diff --git a/client/homebrew/pages/editPage/editPage.jsx b/client/homebrew/pages/editPage/editPage.jsx
index e8c0db03e..873f5d3d2 100644
--- a/client/homebrew/pages/editPage/editPage.jsx
+++ b/client/homebrew/pages/editPage/editPage.jsx
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ const BrewRenderer = require('../../brewRenderer/brewRenderer.jsx');
 
 const Markdown = require('naturalcrit/markdown.js');
 
+const { DEFAULT_BREW_LOAD } = require('../../../../server/brewDefaults.js');
+
 const googleDriveActive = require('../../googleDrive.png');
 const googleDriveInactive = require('../../googleDriveMono.png');
 
@@ -30,24 +32,7 @@ const EditPage = createClass({
 	displayName     : 'EditPage',
 	getDefaultProps : function() {
 		return {
-			brew : {
-				text      : '',
-				style     : '',
-				shareId   : null,
-				editId    : null,
-				createdAt : null,
-				updatedAt : null,
-				gDrive    : false,
-				trashed   : false,
-
-				title       : '',
-				description : '',
-				tags        : '',
-				published   : false,
-				authors     : [],
-				systems     : [],
-				renderer    : 'legacy'
-			}
+			brew : DEFAULT_BREW_LOAD
 		};
 	},
 
diff --git a/client/homebrew/pages/homePage/homePage.jsx b/client/homebrew/pages/homePage/homePage.jsx
index f634a9387..7e9d9c3b4 100644
--- a/client/homebrew/pages/homePage/homePage.jsx
+++ b/client/homebrew/pages/homePage/homePage.jsx
@@ -18,16 +18,14 @@ const SplitPane = require('naturalcrit/splitPane/splitPane.jsx');
 const Editor = require('../../editor/editor.jsx');
 const BrewRenderer = require('../../brewRenderer/brewRenderer.jsx');
 
-
+const { DEFAULT_BREW } = require('../../../../server/brewDefaults.js');
 
 const HomePage = createClass({
 	displayName     : 'HomePage',
 	getDefaultProps : function() {
 		return {
-			brew : {
-				text : '',
-			},
-			ver : '0.0.0'
+			brew : DEFAULT_BREW,
+			ver  : '0.0.0'
 		};
 	},
 	getInitialState : function() {
diff --git a/client/homebrew/pages/newPage/newPage.jsx b/client/homebrew/pages/newPage/newPage.jsx
index 251f169c9..cd197f5fb 100644
--- a/client/homebrew/pages/newPage/newPage.jsx
+++ b/client/homebrew/pages/newPage/newPage.jsx
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ const SplitPane = require('naturalcrit/splitPane/splitPane.jsx');
 const Editor = require('../../editor/editor.jsx');
 const BrewRenderer = require('../../brewRenderer/brewRenderer.jsx');
 
+const { DEFAULT_BREW } = require('../../../../server/brewDefaults.js');
+
 const BREWKEY = 'homebrewery-new';
 const STYLEKEY = 'homebrewery-new-style';
 const METAKEY = 'homebrewery-new-meta';
@@ -26,30 +28,12 @@ const NewPage = createClass({
 	displayName     : 'NewPage',
 	getDefaultProps : function() {
 		return {
-			brew : {
-				text        : '',
-				style       : undefined,
-				title       : '',
-				description : '',
-				renderer    : 'V3',
-				theme       : '5ePHB'
-			}
+			brew : DEFAULT_BREW
 		};
 	},
 
 	getInitialState : function() {
-		let brew = this.props.brew;
-
-		if(this.props.brew.shareId) {
-			brew = {
-				text        : brew.text        ?? '',
-				style       : brew.style       ?? undefined,
-				title       : brew.title       ?? '',
-				description : brew.description ?? '',
-				renderer    : brew.renderer    ?? 'legacy',
-				theme       : brew.theme       ?? '5ePHB'
-			};
-		}
+		const brew = this.props.brew;
 
 		return {
 			brew       : brew,
@@ -83,7 +67,8 @@ const NewPage = createClass({
 		}
 
 		localStorage.setItem(BREWKEY, brew.text);
-		localStorage.setItem(STYLEKEY, brew.style);
+		if(brew.style)
+			localStorage.setItem(STYLEKEY, brew.style);
 		localStorage.setItem(METAKEY, JSON.stringify({ 'renderer': brew.renderer, 'theme': brew.theme }));
 	},
 	componentWillUnmount : function() {
diff --git a/client/homebrew/pages/printPage/printPage.jsx b/client/homebrew/pages/printPage/printPage.jsx
index 64ced6072..cff8ebe32 100644
--- a/client/homebrew/pages/printPage/printPage.jsx
+++ b/client/homebrew/pages/printPage/printPage.jsx
@@ -29,9 +29,10 @@ const PrintPage = createClass({
 	getInitialState : function() {
 		return {
 			brew : {
-				text     : this.props.brew.text || '',
-				style    : this.props.brew.style || undefined,
-				renderer : this.props.brew.renderer || 'legacy'
+				text     : this.props.brew.text     || '',
+				style    : this.props.brew.style    || undefined,
+				renderer : this.props.brew.renderer || 'legacy',
+				theme    : this.props.brew.theme    || '5ePHB'
 			}
 		};
 	},
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ const PrintPage = createClass({
 						text     : brewStorage,
 						style    : styleStorage,
 						renderer : metaStorage?.renderer || 'legacy',
-						theme    : metaStorage?.theme || '5ePHB'
+						theme    : metaStorage?.theme    || '5ePHB'
 					}
 				};
 			});
diff --git a/client/homebrew/pages/sharePage/sharePage.jsx b/client/homebrew/pages/sharePage/sharePage.jsx
index eb092b11e..232c2a1e3 100644
--- a/client/homebrew/pages/sharePage/sharePage.jsx
+++ b/client/homebrew/pages/sharePage/sharePage.jsx
@@ -12,21 +12,13 @@ const Account = require('../../navbar/account.navitem.jsx');
 
 const BrewRenderer = require('../../brewRenderer/brewRenderer.jsx');
 
