diff --git a/src/lib/ae_api/api_post__crud_obj.ts b/src/lib/ae_api/api_post__crud_obj.ts
index e9034153..dcafeedb 100644
--- a/src/lib/ae_api/api_post__crud_obj.ts
+++ b/src/lib/ae_api/api_post__crud_obj.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,22 @@ import { post_object } from './api_post_object';
 import { patch_object } from './api_patch_object';
 import { delete_object } from './api_delete_object';
 
+const JSON_PRETTY_SPACES = 2;
+
+function serialize_json_field_pretty(value: unknown) {
+    if (value === null || value === undefined) return value;
+
+    if (typeof value === 'string') {
+        try {
+            return JSON.stringify(JSON.parse(value), null, JSON_PRETTY_SPACES);
+        } catch {
+            return value;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return JSON.stringify(value, null, JSON_PRETTY_SPACES);
+}
+
 /**
  * --- POST (CREATE) WRAPPERS ---
  */
@@ -33,13 +49,11 @@ export async function create_ae_obj({
     // Standard Aether Pattern: Auto-serialize any key ending in _json
     const cleaned_fields = { ...fields };
     for (const key in cleaned_fields) {
-        if (
-            key.endsWith('_json') &&
-            cleaned_fields[key] !== null &&
-            typeof cleaned_fields[key] === 'object'
-        ) {
+        if (key.endsWith('_json') && cleaned_fields[key] !== null) {
             if (log_lvl) console.log(`Auto-serializing field: ${key}`);
-            cleaned_fields[key] = JSON.stringify(cleaned_fields[key]);
+            cleaned_fields[key] = serialize_json_field_pretty(
+                cleaned_fields[key]
+            );
         }
     }
 
@@ -98,12 +112,10 @@ export async function create_nested_obj({
     // Standard Aether Pattern: Auto-serialize any key ending in _json
     const cleaned_fields = { ...fields };
     for (const key in cleaned_fields) {
-        if (
-            key.endsWith('_json') &&
-            cleaned_fields[key] !== null &&
-            typeof cleaned_fields[key] === 'object'
-        ) {
-            cleaned_fields[key] = JSON.stringify(cleaned_fields[key]);
+        if (key.endsWith('_json') && cleaned_fields[key] !== null) {
+            cleaned_fields[key] = serialize_json_field_pretty(
+                cleaned_fields[key]
+            );
         }
     }
 
@@ -148,13 +160,11 @@ export async function update_ae_obj({
     // Standard Aether Pattern: Auto-serialize any key ending in _json
     const cleaned_fields = { ...fields };
     for (const key in cleaned_fields) {
-        if (
-            key.endsWith('_json') &&
-            cleaned_fields[key] !== null &&
-            typeof cleaned_fields[key] === 'object'
-        ) {
+        if (key.endsWith('_json') && cleaned_fields[key] !== null) {
             if (log_lvl > 1) console.log(`Auto-serializing field: ${key}`);
-            cleaned_fields[key] = JSON.stringify(cleaned_fields[key]);
+            cleaned_fields[key] = serialize_json_field_pretty(
+                cleaned_fields[key]
+            );
         }
     }
 
@@ -214,12 +224,10 @@ export async function update_nested_obj({
     // Standard Aether Pattern: Auto-serialize any key ending in _json
     const cleaned_fields = { ...fields };
     for (const key in cleaned_fields) {
-        if (
-            key.endsWith('_json') &&
-            cleaned_fields[key] !== null &&
-            typeof cleaned_fields[key] === 'object'
-        ) {
-            cleaned_fields[key] = JSON.stringify(cleaned_fields[key]);
+        if (key.endsWith('_json') && cleaned_fields[key] !== null) {
+            cleaned_fields[key] = serialize_json_field_pretty(
+                cleaned_fields[key]
+            );
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/api/api.ts b/src/lib/api/api.ts
index fb7dfa72..e55b23fc 100644
--- a/src/lib/api/api.ts
+++ b/src/lib/api/api.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,22 @@ import {
 
 import { get_data_store } from '$lib/ae_api/api_get__data_store';
 
