diff --git a/client/src/api/index.ts b/client/src/api/index.ts
index e22be0702139..3f3c1c689144 100644
--- a/client/src/api/index.ts
+++ b/client/src/api/index.ts
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ export function isHistoryItem(item: object): item is HistoryItemSummary {
 
 type RegisteredUserModel = components["schemas"]["DetailedUserModel"];
 type AnonymousUserModel = components["schemas"]["AnonUserModel"];
+type UserModel = RegisteredUserModel | AnonymousUserModel;
 
 export interface RegisteredUser extends RegisteredUserModel {
     isAnonymous: false;
@@ -226,20 +227,18 @@ export interface AnonymousUser extends AnonymousUserModel {
     isAnonymous: true;
 }
 
-export type GenericUser = RegisteredUser | AnonymousUser;
-
 /** Represents any user, including anonymous users or session-less (null) users.**/
-export type AnyUser = GenericUser | null;
+export type AnyUser = RegisteredUser | AnonymousUser | null;
 
-export function isRegisteredUser(user: AnyUser): user is RegisteredUser {
+export function isRegisteredUser(user: AnyUser | UserModel): user is RegisteredUser {
     return user !== null && "email" in user;
 }
 
-export function isAnonymousUser(user: AnyUser): user is AnonymousUser {
+export function isAnonymousUser(user: AnyUser | UserModel): user is AnonymousUser {
     return user !== null && !isRegisteredUser(user);
 }
 
-export function isAdminUser(user: AnyUser): user is RegisteredUser {
+export function isAdminUser(user: AnyUser | UserModel): user is RegisteredUser {
     return isRegisteredUser(user) && user.is_admin;
 }
 
diff --git a/client/src/components/History/CurrentHistory/HistoryMessages.vue b/client/src/components/History/CurrentHistory/HistoryMessages.vue
index b078e41f5e73..f3c87772568e 100644
--- a/client/src/components/History/CurrentHistory/HistoryMessages.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/History/CurrentHistory/HistoryMessages.vue
@@ -5,14 +5,14 @@ import { FontAwesomeIcon } from "@fortawesome/vue-fontawesome";
 import { BAlert } from "bootstrap-vue";
 import { computed, ref } from "vue";
 
-import { type GenericUser, type HistorySummary, userOwnsHistory } from "@/api";
+import { type AnyUser, type HistorySummary, userOwnsHistory } from "@/api";
 import localize from "@/utils/localization";
 
 library.add(faArchive, faBurn, faTrash);
 
 interface Props {
     history: HistorySummary;
-    currentUser: GenericUser | null;
+    currentUser: AnyUser;
 }
 
 const props = defineProps<Props>();
diff --git a/client/src/composables/hashedUserId.ts b/client/src/composables/hashedUserId.ts
index ef832d774d47..5d86b2dd8c42 100644
--- a/client/src/composables/hashedUserId.ts
+++ b/client/src/composables/hashedUserId.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { useLocalStorage } from "@vueuse/core";
 import { storeToRefs } from "pinia";
 import { computed, type Ref, ref, watch } from "vue";
 
-import { type GenericUser } from "@/api";
+import { type AnyUser } from "@/api";
 import { useUserStore } from "@/stores/userStore";
 
 async function hash32(value: string): Promise<string> {
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ let unhashedId: string | null = null;
 /**
  * One way hashed ID of the current User
  */
-export function useHashedUserId(user?: Ref<GenericUser | null>) {
-    let currentUser: Ref<GenericUser | null>;
+export function useHashedUserId(user?: Ref<AnyUser>) {
+    let currentUser: Ref<AnyUser>;
 
     if (user) {
         currentUser = user;
diff --git a/client/src/composables/userLocalStorage.ts b/client/src/composables/userLocalStorage.ts
index 16e8a7ce00ea..f0787732a12d 100644
--- a/client/src/composables/userLocalStorage.ts
+++ b/client/src/composables/userLocalStorage.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { useLocalStorage } from "@vueuse/core";
 import { computed, customRef, type Ref, ref } from "vue";
 
-import { type GenericUser } from "@/api";
+import { type AnyUser } from "@/api";
 
 import { useHashedUserId } from "./hashedUserId";
 
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { useHashedUserId } from "./hashedUserId";
  * @param key
  * @param initialValue
  */
-export function useUserLocalStorage<T>(key: string, initialValue: T, user?: Ref<GenericUser | null>) {
+export function useUserLocalStorage<T>(key: string, initialValue: T, user?: Ref<AnyUser>) {
     const { hashedUserId } = useHashedUserId(user);
 
     const storedRef = computed(() => {
diff --git a/client/src/stores/userStore.ts b/client/src/stores/userStore.ts
index 3691848ff1f0..55a49d491209 100644
--- a/client/src/stores/userStore.ts
+++ b/client/src/stores/userStore.ts
@@ -11,9 +11,14 @@ import {
     setCurrentThemeQuery,
 } from "@/stores/users/queries";
 
+interface FavoriteTools {
+    tools: string[];
+}
+
 interface Preferences {
-    theme: string;
-    favorites: { tools: string[] };
+    theme?: string;
+    favorites: FavoriteTools;
+    [key: string]: unknown;
 }
 
 type ListViewMode = "grid" | "list";
@@ -68,12 +73,15 @@ export const useUserStore = defineStore("userStore", () => {
         if (!loadPromise) {
             loadPromise = getCurrentUser()
                 .then(async (user) => {
-                    currentUser.value = { ...user, isAnonymous: !user.email };
-                    currentPreferences.value = user?.preferences ?? null;
-                    // TODO: This is a hack to get around the fact that the API returns a string
-                    if (currentPreferences.value?.favorites) {
-                        currentPreferences.value.favorites = JSON.parse(user?.preferences?.favorites ?? { tools: [] });
+                    if (isRegisteredUser(user)) {
+                        currentUser.value = user;
+                        currentPreferences.value = processUserPreferences(user);
+                    } else if (isAnonymousUser(user)) {
+                        currentUser.value = user;
+                    } else if (user === null) {
+                        currentUser.value = null;
                     }
+
                     if (includeHistories) {
                         const historyStore = useHistoryStore();
                         // load first few histories for user to start pagination
@@ -116,7 +124,7 @@ export const useUserStore = defineStore("userStore", () => {
 
     function setFavoriteTools(tools: string[]) {
         if (currentPreferences.value) {
-            currentPreferences.value.favorites.tools = tools ?? { tools: [] };
+            currentPreferences.value.favorites.tools = tools;
         }
     }
 
@@ -128,6 +136,16 @@ export const useUserStore = defineStore("userStore", () => {
         toggledSideBar.value = toggledSideBar.value === currentOpen ? "" : currentOpen;
     }
 
+    function processUserPreferences(user: RegisteredUser): Preferences {
+        // Favorites are returned as a JSON string by the API
+        const favorites =
+            typeof user.preferences.favorites === "string" ? JSON.parse(user.preferences.favorites) : { tools: [] };
+        return {
+            ...user.preferences,
+            favorites,
+        };
+    }
+
     return {
         currentUser,
         currentPreferences,