diff --git a/server/src/nest/journey/journey-domain.service.ts b/server/src/nest/journey/journey-domain.service.ts
index 6e5dc8355..0a498500d 100644
--- a/server/src/nest/journey/journey-domain.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/nest/journey/journey-domain.service.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
 import { avatarUrl } from '../common/avatarUrl';
 import type { Journey, JourneyEntry, JourneyPhoto, JourneyContributor } from '../../types';
+import { decodeEntryRow, type JourneyEntryWire } from './journey-entry-row';
 import { DatabaseService } from '../database/database.service';
 import { RealtimeService } from '../realtime/realtime.service';
 import type { JourneyStats, JourneyTrack, TrekWsUserEventName } from '@trek/shared';
@@ -250,9 +251,7 @@ export class JourneyDomainService {
       .all(journeyId);
 
     const enrichedEntries = entries.map((e) => ({
-      ...e,
-      tags: e.tags ? JSON.parse(e.tags) : [],
-      pros_cons: e.pros_cons ? JSON.parse(e.pros_cons) : null,
+      ...decodeEntryRow(e),
       photos: photosByEntry[e.id] || [],
       source_trip_name: e.source_trip_id
         ? (this.db.prepare('SELECT title FROM trips WHERE id = ?').get(e.source_trip_id) as { title: string } | undefined)
@@ -1081,9 +1080,7 @@ export class JourneyDomainService {
     }
 
     return entries.map((e) => ({
-      ...e,
-      tags: e.tags ? JSON.parse(e.tags) : [],
-      pros_cons: e.pros_cons ? JSON.parse(e.pros_cons) : null,
+      ...decodeEntryRow(e),
       photos: photosByEntry[e.id] || [],
       source_trip_name: e.source_trip_id
         ? (this.db.prepare('SELECT title FROM trips WHERE id = ?').get(e.source_trip_id) as { title: string } | undefined)
@@ -1112,7 +1109,7 @@ export class JourneyDomainService {
       sort_order?: number;
     },
     sid?: string,
-  ): JourneyEntry | null {
+  ): JourneyEntryWire | null {
     if (!this.canEdit(journeyId, userId)) return null;
 
     const now = this.ts();
@@ -1153,9 +1150,11 @@ export class JourneyDomainService {
         now,
       );
 
-    const created = this.db
-      .prepare('SELECT * FROM journey_entries WHERE id = ?')
-      .get(Number(res.lastInsertRowid)) as JourneyEntry;
+    const created = decodeEntryRow(
+      this.db
+        .prepare('SELECT * FROM journey_entries WHERE id = ?')
+        .get(Number(res.lastInsertRowid)) as JourneyEntry,
+    );
     this.broadcastJourneyEvent(journeyId, 'journey:entry:created', { entry: created }, sid);
     return created;
   }
@@ -1180,7 +1179,7 @@ export class JourneyDomainService {
       sort_order: number;
     }>,
     sid?: string,
-  ): JourneyEntry | null {
+  ): JourneyEntryWire | null {
     const entry = this.db.prepare('SELECT * FROM journey_entries WHERE id = ?').get(entryId) as JourneyEntry | undefined;
     if (!entry) return null;
     if (!this.canEdit(entry.journey_id, userId)) return null;
@@ -1229,7 +1228,7 @@ export class JourneyDomainService {
       values.push('entry');
     }
 
-    if (fields.length === 0) return entry;
+    if (fields.length === 0) return decodeEntryRow(entry);
 
     fields.push('updated_at = ?');
     values.push(this.ts());
@@ -1239,7 +1238,9 @@ export class JourneyDomainService {
     // touch the journey
     this.db.prepare('UPDATE journeys SET updated_at = ? WHERE id = ?').run(this.ts(), entry.journey_id);
 
-    const updated = this.db.prepare('SELECT * FROM journey_entries WHERE id = ?').get(entryId) as JourneyEntry;
+    const updated = decodeEntryRow(
+      this.db.prepare('SELECT * FROM journey_entries WHERE id = ?').get(entryId) as JourneyEntry,
+    );
     this.broadcastJourneyEvent(entry.journey_id, 'journey:entry:updated', { entry: updated }, sid);
     return updated;
   }
diff --git a/server/src/nest/journey/journey-entry-row.ts b/server/src/nest/journey/journey-entry-row.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0ce00035f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/nest/journey/journey-entry-row.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import type { JourneyEntry } from '../../types';
+
+/**
+ * A journey entry on the way out.
+ *
+ * `tags` and `pros_cons` are JSON held in TEXT columns, so a row read straight
+ * out of SQLite carries them as strings — and `JourneyEntry` types them that
+ * way, because it describes the row. What every consumer wants is the decoded
+ * shape, and it wants it under the same field names, so the two are one type
+ * apart and only this module knows the difference.
+ *
+ * That distinction is the whole bug this exists for. Three read paths decoded
+ * the columns by hand and the create and update paths did not, so an edit
+ * answered with `tags` as a string, the store spread it into an entry the
+ * client had typed as `string[]`, and the page threw `tags.map is not a
+ * function`. Neither compiler could see it: both sides were reading the same
+ * field name and only one of them was right.
+ *
+ * The broadcast is decoded for the same reason rather than because anything
+ * breaks on it today — the journey page reloads on any event and ignores the
+ * payload — but a payload that contradicts what the read paths answer is a trap
+ * for the first listener that decides to trust it.
+ */
+export interface JourneyEntryWire extends Omit<JourneyEntry, 'tags' | 'pros_cons'> {
+  tags: string[];
+  pros_cons: { pros: string[]; cons: string[] } | null;
+}
+
+/** Decode a row's JSON columns. The one place that knows they are JSON. */
+export function decodeEntryRow(row: JourneyEntry): JourneyEntryWire {
+  const { tags, pros_cons, ...rest } = row;
+  return {
+    ...rest,
+    tags: tags ? JSON.parse(tags) : [],
+    pros_cons: pros_cons ? JSON.parse(pros_cons) : null,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/server/src/nest/journey/journey-share.service.ts b/server/src/nest/journey/journey-share.service.ts
index e3a6f51e9..a0f120aeb 100644
--- a/server/src/nest/journey/journey-share.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/nest/journey/journey-share.service.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
 import crypto from 'crypto';
 import { DatabaseService } from '../database/database.service';
 import { JourneyDomainService } from './journey-domain.service';
+import { decodeEntryRow } from './journey-entry-row';
 import { SettingsService } from '../settings/settings.service';
 
