), read_messages.len());
+        for (i, (orig, read)) in messages.iter().zip(read_messages.iter()).enumerate() {
+            assert_eq!(orig.role, read.role, "Role mismatch at message {}", i);
+            assert_eq!(
+                orig.content.len(),
+                read.content.len(),
+                "Content length mismatch at message {}",
+                i
+            );
+
+            if let (Some(MessageContent::Text(orig_text)), Some(MessageContent::Text(read_text))) =
+                (orig.content.first(), read.content.first())
+            {
+                assert_eq!(
+                    orig_text.text, read_text.text,
+                    "Text mismatch at message {}\nExpected: {}\nGot: {}",
+                    i, orig_text.text, read_text.text
+                );
+            } else {
+                panic!("Messages don't match expected structure at index {}", i);
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Verify file format
+        let contents = fs::read_to_string(&file_path)?;
+        let lines: Vec<&str> = contents.lines().collect();
+
+        // First line should be metadata
+        assert!(
+            lines[0].contains("\"description\""),
+            "First line should be metadata"
+        );
+
+        // Each subsequent line should be valid JSON
+        for (i, line) in lines.iter().enumerate().skip(1) {
+            assert!(
+                serde_json::from_str::<Message>(line).is_ok(),
+                "Invalid JSON at line {}: {}",
+                i + 1,
+                line
+            );
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_metadata_special_chars() -> Result<()> {
+        let dir = tempdir()?;
+        let file_path = dir.path().join("metadata.jsonl");
+
+        let mut metadata = SessionMetadata::default();
+        metadata.description = "Description with\nnewline and \"quotes\" and 🦆".to_string();
+
+        let messages = vec![Message::user().with_text("test")];
+
+        // Write with special metadata
+        save_messages_with_metadata(&file_path, &metadata, &messages)?;
+
+        // Read back metadata
+        let read_metadata = read_metadata(&file_path)?;
+        assert_eq!(metadata.description, read_metadata.description);
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/components/sessions/SessionsView.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/components/sessions/SessionsView.tsx
index 9aed293d..8e8d9d6b 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/components/sessions/SessionsView.tsx
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/components/sessions/SessionsView.tsx
@@ -1,14 +1,9 @@
 import React, { useState } from 'react';
 import { ViewConfig } from '../../App';
 import { fetchSessionDetails, type SessionDetails } from '../../sessions';
-import { fetchSharedSessionDetails } from '../../sharedSessions';
 import SessionListView from './SessionListView';
 import SessionHistoryView from './SessionHistoryView';
-import { Card } from '../ui/card';
-import { Input } from '../ui/input';
-import { Button } from '../ui/button';
-import BackButton from '../ui/BackButton';
-import { ScrollArea } from '../ui/scroll-area';
+import { toastError } from '../../toasts';
 
 interface SessionsViewProps {
   setView: (view: ViewConfig['view'], viewOptions?: Record<any, any>) => void;
@@ -34,6 +29,12 @@ const SessionsView: React.FC<SessionsViewProps> = ({ setView }) => {
       setError('Failed to load session details. Please try again later.');
       // Keep the selected session null if there's an error
       setSelectedSession(null);
+
+      toastError({
+        title: 'Failed to load session. The file may be corrupted.',
+        msg: 'Please try again later.',
+        traceback: err,
+      });
     } finally {
       setIsLoadingSession(false);
     }