diff --git a/mne/_fiff/meas_info.py b/mne/_fiff/meas_info.py
index bd26501092d..98f8736ad23 100644
--- a/mne/_fiff/meas_info.py
+++ b/mne/_fiff/meas_info.py
@@ -3360,7 +3360,7 @@ def _force_update_info(info_base, info_target):
         The Info object(s) you wish to overwrite using info_base. These objects
         will be modified in-place.
     """
-    exclude_keys = ["chs", "ch_names", "nchan"]
+    exclude_keys = ["chs", "ch_names", "nchan", "bads"]
     info_target = np.atleast_1d(info_target).ravel()
     all_infos = np.hstack([info_base, info_target])
     for ii in all_infos:
diff --git a/mne/_fiff/tests/test_meas_info.py b/mne/_fiff/tests/test_meas_info.py
index abfa2ec291a..cdbeb1d8e44 100644
--- a/mne/_fiff/tests/test_meas_info.py
+++ b/mne/_fiff/tests/test_meas_info.py
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
     _dt_to_stamp,
     _add_timedelta_to_stamp,
     _read_extended_ch_info,
+    MNEBadsList,
 )
 from mne.minimum_norm import (
     make_inverse_operator,
@@ -487,8 +488,8 @@ def test_check_consistency():
 
     # Bad channels that are not in the info object
     info2 = info.copy()
-    info2["bads"] = ["b", "foo", "bar"]
-    pytest.raises(RuntimeError, info2._check_consistency)
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="do not exist"):
+        info2["bads"] = ["b", "foo", "bar"]
 
     # Bad data types
     info2 = info.copy()
@@ -1093,14 +1094,19 @@ def test_info_bad():
             info[key] = info[key]
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="between meg<->head"):
         info["dev_head_t"] = Transform("mri", "head", np.eye(4))
+    assert isinstance(info["bads"], MNEBadsList)
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="do not exist in info"):
         info["bads"] = ["foo"]
+    assert isinstance(info["bads"], MNEBadsList)
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="do not exist in info"):
         info["bads"] += ["foo"]
+    assert isinstance(info["bads"], MNEBadsList)
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="do not exist in info"):
         info["bads"].append("foo")
+    assert isinstance(info["bads"], MNEBadsList)
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="do not exist in info"):
         info["bads"].extend(["foo"])
+    assert isinstance(info["bads"], MNEBadsList)
     assert info["bads"] == info["ch_names"][:1]  # unchonged
 
 
diff --git a/mne/forward/forward.py b/mne/forward/forward.py
index 0fcb821ab2d..59c3b5f4691 100644
--- a/mne/forward/forward.py
+++ b/mne/forward/forward.py
@@ -445,11 +445,9 @@ def _read_forward_meas_info(tree, fid):
     else:
         raise ValueError("MEG/head coordinate transformation not found")
 
-    info["bads"] = _read_bad_channels(
-        fid, parent_meg, ch_names_mapping=ch_names_mapping
-    )
+    bads = _read_bad_channels(fid, parent_meg, ch_names_mapping=ch_names_mapping)
     # clean up our bad list, old versions could have non-existent bads
-    info["bads"] = [bad for bad in info["bads"] if bad in info["ch_names"]]
+    info["bads"] = [bad for bad in bads if bad in info["ch_names"]]
 
     # Check if a custom reference has been applied
     tag = find_tag(fid, parent_mri, FIFF.FIFF_MNE_CUSTOM_REF)