 interface JourneySharePermissions {
@@ -194,9 +195,7 @@ export class JourneyShareService {
 
     const enrichedEntries = entries
       .map(e => ({
-        ...e,
-        tags: e.tags ? JSON.parse(e.tags) : [],
-        pros_cons: e.pros_cons ? JSON.parse(e.pros_cons) : null,
+        ...decodeEntryRow(e),
         photos: photosByEntry[e.id] || [],
       }));
 
diff --git a/server/tests/unit/nest/journey-domain.service.test.ts b/server/tests/unit/nest/journey-domain.service.test.ts
index b6d445715..63f6fa3a7 100644
--- a/server/tests/unit/nest/journey-domain.service.test.ts
+++ b/server/tests/unit/nest/journey-domain.service.test.ts
@@ -565,6 +565,84 @@ describe('updateEntry', () => {
     expect(updated!.story).toBe('Now I have a story!');
   });
 
+  /*
+   * The JSON columns come back decoded, on every path (#2085 follow-up).
+   *
+   * `tags` and `pros_cons` are JSON in TEXT columns. The read paths decoded
+   * them and create/update did not, so an edit answered with `tags` as a
+   * string, the client spread it into an entry it had typed as `string[]`, and
+   * the journey page threw `tags.map is not a function`.
+   */
+  it('answers with tags decoded, not as the JSON string the column holds', () => {
+    const { user } = createUser(testDb);
+    const journey = createJourney(testDb, user.id);
+    const entry = svc.createEntry(journey.id, user.id, {
+      title: 'Beach Day', entry_date: '2026-03-10', tags: ['beach', 'sunset'],
+    });
+
+    expect(entry!.tags).toEqual(['beach', 'sunset']);
+
+    const updated = svc.updateEntry(entry!.id, user.id, { title: 'Renamed' });
+    expect(updated!.tags).toEqual(['beach', 'sunset']);
+  });
+
+  it('decodes an emptied tag list rather than answering the string "[]"', () => {
+    const { user } = createUser(testDb);
+    const journey = createJourney(testDb, user.id);
+    const entry = createJourneyEntry(testDb, journey.id, user.id, { entry_date: '2026-03-01' });
+
+    // The update path writes JSON.stringify([]) with no length check, so this
+    // is the ordinary way an entry ends up with a non-null tags column.
+    const updated = svc.updateEntry(entry.id, user.id, { tags: [] });
+    expect(updated!.tags).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('decodes pros_cons the same way, on create and on update', () => {
+    const { user } = createUser(testDb);
+    const journey = createJourney(testDb, user.id);
+    const prosCons = { pros: ['warm'], cons: ['crowded'] };
+    const entry = svc.createEntry(journey.id, user.id, {
+      title: 'Verdict', entry_date: '2026-03-10', pros_cons: prosCons,
+    });
+
+    expect(entry!.pros_cons).toEqual(prosCons);
+    expect(svc.updateEntry(entry!.id, user.id, { title: 'Renamed' })!.pros_cons).toEqual(prosCons);
+  });
+
+  /* An update that changes nothing takes its own early return out of the method. */
+  it('decodes on the no-op update too', () => {
+    const { user } = createUser(testDb);
+    const journey = createJourney(testDb, user.id);
+    const entry = svc.createEntry(journey.id, user.id, {
+      title: 'Beach Day', entry_date: '2026-03-10', tags: ['beach'],
+    });
+
+    expect(svc.updateEntry(entry!.id, user.id, {})!.tags).toEqual(['beach']);
+  });
+
+  /*
+   * The broadcast carries the same shape as the answer. Nothing reads it today
+   * — the journey page reloads on any event — so this is about not leaving a
+   * payload that contradicts every read path for a listener to trust later.
+   */
+  it('broadcasts the decoded entry, not the row', () => {
+    const { user } = createUser(testDb);
+    const journey = createJourney(testDb, user.id);
+    const entry = svc.createEntry(journey.id, user.id, {
+      title: 'Beach Day', entry_date: '2026-03-10', tags: ['beach', 'sunset'],
+    });
+
+    const spy = vi.spyOn(RealtimeService.prototype, 'broadcastToUser').mockImplementation(() => {});
+    try {
+      svc.updateEntry(entry!.id, user.id, { title: 'Renamed' });
+      const payload = spy.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[1] as { type: string; entry: { tags: unknown } };
+      expect(payload.type).toBe('journey:entry:updated');
+      expect(payload.entry.tags).toEqual(['beach', 'sunset']);
+    } finally {
+      spy.mockRestore();
+    }
+  });
+
   it('JOURNEY-SVC-034: returns null for non-existent entry', () => {
     const { user } = createUser(testDb);