diff --git a/src/sql/workbench/services/notebook/common/localContentManager.ts b/src/sql/workbench/services/notebook/common/localContentManager.ts
index 6f22d65e6e..64f76f37eb 100644
--- a/src/sql/workbench/services/notebook/common/localContentManager.ts
+++ b/src/sql/workbench/services/notebook/common/localContentManager.ts
@@ -25,8 +25,12 @@ export class LocalContentManager implements nb.ContentManager {
 	constructor(@IFileService private readonly fileService: IFileService) { }
 
 	public async loadFromContentString(contentString: string): Promise<nb.INotebookContents> {
-		let contents: JSONObject = json.parse(contentString);
-
+		let contents: JSONObject;
+		if (contentString === '' || contentString === undefined) {
+			return v4.createEmptyNotebook();
+		} else {
+			contents = this.parseFromJson(contentString);
+		}
 		if (contents) {
 			if (contents.nbformat === 4) {
 				return v4.readNotebook(<any>contents);
@@ -36,9 +40,6 @@ export class LocalContentManager implements nb.ContentManager {
 			if (contents.nbformat) {
 				throw new TypeError(localize('nbformatNotRecognized', 'nbformat v{0}.{1} not recognized', contents.nbformat as any, contents.nbformat_minor as any));
 			}
-		} else if (contentString === '' || contentString === undefined) {
-			// Empty?
-			return v4.createEmptyNotebook();
 		}
 
 		// else, fallthrough condition
@@ -53,7 +54,13 @@ export class LocalContentManager implements nb.ContentManager {
 		// Note: intentionally letting caller handle exceptions
 		let notebookFileBuffer = await this.fileService.readFile(notebookUri);
 		let stringContents = notebookFileBuffer.value.toString();
-		let contents: JSONObject = json.parse(stringContents);
+		let contents: JSONObject;
+		if (stringContents === '' || stringContents === undefined) {
+			// Empty?
+			return v4.createEmptyNotebook();
+		} else {
+			contents = this.parseFromJson(stringContents);
+		}
 
 		if (contents) {
 			if (contents.nbformat === 4) {
@@ -64,9 +71,6 @@ export class LocalContentManager implements nb.ContentManager {
 			if (contents.nbformat) {
 				throw new TypeError(localize('nbformatNotRecognized', 'nbformat v{0}.{1} not recognized', contents.nbformat as any, contents.nbformat_minor as any));
 			}
-		} else if (stringContents === '' || stringContents === undefined) {
-			// Empty?
-			return v4.createEmptyNotebook();
 		}
 
 		// else, fallthrough condition
@@ -81,6 +85,15 @@ export class LocalContentManager implements nb.ContentManager {
 		return notebook;
 	}
 
+	private parseFromJson(contentString: string): JSONObject {
+		let contents: JSONObject;
+		try {
+			contents = JSON.parse(contentString);
+		} catch {
+			contents = json.parse(contentString);
+		}
+		return contents;
+	}
 }
 
 namespace v4 {