diff --git a/internal/storage/merge.go b/internal/storage/merge.go
index ec79b636..9b317149 100644
--- a/internal/storage/merge.go
+++ b/internal/storage/merge.go
@@ -1,21 +1,12 @@
 package storage
 
 import (
-	"strconv"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/qdm12/gluetun/internal/constants/providers"
 	"github.com/qdm12/gluetun/internal/models"
 )
 
-func (s *Storage) logVersionDiff(provider string, hardcodedVersion, persistedVersion uint16) {
-	message := provider + " servers from file discarded because they have version " +
-		strconv.Itoa(int(persistedVersion)) +
-		" and hardcoded servers have version " +
-		strconv.Itoa(int(hardcodedVersion))
-	s.logger.Info(message)
-}
-
 func (s *Storage) logTimeDiff(provider string, persistedUnix, hardcodedUnix int64) {
 	diff := time.Unix(persistedUnix, 0).Sub(time.Unix(hardcodedUnix, 0))
 	if diff < 0 {
diff --git a/internal/storage/read.go b/internal/storage/read.go
index dac2d52d..74526e8c 100644
--- a/internal/storage/read.go
+++ b/internal/storage/read.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package storage
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
@@ -78,26 +77,37 @@ func (s *Storage) extractServersFromBytes(b []byte, hardcodedVersions map[string
 	return servers, nil
 }
 
-var (
-	errDecodeProvider = errors.New("cannot decode servers for provider")
-)
-
 func (s *Storage) readServers(provider string, hardcodedVersion uint16,
 	rawMessage json.RawMessage, titleCaser cases.Caser) (servers models.Servers,
 	versionsMatch bool, err error) {
 	provider = titleCaser.String(provider)
 
-	var persistedServers models.Servers
-	err = json.Unmarshal(rawMessage, &persistedServers)
-	if err != nil {
-		return servers, false, fmt.Errorf("%w: %s: %s", errDecodeProvider, provider, err)
+	var versionObject struct {
+		Version uint16 `json:"version"`
 	}
 
-	versionsMatch = hardcodedVersion == persistedServers.Version
+	err = json.Unmarshal(rawMessage, &versionObject)
+	if err != nil {
+		return servers, false, fmt.Errorf("cannot decode servers version for provider %s: %w",
+			provider, err)
+	}
+
+	persistedVersion := versionObject.Version
+
+	versionsMatch = hardcodedVersion == persistedVersion
 	if !versionsMatch {
-		s.logVersionDiff(provider, hardcodedVersion, persistedServers.Version)
+		s.logger.Info(fmt.Sprintf(
+			"%s servers from file discarded because they have "+
+				"version %d and hardcoded servers have version %d",
+			provider, persistedVersion, hardcodedVersion))
 		return servers, versionsMatch, nil
 	}
 
-	return persistedServers, versionsMatch, nil
+	err = json.Unmarshal(rawMessage, &servers)
+	if err != nil {
+		return servers, false, fmt.Errorf("cannot decode servers for provider %s: %w",
+			provider, err)
+	}
+
+	return servers, versionsMatch, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/storage/read_test.go b/internal/storage/read_test.go
index 8acd1e3d..b33e2115 100644
--- a/internal/storage/read_test.go
+++ b/internal/storage/read_test.go
@@ -60,8 +60,14 @@ func Test_extractServersFromBytes(t *testing.T) {
 		"bad provider JSON": {
 			b:                 []byte(`{"cyberghost": "garbage"}`),
 			hardcodedVersions: populateProviderToVersion(1, map[string]uint16{}),
-			errMessage: "cannot decode servers for provider: Cyberghost: " +
-				"json: cannot unmarshal string into Go value of type models.Servers",
+			errMessage: "cannot decode servers version for provider Cyberghost: " +
+				"json: cannot unmarshal string into Go value of type struct { Version uint16 \"json:\\\"version\\\"\" }",
+		},
+		"bad servers array JSON": {
+			b:                 []byte(`{"cyberghost": {"version": 1, "servers": "garbage"}}`),
+			hardcodedVersions: populateProviderToVersion(1, map[string]uint16{}),
+			errMessage: "cannot decode servers for provider Cyberghost: " +
+				"json: cannot unmarshal string into Go struct field Servers.servers of type []models.Server",
 		},
 		"absent provider keys": {
 			b:                 []byte(`{}`),