diff --git a/desktop/src/bridge/updater.ts b/desktop/src/bridge/updater.ts
index 372f69c..9305417 100644
--- a/desktop/src/bridge/updater.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/bridge/updater.ts
@@ -147,6 +147,11 @@ async function formatUpdateError(e: unknown): Promise<string> {
   const onWin = isWindowsOs();
 
   if (!msg.trim()) return '업데이트 확인에 실패했습니다.';
+  if (/unexpected end of json|eof|empty|content-length.*0|^$/.test(lower) && msg.trim().length < 80) {
+    return onMac
+      ? '서버 latest.json 이 비어 있습니다. PC 프로그램 탭에서 dmg를 받아 다시 설치해 주세요. (관리자: Desktop Jenkins publish 필요)'
+      : '서버 latest.json 이 비어 있습니다. PC 프로그램 탭에서 exe를 받아 다시 설치해 주세요. (관리자: Desktop Jenkins publish 필요)';
+  }
   if (/could not fetch a valid release json|release not found/.test(lower)) {
     return onMac
       ? '업데이트 서버 응답을 처리하지 못했습니다. PC 프로그램 탭에서 dmg를 새로 설치해 주세요.'
diff --git a/scripts/deploy.sh b/scripts/deploy.sh
index 294857b..c671217 100755
--- a/scripts/deploy.sh
+++ b/scripts/deploy.sh
@@ -80,6 +80,20 @@ if [[ -x "$RECONCILE" ]]; then
   WORK_TREE="$WORK_TREE" "$RECONCILE" || warn "reconcile-desktop-latest-json 실패"
 fi
 
+ENSURE="$WORK_TREE/scripts/ensure-desktop-latest-json.mjs"
+UPDATES_DIR="$WORK_TREE/frontend/public/desktop/updates"
+if [[ -f "$ENSURE" && -d "$UPDATES_DIR" ]]; then
+  DESKTOP_VER="$(node -p "require('$WORK_TREE/desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json').version" 2>/dev/null || echo '0.1.0')"
+  if ! node "$ENSURE" --dir "$UPDATES_DIR" --version "$DESKTOP_VER" \
+      --base-url "${DESKTOP_UPDATE_BASE_URL:-https://exdev.co.kr/desktop/updates}" 2>/dev/null; then
+    warn "latest.json platforms 비어 있음 — Desktop Jenkins 파이프라인 publish 필요"
+  fi
+  LATEST="$UPDATES_DIR/latest.json"
+  if [[ -f "$LATEST" ]] && [[ "$(wc -c < "$LATEST" | tr -d ' ')" -lt 8 ]]; then
+    err "latest.json 이 비어 있습니다 — Desktop Jenkins publish 후 재배포하세요"
+  fi
+fi
+
 # Phase 2 — Docker 이미지 빌드 (호스트 npm 사용 안 함 → postcss 홈 디렉터리 간섭 방지)
 info "[Phase 2] Docker 이미지 빌드 ($SERVICE_NAME)"
 