+const JSON_PRETTY_SPACES = 2;
+
+function serialize_json_field_pretty(value: any) {
+    if (value === null || value === undefined) return value;
+
+    if (typeof value === 'string') {
+        try {
+            return JSON.stringify(JSON.parse(value), null, JSON_PRETTY_SPACES);
+        } catch {
+            return value;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return JSON.stringify(value, null, JSON_PRETTY_SPACES);
+}
+
 /**
  * Get a list of lookup objects (V3)
  * Standardized lookup data like countries, timezones, and subdivisions.
@@ -165,7 +181,7 @@ export const create_ae_obj_crud = async function create_ae_obj_crud({
                 if (log_lvl) {
                     console.log(`${key}: ${value}`);
                 }
-                data['data_list'][key] = JSON.stringify(value);
+                data['data_list'][key] = serialize_json_field_pretty(value);
             }
         }
     }
@@ -276,7 +292,7 @@ export const update_ae_obj_id_crud = async function update_ae_obj_id_crud({
                 if (log_lvl) {
                     console.log(`${key}: ${value}`);
                 }
-                data['data_list'][key] = JSON.stringify(value);
+                data['data_list'][key] = serialize_json_field_pretty(value);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/routes/core/accounts/[account_id]/+page.svelte b/src/routes/core/accounts/[account_id]/+page.svelte
index 7ee2a062..9fdb157f 100644
--- a/src/routes/core/accounts/[account_id]/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/core/accounts/[account_id]/+page.svelte
@@ -27,12 +27,14 @@ let saving = $state(false);
 let save_success = $state(false);
 let confirm_action = $state<string | null>(null);
 let load_error = $state<string | null>(null);
-let loaded_from_cache = $state(false);
+let loaded_from_list_fallback = $state(false);
+let loaded_from_local_cache = $state(false);
 
 async function load_account() {
     loading = true;
     load_error = null;
-    loaded_from_cache = false;
+    loaded_from_list_fallback = false;
+    loaded_from_local_cache = false;
     try {
         account = await load_ae_obj_id__account({
             api_cfg: $ae_api,
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ async function load_account() {
 
             if (account_from_list) {
                 account = account_from_list;
-                loaded_from_cache = true;
+                loaded_from_list_fallback = true;
             }
 
             const cached_account = await db_core.account
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ async function load_account() {
 
             if (!account && cached_account) {
                 account = cached_account;
-                loaded_from_cache = true;
+                loaded_from_local_cache = true;
             }
 
             if (!account) {
@@ -221,11 +223,15 @@ async function handle_delete() {
             </div>
         </div>
     {:else if account}
-        {#if loaded_from_cache}
+        {#if loaded_from_list_fallback || loaded_from_local_cache}
             <div
                 class="card border-warning-500/30 bg-warning-500/5 mb-2 flex items-start gap-3 border p-4 shadow-sm">
                 <p class="text-sm opacity-80">
-                    This record loaded from local cache because direct account API access is currently restricted for this session.
+                    {#if loaded_from_local_cache}
+                        This record loaded from local cache because direct account API access is currently restricted for this session.
+                    {:else}
+                        This record loaded from the account list fallback because direct account-by-id API access is currently restricted for this session.
+                    {/if}
                 </p>
             </div>
         {/if}
diff --git a/src/routes/core/sites/[site_id]/+page.svelte b/src/routes/core/sites/[site_id]/+page.svelte
index 44d668f9..19bcb68f 100644
--- a/src/routes/core/sites/[site_id]/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/core/sites/[site_id]/+page.svelte
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ async function handle_save_site() {
         }
     });
 
-    // Pretty-print cfg_json so it's human-readable in the DB (TEXT column)
+    // Keep cfg_json human-readable in DB TEXT columns.
+    // Safe here: V3 update_ae_obj only stringifies *_json when the value is an object.
     data_kv.cfg_json = JSON.stringify(site.cfg_json, null, 2);
 
     await update_ae_obj__site({