diff --git a/src/hooks/useSearch.tsx b/src/hooks/useSearch.tsx
index cd9dfea2..10ead168 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useSearch.tsx
+++ b/src/hooks/useSearch.tsx
@@ -46,9 +46,17 @@ export function useSearch(options: UseSearchOptions = {}) {
 
   // Load recent searches from localStorage
   useEffect(() => {
-    const stored = localStorage.getItem('thrillwiki_recent_searches');
-    if (stored) {
-      setRecentSearches(JSON.parse(stored));
+    try {
+      const stored = localStorage.getItem('thrillwiki_recent_searches');
+      if (stored) {
+        const parsed = JSON.parse(stored);
+        if (Array.isArray(parsed)) {
+          setRecentSearches(parsed);
+        }
+      }
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error('Failed to parse recent searches from localStorage:', error);
+      localStorage.removeItem('thrillwiki_recent_searches');
     }
   }, []);