diff --git a/layout-server/src/test/java/org/finos/vuu/layoutserver/integration/ApplicationLayoutIntegrationTest.java b/layout-server/src/test/java/org/finos/vuu/layoutserver/integration/ApplicationLayoutIntegrationTest.java
index 0f862b852..c65768159 100644
--- a/layout-server/src/test/java/org/finos/vuu/layoutserver/integration/ApplicationLayoutIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/layout-server/src/test/java/org/finos/vuu/layoutserver/integration/ApplicationLayoutIntegrationTest.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import org.finos.vuu.layoutserver.model.ApplicationLayout;
 import org.finos.vuu.layoutserver.repository.ApplicationLayoutRepository;
 import org.finos.vuu.layoutserver.utils.DefaultApplicationLayoutLoader;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.boot.test.autoconfigure.web.servlet.AutoConfigureMockMvc;
@@ -19,10 +20,15 @@
 import java.util.Map;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
-import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.*;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.contains;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.iterableWithSize;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.nullValue;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.doThrow;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
-import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.request.MockMvcRequestBuilders.*;
+import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.request.MockMvcRequestBuilders.delete;
+import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.request.MockMvcRequestBuilders.get;
+import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.request.MockMvcRequestBuilders.put;
 import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.result.MockMvcResultMatchers.jsonPath;
 import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.result.MockMvcResultMatchers.status;
 
@@ -43,6 +49,11 @@ public class ApplicationLayoutIntegrationTest {
     private DefaultApplicationLayoutLoader mockLoader;
     private final DefaultApplicationLayoutLoader realLoader = new DefaultApplicationLayoutLoader();
 
+    @BeforeEach
+    public void setUp() {
+        repository.deleteAll();
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void getApplicationLayout_noLayoutExists_returns200WithDefaultLayout() throws Exception {
         when(mockLoader.getDefaultLayout()).thenReturn(realLoader.getDefaultLayout());
@@ -140,6 +151,37 @@ public void persistApplicationLayout_noUserInHeader_returns400() throws Exceptio
         assertThat(actualError).isEqualTo(MISSING_USERNAME_ERROR_MESSAGE);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void persistApplicationLayout_definitionIsNotValidJSON_returns400AndDoesNotPersistLayout()
+        throws Exception {
+        String user = "user";
+        String layoutRequestString =
+            "{\n"
+                + "  \"definition\": invalidJson,\n"
+                + "  \"metadata\": {\n"
+                + "    \"name\": \"string\",\n"
+                + "    \"group\": \"string\",\n"
+                + "    \"screenshot\": \"string\",\n"
+                + "    \"user\": \"string\"\n"
+                + "  }\n"
+                + "}";
+
+        mockMvc.perform(put(BASE_URL).header("username", user)
+                .content(layoutRequestString)
+                .contentType(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON))
+            .andExpect(status().isBadRequest())
+            .andExpect(jsonPath("$.messages", iterableWithSize(1)))
+            .andExpect(jsonPath("$.messages", contains(
+                "JSON parse error: Unrecognized token 'invalidJson': was expecting (JSON String, "
+                    + "Number, Array, Object or token 'null', 'true' or 'false'); nested "
+                    + "exception is com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonParseException: Unrecognized "
+                    + "token 'invalidJson': was expecting (JSON String, Number, Array, Object or "
+                    + "token 'null', 'true' or 'false')\n at [Source: (org.springframework.util"
+                    + ".StreamUtils$NonClosingInputStream); line: 2, column: 29]")));
+
+        assertThat(repository.findAll()).isEmpty();
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void deleteApplicationLayout_noLayoutExists_returns404() throws Exception {
