diff --git a/src/lib/stores/settings.ts b/src/lib/stores/settings.ts
index 51dab38dda2..18c55ce6e54 100644
--- a/src/lib/stores/settings.ts
+++ b/src/lib/stores/settings.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { browser } from "$app/environment";
+import { invalidate } from "$app/navigation";
 import { base } from "$app/paths";
+import { UrlDependency } from "$lib/types/UrlDependency";
 import { getContext, setContext } from "svelte";
 import { type Writable, writable, get } from "svelte/store";
 
@@ -53,6 +55,7 @@ export function createSettingsStore(initialValue: Omit<SettingsStore, "recentlyS
 						recentlySaved: false,
 					}));
 				}, 3000);
+				invalidate(UrlDependency.ConversationList);
 			}, 300);
 			// debounce server calls by 300ms
 		}
diff --git a/src/routes/+layout.server.ts b/src/routes/+layout.server.ts
index da37f18f6b0..9ce2c126a44 100644
--- a/src/routes/+layout.server.ts
+++ b/src/routes/+layout.server.ts
@@ -70,12 +70,21 @@ export const load: LayoutServerLoad = async ({ locals, depends }) => {
 				updatedAt: 1,
 				createdAt: 1,
 			})
-			.map((conv) => ({
-				id: conv._id.toString(),
-				title: settings?.hideEmojiOnSidebar ? conv.title.replace(/\p{Emoji}/gu, "") : conv.title,
-				model: conv.model ?? defaultModel,
-				updatedAt: conv.updatedAt,
-			}))
+			.map((conv) => {
+				// remove emojis if settings say so
+				if (settings?.hideEmojiOnSidebar) {
+					conv.title = conv.title.replace(/\p{Emoji}/gu, "");
+				}
+
+				// remove invalid unicode and trim whitespaces
+				conv.title = conv.title.replace(/\uFFFD/gu, "").trimStart();
+				return {
+					id: conv._id.toString(),
+					title: settings?.hideEmojiOnSidebar ? conv.title.replace(/\p{Emoji}/gu, "") : conv.title,
+					model: conv.model ?? defaultModel,
+					updatedAt: conv.updatedAt,
+				};
+			})
 			.toArray(),
 		settings: {
 			searchEnabled: !!(