diff --git a/scripts/ensure-desktop-latest-json.mjs b/scripts/ensure-desktop-latest-json.mjs
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..769a601
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ensure-desktop-latest-json.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+/**
+ * latest.json 무결성 보장 — 빈 파일·깨진 JSON 방지 (Tauri updater JSON parse 오류 예방)
+ */
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';
+
+const __dirname = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+
+function arg(name, fallback) {
+  const i = process.argv.indexOf(name);
+  return i >= 0 && process.argv[i + 1] ? process.argv[i + 1] : fallback;
+}
+
+const dir = path.resolve(arg('--dir', 'frontend/public/desktop/updates'));
+const version = arg('--version', '0.1.0');
+const rawBaseUrl = arg('--base-url', 'https://exdev.co.kr/desktop/updates');
+const baseUrl = rawBaseUrl.replace(/\/$/, '').replace(/^http:\/\//i, 'https://');
+const notes = arg('--notes', `GoldenChart Desktop ${version}`);
+const latestPath = path.join(dir, 'latest.json');
+const generator = path.join(__dirname, 'generate-desktop-latest-json.mjs');
+
+function isValidManifest(obj) {
+  return obj
+    && typeof obj === 'object'
+    && typeof obj.version === 'string'
+    && obj.version.trim().length > 0
+    && typeof obj.pub_date === 'string'
+    && obj.platforms
+    && typeof obj.platforms === 'object'
+    && !Array.isArray(obj.platforms);
+}
+
+function readManifest() {
+  if (!fs.existsSync(latestPath)) return null;
+  if (fs.statSync(latestPath).size < 8) return null;
+  try {
+    const obj = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(latestPath, 'utf8'));
+    return isValidManifest(obj) ? obj : null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function writeManifest(manifest) {
+  if (!fs.existsSync(dir)) fs.mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true });
+  const tmp = `${latestPath}.tmp`;
+  const body = `${JSON.stringify(manifest, null, 2)}\n`;
+  if (body.length < 8) throw new Error('refusing to write empty latest.json');
+  fs.writeFileSync(tmp, body, 'utf8');
+  fs.renameSync(tmp, latestPath);
+}
+
+function runGenerate() {
+  const r = spawnSync(
+    process.execPath,
+    [generator, '--version', version, '--dir', dir, '--base-url', baseUrl, '--notes', notes],
+    { encoding: 'utf8' },
+  );
+  if (r.status === 0) return readManifest();
+  return null;
+}
+
+function fallbackManifest(existing) {
+  return {
+    version: existing?.version?.trim() || version,
+    notes: existing?.notes?.trim() || notes,
+    pub_date: new Date().toISOString(),
+    platforms: existing?.platforms && typeof existing.platforms === 'object' ? existing.platforms : {},
+  };
+}
+
+if (!fs.existsSync(dir)) {
+  console.error('[ensure-latest] directory not found:', dir);
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
+let manifest = readManifest();
+const platformKeys = manifest ? Object.keys(manifest.platforms) : [];
+
+if (manifest && platformKeys.length > 0) {
+  console.log('[ensure-latest] OK v' + manifest.version + ' platforms=' + platformKeys.join(','));
+  process.exit(0);
+}
+
+const generated = runGenerate();
+if (generated && Object.keys(generated.platforms).length > 0) {
+  console.log('[ensure-latest] regenerated v' + generated.version + ' platforms=' + Object.keys(generated.platforms).join(','));
+  process.exit(0);
+}
+
+manifest = fallbackManifest(manifest);
+writeManifest(manifest);
+console.warn('[ensure-latest] fallback v' + manifest.version + ' (platforms empty — Jenkins desktop publish 필요)');
+process.exit(2);
diff --git a/scripts/generate-desktop-latest-json.mjs b/scripts/generate-desktop-latest-json.mjs
index 3f7fbf5..0c69de8 100644
--- a/scripts/generate-desktop-latest-json.mjs
+++ b/scripts/generate-desktop-latest-json.mjs
@@ -129,7 +129,14 @@ const manifest = {
 };
 
 const outPath = path.join(dir, 'latest.json');
-fs.writeFileSync(outPath, `${JSON.stringify(manifest, null, 2)}\n`);
+const body = `${JSON.stringify(manifest, null, 2)}\n`;
+if (body.length < 8) {
+  console.error('[error] refusing to write empty latest.json');
+  process.exit(3);
+}
+const tmpPath = `${outPath}.tmp`;
+fs.writeFileSync(tmpPath, body, 'utf8');
+fs.renameSync(tmpPath, outPath);
 console.log('Wrote', outPath);
 console.log('Platforms:', Object.keys(platforms).join(', ') || '(none — sign updater bundles first)');
 
diff --git a/scripts/publish-desktop-update.sh b/scripts/publish-desktop-update.sh
index baf3568..114a090 100755
--- a/scripts/publish-desktop-update.sh
+++ b/scripts/publish-desktop-update.sh
@@ -176,6 +176,22 @@ elif [[ "$GEN_RC" -ne 0 ]]; then
   exit "$GEN_RC"
 fi
 
