diff --git a/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension.Tests/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension.Tests.csproj b/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension.Tests/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension.Tests.csproj
index 633e45a0..90a227cf 100644
--- a/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension.Tests/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension.Tests.csproj
+++ b/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension.Tests/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension.Tests.csproj
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
       <Version>16.10.44</Version>
     </PackageReference>
     <PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json">
-      <Version>13.0.1</Version>
+      <Version>12.0.3</Version>
     </PackageReference>
   </ItemGroup>
   <Import Project="$(VSToolsPath)\TeamTest\Microsoft.TestTools.targets" Condition="Exists('$(VSToolsPath)\TeamTest\Microsoft.TestTools.targets')" />
diff --git a/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension.csproj b/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension.csproj
index 32174092..46207413 100644
--- a/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension.csproj
+++ b/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension/Microsoft.DevSkim.VSExtension.csproj
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@
       <Version>2.7.74</Version>
     </PackageReference>
     <PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json">
-      <Version>13.0.1</Version>
+      <Version>12.0.3</Version>
     </PackageReference>
     <PackageReference Include="StreamJsonRpc">
       <Version>2.7.76</Version>
diff --git a/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim/Language.cs b/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim/Language.cs
index fadadf2e..78cfd3a0 100644
--- a/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim/Language.cs
+++ b/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim/Language.cs
@@ -139,14 +139,14 @@ private Language()
             Stream? resource = assembly.GetManifestResourceStream("Microsoft.DevSkim.Resources.comments.json");
             using (StreamReader file = new StreamReader(resource ?? new MemoryStream()))
             {
-                Comments = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Comment>>(file.ReadToEnd());
+                Comments = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Comment>>(file.ReadToEnd()) ?? new List<Comment>();
             }
 
             // Load languages
             resource = assembly.GetManifestResourceStream("Microsoft.DevSkim.Resources.languages.json");
             using (StreamReader file = new StreamReader(resource ?? new MemoryStream()))
             {
-                Languages = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<LanguageInfo>>(file.ReadToEnd());
+                Languages = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<LanguageInfo>>(file.ReadToEnd()) ?? new List<LanguageInfo>();
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim/Microsoft.DevSkim.csproj b/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim/Microsoft.DevSkim.csproj
index d6865109..7367f260 100644
--- a/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim/Microsoft.DevSkim.csproj
+++ b/DevSkim-DotNet/Microsoft.DevSkim/Microsoft.DevSkim.csproj
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
       <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
     </PackageReference>
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CST.OAT" Version="1.0.84" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json" Version="13.0.1" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json" Version="12.0.3" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>