diff --git a/registry/repository_test.go b/registry/repository_test.go
index 8d025101..efeb6d4e 100644
--- a/registry/repository_test.go
+++ b/registry/repository_test.go
@@ -39,8 +39,9 @@ var ErrBadFetch = errors.New("bad fetch error")
 
 // testStorage implements content.ReadOnlyGraphStorage
 type testStorage struct {
-	store     *memory.Store
-	badValues set.Set[digest.Digest]
+	store    *memory.Store
+	badFetch set.Set[digest.Digest]
+	badJson  set.Set[digest.Digest]
 }
 
 func (s *testStorage) Push(ctx context.Context, expected ocispec.Descriptor, reader io.Reader) error {
@@ -48,9 +49,12 @@ func (s *testStorage) Push(ctx context.Context, expected ocispec.Descriptor, rea
 }
 
 func (s *testStorage) Fetch(ctx context.Context, target ocispec.Descriptor) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
-	if s.badValues.Contains(target.Digest) {
+	if s.badFetch.Contains(target.Digest) {
 		return nil, ErrBadFetch
 	}
+	if s.badJson.Contains(target.Digest) {
+		return io.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader([]byte("bad json"))), nil
+	}
 	return s.store.Fetch(ctx, target)
 }
 
@@ -74,8 +78,9 @@ func (rl *TestReferrerLister) Referrers(ctx context.Context, desc ocispec.Descri
 
 func TestReferrers(t *testing.T) {
 	s := testStorage{
-		store:     memory.New(),
-		badValues: set.New[digest.Digest](),
+		store:    memory.New(),
+		badFetch: set.New[digest.Digest](),
+		badJson:  set.New[digest.Digest](),
 	}
 	ctx := context.Background()
 
@@ -288,8 +293,9 @@ func TestReferrers(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestReferrers_BadFetch(t *testing.T) {
 	s := testStorage{
-		store:     memory.New(),
-		badValues: set.New[digest.Digest](),
+		store:    memory.New(),
+		badFetch: set.New[digest.Digest](),
+		badJson:  set.New[digest.Digest](),
 	}
 	ctx := context.Background()
 
@@ -356,9 +362,9 @@ func TestReferrers_BadFetch(t *testing.T) {
 	generateImageManifest(descs[0], &descs[4], descs[2])              // Blob 5
 	generateArtifactManifest(&descs[5], descs[3])                     // Blob 6
 	generateIndex(&descs[6], descs[5:8]...)                           // Blob 7
-	s.badValues.Add(descs[5].Digest)
-	s.badValues.Add(descs[6].Digest)
-	s.badValues.Add(descs[7].Digest)
+	s.badFetch.Add(descs[5].Digest)
+	s.badFetch.Add(descs[6].Digest)
+	s.badFetch.Add(descs[7].Digest)
 
 	eg, egCtx := errgroup.WithContext(ctx)
 	for i := range blobs {
@@ -384,6 +390,105 @@ func TestReferrers_BadFetch(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestReferrers_BadJson(t *testing.T) {
+	s := testStorage{
+		store:    memory.New(),
+		badFetch: set.New[digest.Digest](),
+		badJson:  set.New[digest.Digest](),
+	}
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	// generate test content
+	var blobs [][]byte
+	var descs []ocispec.Descriptor
+	appendBlob := func(mediaType string, artifactType string, blob []byte) {
+		blobs = append(blobs, blob)
+		descs = append(descs, ocispec.Descriptor{
+			MediaType:    mediaType,
+			ArtifactType: artifactType,
+			Annotations:  map[string]string{"test": "content"},
+			Digest:       digest.FromBytes(blob),
+			Size:         int64(len(blob)),
+		})
+	}
+	generateImageManifest := func(config ocispec.Descriptor, subject *ocispec.Descriptor, layers ...ocispec.Descriptor) {
+		manifest := ocispec.Manifest{
+			MediaType:   ocispec.MediaTypeImageManifest,
+			Config:      config,
+			Subject:     subject,
+			Layers:      layers,
+			Annotations: map[string]string{"test": "content"},
+		}
+		manifestJSON, err := json.Marshal(manifest)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		appendBlob(ocispec.MediaTypeImageManifest, manifest.Config.MediaType, manifestJSON)
+	}
+	generateArtifactManifest := func(subject *ocispec.Descriptor, blobs ...ocispec.Descriptor) {
+		artifact := spec.Artifact{
+			MediaType:    spec.MediaTypeArtifactManifest,
+			ArtifactType: "artifact",
+			Subject:      subject,
+			Blobs:        blobs,
+			Annotations:  map[string]string{"test": "content"},
+		}
+		manifestJSON, err := json.Marshal(artifact)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		appendBlob(spec.MediaTypeArtifactManifest, artifact.ArtifactType, manifestJSON)
+	}
+	generateIndex := func(subject *ocispec.Descriptor, manifests ...ocispec.Descriptor) {
+		index := ocispec.Index{
+			MediaType:    ocispec.MediaTypeImageIndex,
+			ArtifactType: "index",
+			Subject:      subject,
+			Manifests:    manifests,
+			Annotations:  map[string]string{"test": "content"},
+		}
+		indexJSON, err := json.Marshal(index)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		appendBlob(ocispec.MediaTypeImageIndex, index.ArtifactType, indexJSON)
+	}
+	appendBlob("image manifest", "image config", []byte("config"))    // Blob 0
+	appendBlob(ocispec.MediaTypeImageLayer, "layer", []byte("foo"))   // Blob 1
+	appendBlob(ocispec.MediaTypeImageLayer, "layer", []byte("bar"))   // Blob 2
+	appendBlob(ocispec.MediaTypeImageLayer, "layer", []byte("hello")) // Blob 3
+	generateImageManifest(descs[0], nil, descs[1])                    // Blob 4
+	generateImageManifest(descs[0], &descs[4], descs[2])              // Blob 5
+	generateArtifactManifest(&descs[5], descs[3])                     // Blob 6
+	generateIndex(&descs[6], descs[5:8]...)                           // Blob 7
+	s.badJson.Add(descs[5].Digest)
+	s.badJson.Add(descs[6].Digest)
+	s.badJson.Add(descs[7].Digest)
+
+	eg, egCtx := errgroup.WithContext(ctx)
+	for i := range blobs {
+		eg.Go(func(i int) func() error {
+			return func() error {
+				err := s.Push(egCtx, descs[i], bytes.NewReader(blobs[i]))
+				if err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("failed to push test content to src: %d: %v", i, err)
+				}
+				return nil
+			}
+		}(i))
+	}
+	if err := eg.Wait(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	for i := 4; i < 7; i++ {
+		_, err := Referrers(ctx, &s, descs[i], "")
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("Store.Referrers(%d) error = %v, want Json Unmarshall error", i, err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func equalDescriptorSet(actual []ocispec.Descriptor, expected []ocispec.Descriptor) bool {
 	if len(actual) != len(expected) {
 		return false