diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 328047e..09b1cdc 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.53.0
\ No newline at end of file
+0.53.1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/app/models.py b/backend/app/models.py
index c477979..a40b5e9 100644
--- a/backend/app/models.py
+++ b/backend/app/models.py
@@ -1020,16 +1020,19 @@ class PlexShow(Base, TimestampMixin, UpdatedAtMixin):
     thumb_key: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(String(512))  # Plex thumb path (proxied, not stored)
     art_key: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(String(512))
     child_count: Mapped[int | None] = mapped_column(Integer)  # seasons
-    collection_keys: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB)  # Plex collections this show is in
+    collection_keys: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB(none_as_null=True))  # Plex collections this show is in
     added_at: Mapped[datetime | None] = mapped_column(DateTime(timezone=True), index=True)
     # Filterable / orderable metadata mirrored from the show section listing (parallels PlexItem).
     rating: Mapped[float | None] = mapped_column(Float, index=True)  # Plex audienceRating (~IMDb)
     content_rating: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(String(16), index=True)
     studio: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(String(255), index=True)  # network/studio
     originally_available_at: Mapped[Date | None] = mapped_column(Date, index=True)  # first air date
-    genres: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB)
-    directors: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB)
-    cast_names: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB)
+    # none_as_null: an empty tag list must persist as SQL NULL, not JSON `null`. Without it a Python
+    # None round-trips as a JSON scalar that jsonb_array_elements_text() can't unnest ("cannot extract
+    # elements from a scalar") — the trap a metadata-poor library sprang on /facets. Same on plex_items.
+    genres: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB(none_as_null=True))
+    directors: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB(none_as_null=True))
+    cast_names: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB(none_as_null=True))
     people_text: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(Text)  # cast+directors, folded into search_vector
     # Set once the show's FULL cast has been rich-fetched by the backfill; NULL = still the listing top-3.
     people_enriched_at: Mapped[datetime | None] = mapped_column(DateTime(timezone=True))
@@ -1116,11 +1119,11 @@ class PlexItem(Base, TimestampMixin, UpdatedAtMixin):
     content_rating: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(String(16), index=True)
     studio: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(String(255), index=True)
     originally_available_at: Mapped[Date | None] = mapped_column(Date, index=True)
-    genres: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB)
-    directors: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB)
-    cast_names: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB)
+    genres: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB(none_as_null=True))
+    directors: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB(none_as_null=True))
+    cast_names: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB(none_as_null=True))
     # rating_keys of the Plex collections this movie belongs to (GIN — filter + card-strip siblings).
-    collection_keys: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB)
+    collection_keys: Mapped[list | None] = mapped_column(JSONB(none_as_null=True))
     # Cast + director names, space-joined — folded into search_vector (weight B) so the search box
     # finds titles by a person's name (and ranks them above summary-only mentions).
     people_text: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(Text)
diff --git a/backend/app/routes/plex.py b/backend/app/routes/plex.py
index 95c42a5..2f82edf 100644
--- a/backend/app/routes/plex.py
+++ b/backend/app/routes/plex.py
@@ -675,10 +675,15 @@ def facets(
         # the result down to zero, i.e. a dead-end chip. (The already-selected genres still appear, since
         # every matching title carries them, so they stay togglable.)
         genre_pp = p if p.get("genre_mode") == "all" else {**p, "genres": None}
+        # Only rows whose `genres` is a JSON array can be unnested. A genre-less item stores JSON
+        # `null` (SQLAlchemy's JSONB persists a Python None as JSON null, not SQL NULL), and
+        # jsonb_array_elements_text() raises on a scalar ("cannot extract elements from a scalar") —
+        # so a single metadata-poor library (e.g. one bare Shows library with no genres) 500'd the
+        # whole facets endpoint. Mirror the exact guard people.py already applies to the same columns.
         expanded = wsq(
             db.query(func.jsonb_array_elements_text(model.genres).label("g")),
             model, ids, genre_pp, kind_movie, True,
-        ).subquery()
+        ).filter(func.jsonb_typeof(model.genres) == "array").subquery()
         for g, c in db.query(expanded.c.g, func.count()).group_by(expanded.c.g).all():
             genre_counts[g] = genre_counts.get(g, 0) + c
         # Content ratings — exclude its own.
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/releaseNotes.ts b/frontend/src/lib/releaseNotes.ts
index fce6092..5bfab89 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/releaseNotes.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/releaseNotes.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ export interface ReleaseEntry {
 }
 
 export const RELEASE_NOTES: ReleaseEntry[] = [
+  {
+    version: "0.53.1",
+    date: "2026-07-25",
+    summary: "The Plex page no longer errors when a mirrored library has items without genres.",
+    fixes: [
+      "Opening the Plex module could fail with a server error when a mirrored library contained items with no genre metadata (for example a freshly added, sparsely-tagged library). The filter sidebar now handles genre-less items correctly, so the page loads normally.",
+    ],
+  },
   {
     version: "0.53.0",
     date: "2026-07-23",