diff --git a/scripts/addons_core/bl_pkg/bl_extension_utils.py b/scripts/addons_core/bl_pkg/bl_extension_utils.py
index ff3738a9dd5..22af25ac516 100644
--- a/scripts/addons_core/bl_pkg/bl_extension_utils.py
+++ b/scripts/addons_core/bl_pkg/bl_extension_utils.py
@@ -1343,7 +1343,7 @@ def pkg_manifest_params_compatible_or_error(
     return None
 
 
-def repository_filter_packages(
+def repository_parse_data_filtered(
         data: List[Dict[str, Any]],
         *,
         repo_directory: str,
@@ -1352,6 +1352,10 @@ def repository_filter_packages(
 ) -> Dict[str, PkgManifest_Normalized]:
     pkg_manifest_map = {}
     for item in data:
+        if not isinstance(item, dict):
+            error_fn(Exception("found non dict item in repository \"data\", found {:s}".format(str(type(item)))))
+            continue
+
         if (pkg_idname := repository_id_with_error_fn(
                 item,
                 repo_directory=repo_directory,
@@ -1531,7 +1535,7 @@ class _RepoDataSouce_JSON(_RepoDataSouce_ABC):
         data = RepoRemoteData(
             version=data_dict.get("version", "v1"),
             blocklist=data_dict.get("blocklist", []),
-            pkg_manifest_map=repository_filter_packages(
+            pkg_manifest_map=repository_parse_data_filtered(
                 data_dict.get("data", []),
                 repo_directory=os.path.dirname(self._filepath),
                 filter_params=self._filter_params,
diff --git a/scripts/addons_core/bl_pkg/cli/blender_ext.py b/scripts/addons_core/bl_pkg/cli/blender_ext.py
index a1450aca18e..66744659f48 100755
--- a/scripts/addons_core/bl_pkg/cli/blender_ext.py
+++ b/scripts/addons_core/bl_pkg/cli/blender_ext.py
@@ -2608,6 +2608,9 @@ def pkg_repo_data_from_json_or_error(json_data: Dict[str, Any]) -> Union[PkgRepo
 
     if not isinstance((data := json_data.get("data", [])), list):
         return "expected \"data\" to be a list"
+    for item in data:
+        if not isinstance(item, dict):
+            return "expected \"data\" contain dictionary items"
 
     result_new = PkgRepoData(
         version=version,