- Build: explicitly write tt-native package.json into the bundle in

patchBundle so the runtime never gets empty content for that key
  (fixes "Unexpected end of JSON input" in Module._extensions..json
  when the host is started by the extension on Windows).
- State: treat empty or whitespace-only state.json (and legacy
  persist file) as missing and return default state instead of
  throwing in JSON.parse.
- State: add ensureStorageDir() and call it from message-router
  after setStoragePath so the storage directory exists on fresh
  install before any state is loaded or saved.

native-host/holesail-manager/index.js

@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ function setStoragePath(baseDir) {
   stateModule.setStoragePath(baseDir);
 }
 
+function ensureStorageDir() {
+  stateModule.ensureStorageDir();
+}
+
 // ── Restore persisted state ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 /**
@@ -108,6 +112,7 @@ module.exports = {
   setEventEmitter,
   // Storage
   setStoragePath,
+  ensureStorageDir,
   // Settings
   getSettings: settingsModule.getSettings,
   updateSettings: settingsModule.updateSettings,

native-host/holesail-manager/state.js

@@ -47,6 +47,16 @@ function getStatePath() {
   return stateFilePath;
 }
 
+/** Create the storage directory if it does not exist (e.g. fresh install on Windows). */
+function ensureStorageDir() {
+  const dir = path.dirname(getStatePath());
+  try {
+    fs.mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true });
+  } catch (e) {
+    if (process.stderr) process.stderr.write('[holesail-manager] could not create storage dir: ' + e.message + '\n');
+  }
+}
+
 function getLegacyPersistPath() {
   const dir = path.dirname(getStatePath());
   return path.join(dir, LEGACY_PERSIST_FILENAME);
@@ -82,6 +92,8 @@ function loadState() {
 
   try {
     const raw = fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf8');
+    const trimmed = raw && typeof raw === 'string' ? raw.trim() : '';
+    if (!trimmed) return buildDefaultState();
     const data = JSON.parse(raw);
     if (!data || typeof data !== 'object') return buildDefaultState();
     const out = {
@@ -110,6 +122,8 @@ function loadState() {
   const legacyFile = getLegacyPersistPath();
   try {
     const raw = fs.readFileSync(legacyFile, 'utf8');
+    const trimmed = raw && typeof raw === 'string' ? raw.trim() : '';
+    if (!trimmed) return buildDefaultState();
     const data = JSON.parse(raw);
     if (process.stderr) process.stderr.write('[holesail-manager] migrating from ' + legacyFile + ' to ' + file + '\n');
     const out = {
@@ -134,4 +148,4 @@ function loadState() {
   return buildDefaultState();
 }
 
-module.exports = { SETTINGS_DEFAULTS, setStoragePath, loadState, saveStateSync, buildDefaultState };
+module.exports = { SETTINGS_DEFAULTS, setStoragePath, loadState, saveStateSync, buildDefaultState, ensureStorageDir };

native-host/host/message-router.js

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const { initStartup, getProxiesReadyPromise, getTunnelsRestoredPromise, setTunne
 
 const holesailManager = require('../holesail-manager/index.js');
 holesailManager.setStoragePath(STORAGE_PATH);
+holesailManager.ensureStorageDir();
 
 const certificateAuthority = require('../managers/certificate-authority.js');
 const httpsProxy = require('../proxy/https-proxy.js');

scripts/build-distributable.js

@@ -180,6 +180,13 @@ function patchBundle(bundle, hosts) {
           }
         }
       )
+      // Ensure tt-native package.json has content in the bundle. On Windows the runtime
+      // can end up reading empty content for this key (path/bundle handling), causing
+      // "Unexpected end of JSON input" when the .json loader runs. Explicitly write it.
+      const pkgPath = path.join(NATIVE_HOST_DIR, 'node_modules', 'tt-native', 'package.json')
+      if (fs.existsSync(pkgPath)) {
+        bundle.write(ttNativePkgKey, fs.readFileSync(pkgPath))
+      }
       console.log('  Patched tt-native binding (host-specific resolutions)')
     }
   }