diff --git a/ax/storage/sqa_store/decoder.py b/ax/storage/sqa_store/decoder.py
index d342a0e1c1d..aef9ac30e93 100644
--- a/ax/storage/sqa_store/decoder.py
+++ b/ax/storage/sqa_store/decoder.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 from ax.core.runner import Runner
 from ax.core.search_space import HierarchicalSearchSpace, RobustSearchSpace, SearchSpace
 from ax.core.trial import Trial
-from ax.exceptions.storage import SQADecodeError
+from ax.exceptions.storage import JSONDecodeError, SQADecodeError
 from ax.modelbridge.generation_strategy import GenerationStrategy
 from ax.storage.json_store.decoder import object_from_json
 from ax.storage.sqa_store.db import session_scope
@@ -814,33 +814,46 @@ def generation_strategy_from_sqa(
             if experiment is not None
             else False
         )
-        if reduced_state and gs_sqa.generator_runs:
+
+        gs._generator_runs = [
+            self.generator_run_from_sqa(
+                generator_run_sqa=gr,
+                reduced_state=reduced_state,
+                immutable_search_space_and_opt_config=immutable_ss_and_oc,
+            )
+            for gr in gs_sqa.generator_runs[:-1]
+        ]
+        # This check is necessary to prevent an index error
+        # on `gs_sqa.generator_runs[-1]`
+        if gs_sqa.generator_runs:
             # Only fully load the last of the generator runs, load the rest with
-            # reduced state.
-            gs._generator_runs = [
-                self.generator_run_from_sqa(
-                    generator_run_sqa=gr,
-                    reduced_state=True,
-                    immutable_search_space_and_opt_config=immutable_ss_and_oc,
+            # reduced state.  This is necessary for stateful models.  The only
+            # stateful models available in open source ax is currently SOBOL.
+            try:
+                gs._generator_runs.append(
+                    self.generator_run_from_sqa(
+                        generator_run_sqa=gs_sqa.generator_runs[-1],
+                        reduced_state=False,
+                        immutable_search_space_and_opt_config=immutable_ss_and_oc,
+                    )
                 )
-                for gr in gs_sqa.generator_runs[:-1]
-            ]
-            gs._generator_runs.append(
-                self.generator_run_from_sqa(
-                    generator_run_sqa=gs_sqa.generator_runs[-1],
-                    reduced_state=False,
-                    immutable_search_space_and_opt_config=immutable_ss_and_oc,
+            except JSONDecodeError:
+                if not reduced_state:
+                    raise
+
+                logger.exception(
+                    "Failed to decode the last generator run because of the following "
+                    "error.  Loading with reduced state:"
                 )
-            )
-        else:
-            gs._generator_runs = [
-                self.generator_run_from_sqa(
-                    generator_run_sqa=gr,
-                    reduced_state=False,
-                    immutable_search_space_and_opt_config=immutable_ss_and_oc,
+                # If the last generator run is not fully loadable, load it with
+                # reduced state.
+                gs._generator_runs.append(
+                    self.generator_run_from_sqa(
+                        generator_run_sqa=gs_sqa.generator_runs[-1],
+                        reduced_state=True,
+                        immutable_search_space_and_opt_config=immutable_ss_and_oc,
+                    )
                 )
-                for gr in gs_sqa.generator_runs
-            ]
         gs._experiment = experiment
 
         if len(gs._generator_runs) > 0:
diff --git a/ax/storage/sqa_store/tests/test_sqa_store.py b/ax/storage/sqa_store/tests/test_sqa_store.py
index 75566a76330..b25005ed929 100644
--- a/ax/storage/sqa_store/tests/test_sqa_store.py
+++ b/ax/storage/sqa_store/tests/test_sqa_store.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 from decimal import Decimal
 from enum import Enum, unique
 from logging import Logger
-from typing import Any
+from typing import Any, Callable, TypeVar
 from unittest import mock
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, Mock, patch
 
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 from ax.core.runner import Runner
 from ax.core.types import ComparisonOp
 from ax.exceptions.core import ObjectNotFoundError
-from ax.exceptions.storage import SQADecodeError, SQAEncodeError
+from ax.exceptions.storage import JSONDecodeError, SQADecodeError, SQAEncodeError
 from ax.metrics.branin import BraninMetric
 from ax.modelbridge.dispatch_utils import choose_generation_strategy
 from ax.modelbridge.registry import Models
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@
     SQAAbandonedArm,
     SQAArm,
     SQAExperiment,
+    SQAGenerationStrategy,
     SQAGeneratorRun,
     SQAMetric,
     SQAParameter,
@@ -133,6 +134,7 @@
 logger: Logger = get_logger(__name__)
 
 GET_GS_SQA_IMM_FUNC = _get_generation_strategy_sqa_immutable_opt_config_and_search_space
+T = TypeVar("T")
 
 
 @unique
@@ -564,6 +566,35 @@ def test_ExperimentSaveAndLoadGRWithOptConfig(self) -> None:
         )
         self.assertEqual(loaded_experiment.trials[1], exp.trials[1])
 
+    def test_load_gr_with_non_decodable_metadata_and_reduced_state(self) -> None:
+        def spy(original_method: Callable[..., T]) -> Callable[..., T]:
+            def wrapper(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> T:
+                # Check if a specific argument is set to a certain value
+                if "reduced_state" in kwargs and not kwargs["reduced_state"]:
+                    raise JSONDecodeError("Can't decode gen_metadata")
+                return original_method(*args, **kwargs)
+
+            return wrapper
+
+        gs = get_generation_strategy(
+            with_experiment=True, with_callable_model_kwarg=False
+        )
+        gs.gen(gs.experiment)
+        gs.gen(gs.experiment)
+
+        save_experiment(gs.experiment)
+        save_generation_strategy(gs)
+
+        with self.assertLogs("ax", level=logging.ERROR):
+            with patch.object(
+                Decoder, "generator_run_from_sqa", spy(Decoder.generator_run_from_sqa)
+            ):
+                load_generation_strategy_by_id(
+                    gs_id=none_throws(gs.db_id),
+                    experiment=gs.experiment,
+                    reduced_state=True,
+                )
+
     def test_MTExperimentSaveAndLoad(self) -> None:
         experiment = get_multi_type_experiment(add_trials=True)
         save_experiment(experiment)