+const { DEFAULT_BREW_LOAD } = require('../../../../server/brewDefaults.js');
 
 const SharePage = createClass({
 	displayName     : 'SharePage',
 	getDefaultProps : function() {
 		return {
-			brew : {
-				title     : '',
-				text      : '',
-				style     : '',
-				shareId   : null,
-				createdAt : null,
-				updatedAt : null,
-				views     : 0,
-				renderer  : ''
-			}
+			brew : DEFAULT_BREW_LOAD
 		};
 	},
 
diff --git a/server/app.js b/server/app.js
index 8a3e4c12a..de7586209 100644
--- a/server/app.js
+++ b/server/app.js
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ const serveCompressedStaticAssets = require('./static-assets.mv.js');
 const sanitizeFilename = require('sanitize-filename');
 const asyncHandler = require('express-async-handler');
 
+const { DEFAULT_BREW } = require('./brewDefaults.js');
+
 const splitTextStyleAndMetadata = (brew)=>{
 	brew.text = brew.text.replaceAll('\r\n', '\n');
 	if(brew.text.startsWith('```metadata')) {
@@ -29,7 +31,6 @@ const splitTextStyleAndMetadata = (brew)=>{
 		brew.style = brew.text.slice(7, index - 1);
 		brew.text = brew.text.slice(index + 5);
 	}
-	_.defaults(brew, { 'renderer': 'legacy', 'theme': '5ePHB' });
 };
 
 const sanitizeBrew = (brew, accessType)=>{
@@ -406,6 +407,7 @@ if(isLocalEnvironment){
 //Render the page
 const templateFn = require('./../client/template.js');
 app.use(asyncHandler(async (req, res, next)=>{
+
 	// Create configuration object
 	const configuration = {
 		local       : isLocalEnvironment,
diff --git a/server/brewDefaults.js b/server/brewDefaults.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..092f7070a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/brewDefaults.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+const _ = require('lodash');
+
+// Default properties for newly-created brews
+const DEFAULT_BREW = {
+	title       : '',
+	text        : '',
+	style       : undefined,
+	description : '',
+	editId      : undefined,
+	shareId     : undefined,
+	createdAt   : undefined,
+	updatedAt   : undefined,
+	renderer    : 'V3',
+	theme       : '5ePHB',
+	authors     : [],
+	tags        : [],
+	systems     : [],
+	thumbnail   : '',
+	published   : false,
+	pageCount   : 1,
+	gDrive      : false,
+	trashed     : false
+
+};
+// Default values for older brews with missing properties
+// e.g., missing "renderer" is assumed to be "legacy"
+const DEFAULT_BREW_LOAD = _.defaults(
+	{
+		renderer : 'legacy',
+	},
+	DEFAULT_BREW);
+
+module.exports = {
+	DEFAULT_BREW,
+	DEFAULT_BREW_LOAD
+};
diff --git a/server/homebrew.api.js b/server/homebrew.api.js
index 20a3369f4..506af9293 100644
--- a/server/homebrew.api.js
+++ b/server/homebrew.api.js
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ const yaml = require('js-yaml');
 const asyncHandler = require('express-async-handler');
 const { nanoid } = require('nanoid');
 
+const { DEFAULT_BREW, DEFAULT_BREW_LOAD } = require('./brewDefaults.js');
+
 // const getTopBrews = (cb) => {
 // 	HomebrewModel.find().sort({ views: -1 }).limit(5).exec(function(err, brews) {
 // 		cb(brews);
@@ -71,11 +73,13 @@ If you believe you should have access to this brew, ask the file owner to invite
 			throw 'Brew not found in Homebrewery database or Google Drive';
 		}
 
-		if(typeof stub?.tags === 'string') {
-			stub.tags = [];
-		}
-		req.brew = stub || {};
+		// Clean up brew: fill in missing fields with defaults / fix old invalid values
+		stub.tags     = stub.tags     || undefined; // Clear empty strings
+		stub.renderer = stub.renderer || undefined; // Clear empty strings
+		stub = _.defaults(stub, DEFAULT_BREW_LOAD); // Fill in blank fields
 
+
+		req.brew = stub;
 		next();
 	};
 };
@@ -138,6 +142,8 @@ const beforeNewSave = (account, brew)=>{
 
 	brew.authors = (account) ? [account.username] : [];
 	brew.text = mergeBrewText(brew);
+
+	_.defaults(brew, DEFAULT_BREW);
 };
 
 const newGoogleBrew = async (account, brew, res)=>{
diff --git a/server/homebrew.model.js b/server/homebrew.model.js
index da8853de7..41f3b8716 100644
--- a/server/homebrew.model.js
+++ b/server/homebrew.model.js
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@ HomebrewSchema.statics.get = function(query, fields=null){
 				unzipped = zlib.inflateRawSync(brews[0].textBin);
 				brews[0].text = unzipped.toString();
 			}
-			if(!brews[0].renderer)
-				brews[0].renderer = 'legacy';
 			return resolve(brews[0]);
 		});
 	});