diff --git a/crates/workspace/src/persistence.rs b/crates/workspace/src/persistence.rs
index 0d7784093a59dd84fa610f80a2d03b11994ae1cf..2a4062c079a81f4450eb2f6fe5d7825d441c9b6d 100644
--- a/crates/workspace/src/persistence.rs
+++ b/crates/workspace/src/persistence.rs
@@ -443,7 +443,10 @@ impl WorkspaceDb {
             } => {
                 let (parent_id, position) = unzip_option(parent);
 
-                let flex_string = serde_json::json!(flexes).to_string();
+                let flex_string = flexes
+                    .as_ref()
+                    .map(|flexes| serde_json::json!(flexes).to_string());
+
                 let group_id = conn.select_row_bound::<_, i64>(sql!(
                     INSERT INTO pane_groups(
                         workspace_id,