+# 빈·손상 latest.json 방지
+node "$WORK_TREE/scripts/ensure-desktop-latest-json.mjs" \
+  --version "$VERSION" \
+  --dir "$PUBLISH_UPDATES" \
+  --base-url "$BASE_URL" \
+  --notes "$NOTES" || {
+  log "ERROR: latest.json 무결성 검증 실패" >&2
+  exit 1
+}
+
+LATEST_SIZE="$(wc -c < "$PUBLISH_UPDATES/latest.json" | tr -d ' ')"
+if [[ "${LATEST_SIZE:-0}" -lt 8 ]]; then
+  log "ERROR: latest.json is empty (${LATEST_SIZE} bytes)" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 log "Published v${VERSION}:"
 ls -la "$PUBLISH_UPDATES"
 
diff --git a/scripts/reconcile-desktop-latest-json.sh b/scripts/reconcile-desktop-latest-json.sh
index 23a04a5..1b125a8 100755
--- a/scripts/reconcile-desktop-latest-json.sh
+++ b/scripts/reconcile-desktop-latest-json.sh
@@ -67,7 +67,19 @@ set -e
 if [[ "$RC" -eq 0 ]]; then
   echo "[reconcile-latest] updated $UPDATES_DIR/latest.json"
 elif [[ "$RC" -eq 2 ]]; then
-  echo "[reconcile-latest] no signed bundles — keeping existing latest.json (v${VERSION})"
+  echo "[reconcile-latest] no signed bundles — ensure valid latest.json (never empty)"
+  node "$ROOT/scripts/ensure-desktop-latest-json.mjs" \
+    --version "$VERSION" \
+    --dir "$UPDATES_DIR" \
+    --base-url "$BASE_URL" \
+    --notes "$NOTES" || true
 else
   exit "$RC"
 fi
+
+# 빈·손상 latest.json 최종 방어
+node "$ROOT/scripts/ensure-desktop-latest-json.mjs" \
+  --version "$VERSION" \
+  --dir "$UPDATES_DIR" \
+  --base-url "$BASE_URL" \
+  --notes "$NOTES" || echo "[reconcile-latest] WARN: ensure failed — Jenkins desktop publish 필요" >&2
diff --git a/scripts/smoke-test-desktop.sh b/scripts/smoke-test-desktop.sh
index 2925be4..348f29d 100755
--- a/scripts/smoke-test-desktop.sh
+++ b/scripts/smoke-test-desktop.sh
@@ -41,7 +41,12 @@ if [[ -f "$LOCAL_LATEST" ]]; then
 fi
 
 if curl -sf "${BASE_URL}/latest.json" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-  ok "remote latest.json ${BASE_URL}/latest.json"
+  REMOTE="$(curl -sf "${BASE_URL}/latest.json" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+  if [[ -z "$REMOTE" || "${#REMOTE}" -lt 8 ]]; then
+    echo "[FAIL] remote latest.json empty (0-byte)"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  node -e "JSON.parse(process.argv[1])" "$REMOTE" && ok "remote latest.json ${BASE_URL}/latest.json"
 else
   echo "[WARN] remote latest.json unreachable (배포 전 정상)"
 fi
diff --git a/scripts/verify-desktop-published-version.sh b/scripts/verify-desktop-published-version.sh
index 88fa326..4806baf 100755
--- a/scripts/verify-desktop-published-version.sh
+++ b/scripts/verify-desktop-published-version.sh
@@ -15,12 +15,22 @@ log "git tauri.conf     → v${GIT_VER}"
 log "remote latest.json → ${LATEST_URL}"
 
 REMOTE_VER=""
+REMOTE_PLATFORMS="0"
 if REMOTE_JSON="$(curl -sf --connect-timeout 5 --max-time 12 "$LATEST_URL" 2>/dev/null)"; then
-  REMOTE_VER="$(printf '%s' "$REMOTE_JSON" | node -e "
+  if [[ -z "$REMOTE_JSON" || "${#REMOTE_JSON}" -lt 8 ]]; then
+    log "remote latest.json  → EMPTY (0-byte — updater JSON parse 실패 원인)"
+  else
+    read -r REMOTE_VER REMOTE_PLATFORMS <<< "$(printf '%s' "$REMOTE_JSON" | node -e "
 let d=''; process.stdin.on('data',c=>d+=c);
-process.stdin.on('end',()=>{ try { console.log(JSON.parse(d).version||''); } catch { console.log(''); } });
-" 2>/dev/null || true)"
-  log "remote version     → v${REMOTE_VER:-?}"
+process.stdin.on('end',()=>{
+  try {
+    const j=JSON.parse(d);
+    console.log((j.version||'')+' '+Object.keys(j.platforms||{}).length);
+  } catch { console.log(' 0'); }
+});
+" 2>/dev/null || echo ' 0')"
+    log "remote version     → v${REMOTE_VER:-?} (platforms: ${REMOTE_PLATFORMS:-0})"
+  fi
 else
   log "remote version     → (fetch failed)"
 fi