         String user = "user";
diff --git a/layout-server/src/test/java/org/finos/vuu/layoutserver/integration/LayoutIntegrationTest.java b/layout-server/src/test/java/org/finos/vuu/layoutserver/integration/LayoutIntegrationTest.java
index 94eedc8e3..9c4a8e552 100644
--- a/layout-server/src/test/java/org/finos/vuu/layoutserver/integration/LayoutIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/layout-server/src/test/java/org/finos/vuu/layoutserver/integration/LayoutIntegrationTest.java
@@ -227,6 +227,36 @@ void createLayout_invalidRequestBodyDefinitionsIsNull_returns400AndDoesNotCreate
         assertThat(metadataRepository.findAll()).isEmpty();
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void createLayout_invalidRequestBodyDefinitionIsNotValidJSON_returns400AndDoesNotCreateLayout()
+        throws Exception {
+        String layoutRequestString =
+            "{\n"
+                + "  \"definition\": invalidJson,\n"
+                + "  \"metadata\": {\n"
+                + "    \"name\": \"string\",\n"
+                + "    \"group\": \"string\",\n"
+                + "    \"screenshot\": \"string\",\n"
+                + "    \"user\": \"string\"\n"
+                + "  }\n"
+                + "}";
+
+        mockMvc.perform(
+                post("/layouts").content(layoutRequestString).contentType(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON))
+            .andExpect(status().isBadRequest())
+            .andExpect(jsonPath("$.messages", iterableWithSize(1)))
+            .andExpect(jsonPath("$.messages", contains(
+                "JSON parse error: Unrecognized token 'invalidJson': was expecting (JSON String, "
+                    + "Number, Array, Object or token 'null', 'true' or 'false'); nested "
+                    + "exception is com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonParseException: Unrecognized "
+                    + "token 'invalidJson': was expecting (JSON String, Number, Array, Object or "
+                    + "token 'null', 'true' or 'false')\n at [Source: (org.springframework.util"
+                    + ".StreamUtils$NonClosingInputStream); line: 2, column: 29]")));
+
+        assertThat(layoutRepository.findAll()).isEmpty();
+        assertThat(metadataRepository.findAll()).isEmpty();
+    }
+
     @Test
     void createLayout_invalidRequestBodyMetadataIsNull_returns400AndDoesNotCreateLayout()
             throws Exception {
@@ -318,6 +348,36 @@ void updateLayout_invalidRequestBodyDefinitionIsNull_returns400AndLayoutDoesNotC
         assertThat(layoutRepository.findById(layout.getId()).orElseThrow()).isEqualTo(layout);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void updateLayout_invalidRequestBodyDefinitionIsNotValidJSON_returns400AndDoesNotUpdateLayout()
+        throws Exception {
+        String layoutRequestString =
+            "{\n"
+                + "  \"definition\": invalidJson,\n"
+                + "  \"metadata\": {\n"
+                + "    \"name\": \"string\",\n"
+                + "    \"group\": \"string\",\n"
+                + "    \"screenshot\": \"string\",\n"
+                + "    \"user\": \"string\"\n"
+                + "  }\n"
+                + "}";
+
+        mockMvc.perform(put("/layouts/{id}", DEFAULT_LAYOUT_ID).content(layoutRequestString)
+                .contentType(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON))
+            .andExpect(status().isBadRequest())
+            .andExpect(jsonPath("$.messages", iterableWithSize(1)))
+            .andExpect(jsonPath("$.messages", contains(
+                "JSON parse error: Unrecognized token 'invalidJson': was expecting (JSON String, "
+                    + "Number, Array, Object or token 'null', 'true' or 'false'); nested "
+                    + "exception is com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonParseException: Unrecognized "
+                    + "token 'invalidJson': was expecting (JSON String, Number, Array, Object or "
+                    + "token 'null', 'true' or 'false')\n at [Source: (org.springframework.util"
+                    + ".StreamUtils$NonClosingInputStream); line: 2, column: 29]")));
+
+        assertThat(layoutRepository.findAll()).isEmpty();
+        assertThat(metadataRepository.findAll()).isEmpty();
+    }
+
     @Test
     void updateLayout_invalidRequestBodyMetadataIsNull_returns400AndLayoutDoesNotChange()
             throws Exception {