diff --git a/network/manager.go b/network/manager.go
index e5d6d57330..72e4bc0a4f 100644
--- a/network/manager.go
+++ b/network/manager.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package network
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"net"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -192,6 +193,7 @@ func (nm *networkManager) restore(isRehydrationRequired bool) error {
 	// Read any persisted state.
 	err := nm.store.Read(storeKey, nm)
 	if err != nil {
+		var syntaxErr *json.SyntaxError
 		if err == store.ErrKeyNotFound {
 			logger.Info("network store key not found")
 			// Considered successful.
@@ -199,6 +201,17 @@ func (nm *networkManager) restore(isRehydrationRequired bool) error {
 		} else if err == store.ErrStoreEmpty {
 			logger.Info("network store empty")
 			return nil
+		} else if errors.As(err, &syntaxErr) {
+			// if null chars detected or failed to parse, state is unrecoverable; delete it
+			logger.Error("Failed to parse corrupted state, deleting", zap.Error(err))
+			contents, readErr := nm.store.Dump()
+			if readErr != nil {
+				logger.Error("Could not read corrupted state", zap.Error(readErr))
+			} else {
+				logger.Info("Logging state", zap.String("stateFile", contents))
+			}
+			nm.store.Remove()
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to parse corrupted state")
 		} else {
 			logger.Error("Failed to restore state", zap.Error(err))
 			return err
diff --git a/store/json.go b/store/json.go
index c26773d262..f7de6541d9 100644
--- a/store/json.go
+++ b/store/json.go
@@ -70,30 +70,10 @@ func (kvs *jsonFileStore) Read(key string, value interface{}) error {
 
 	// Read contents from file if memory is not in sync.
 	if !kvs.inSync {
-		// Open and parse the file if it exists.
-		file, err := os.Open(kvs.fileName)
+		b, err := kvs.readBytes()
 		if err != nil {
-			if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-				return ErrKeyNotFound
-			}
 			return err
 		}
-		defer file.Close()
-
-		b, err := io.ReadAll(file)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		if len(b) == 0 {
-			if kvs.logger != nil {
-				kvs.logger.Info("Unable to read empty file", zap.String("fileName", kvs.fileName))
-			} else {
-				log.Printf("Unable to read file %s, was empty", kvs.fileName)
-			}
-
-			return ErrStoreEmpty
-		}
 
 		// Decode to raw JSON messages.
 		if err := json.Unmarshal(b, &kvs.data); err != nil {
@@ -265,3 +245,44 @@ func (kvs *jsonFileStore) Remove() {
 	}
 	kvs.Mutex.Unlock()
 }
+
+func (kvs *jsonFileStore) Dump() (string, error) {
+	kvs.Mutex.Lock()
+	defer kvs.Mutex.Unlock()
+
+	b, err := kvs.readBytes()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	return string(b), nil
+}
+
+func (kvs *jsonFileStore) readBytes() ([]byte, error) {
+	// Open and parse the file if it exists.
+	file, err := os.Open(kvs.fileName)
+	if err != nil {
+		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			return []byte{}, ErrKeyNotFound
+		}
+		return []byte{}, errors.Wrap(err, "could not open file")
+	}
+	defer file.Close()
+
+	b, err := io.ReadAll(file)
+	if err != nil {
+		return []byte{}, errors.Wrap(err, "could not read file")
+	}
+
+	if len(b) == 0 {
+		if kvs.logger != nil {
+			kvs.logger.Info("Unable to read empty file", zap.String("fileName", kvs.fileName))
+		} else {
+			log.Printf("Unable to read file %s, was empty", kvs.fileName)
+		}
+
+		return []byte{}, ErrStoreEmpty
+	}
+
+	return b, nil
+}
diff --git a/store/json_test.go b/store/json_test.go
index 83451fbaca..61760ef82e 100644
--- a/store/json_test.go
+++ b/store/json_test.go
@@ -129,6 +129,14 @@ func TestKeyValuePairsAreWrittenAndReadCorrectly(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to create KeyValueStore %v\n", err)
 	}
 
+	defer os.Remove(testFileName)
+
+	// Dump empty store.
+	_, err = kvs.Dump()
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected store to be empty")
+	}
+
 	// Write a key value pair.
 	err = kvs.Write(testKey1, &writtenValue)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -153,8 +161,17 @@ func TestKeyValuePairsAreWrittenAndReadCorrectly(t *testing.T) {
 			testKey1, readValue, testKey1, writtenValue)
 	}
 
-	// Cleanup.
-	os.Remove(testFileName)
+	// Dump populated store.
+	val, err := kvs.Dump()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to dump store %v", err)
+	}
+	val = strings.ReplaceAll(val, " ", "")
+	val = strings.ReplaceAll(val, "\t", "")
+	val = strings.ReplaceAll(val, "\n", "")
+	if val != `{"key1":{"Field1":"test","Field2":42},"key2":{"Field1":"any","Field2":14}}` {
+		t.Errorf("Dumped data not expected: %v", val)
+	}
 }
 
 // test case for testing newjsonfilestore idempotent
diff --git a/store/mockstore.go b/store/mockstore.go
index 7dda8b1938..7af27d7c16 100644
--- a/store/mockstore.go
+++ b/store/mockstore.go
@@ -71,3 +71,7 @@ func (ms *mockStore) GetLockFileName() string {
 }
 
 func (ms *mockStore) Remove() {}
+
+func (ms *mockStore) Dump() (string, error) {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%+v", ms.data), nil
+}
diff --git a/store/store.go b/store/store.go
index 73b9e3fc72..13db8b3218 100644
--- a/store/store.go
+++ b/store/store.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ type KeyValueStore interface {
 	Unlock() error
 	GetModificationTime() (time.Time, error)
 	Remove()
+	Dump() (string, error)
 }
 
 var (
diff --git a/testutils/store_mock.go b/testutils/store_mock.go
index cead32138c..ebd6d4ed87 100644
--- a/testutils/store_mock.go
+++ b/testutils/store_mock.go
@@ -54,3 +54,7 @@ func (mockst *KeyValueStoreMock) GetModificationTime() (time.Time, error) {
 }
 
 func (mockst *KeyValueStoreMock) Remove() {}
+
+func (mockst *KeyValueStoreMock) Dump() (string, error) {
+	return "", nil
+}