diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a5bbae90..35460755 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ Changelog structure reference:
 - Project
   - New project panel is now much more compact
 
+### Fixed
+
+- Zig
+  - `zig env` failure causes an IDE error
+
 ## [20.3.0]
 
 - Zig
diff --git a/core/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/settings/ZigProjectSettingsPanel.kt b/core/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/settings/ZigProjectSettingsPanel.kt
index 7f965470..80d1dae8 100644
--- a/core/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/settings/ZigProjectSettingsPanel.kt
+++ b/core/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/settings/ZigProjectSettingsPanel.kt
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ class ZigProjectSettingsPanel(private val project: Project) : ZigProjectConfigur
         val toolchain = pathToToolchain?.let { LocalZigToolchain(it) }
         val zig = toolchain?.zig
         if (zig?.path()?.toFile()?.exists() != true) {
-            toolchainVersion.text = ""
+            toolchainVersion.text = "[zig binary not found]"
 
             if (!stdFieldOverride.isSelected) {
                 pathToStd.text = ""
@@ -174,6 +174,13 @@ class ZigProjectSettingsPanel(private val project: Project) : ZigProjectConfigur
             return
         }
         val env = zig.getEnv(project)
+        if (env == null) {
+            toolchainVersion.text = "[failed to run zig env]"
+            if (!stdFieldOverride.isSelected) {
+                pathToStd.text = ""
+            }
+            return
+        }
         val version = env.version
         val stdPath = env.stdPath(toolchain, project)
         toolchainVersion.text = version
diff --git a/core/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/toolchain/stdlib/ZigSyntheticLibrary.kt b/core/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/toolchain/stdlib/ZigSyntheticLibrary.kt
index 54d4932f..7dd8e449 100644
--- a/core/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/toolchain/stdlib/ZigSyntheticLibrary.kt
+++ b/core/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/toolchain/stdlib/ZigSyntheticLibrary.kt
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ private fun getName(
     project: Project
 ): String {
     val tc = state.toolchain ?: return "Zig"
-    val version = runBlocking { tc.zig.getEnv(project).version }
+    val version = runBlocking { tc.zig.getEnv(project)?.version } ?: return "Zig"
     return "Zig $version"
 }
 
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ private fun getRoots(
         }
     }
     if (toolchain != null) {
-        val stdPath = runBlocking { toolchain.zig.getEnv(project) }.stdPath(toolchain, project) ?: return emptySet()
+        val stdPath = runBlocking { toolchain.zig.getEnv(project) }?.stdPath(toolchain, project) ?: return emptySet()
         val roots = stdPath.refreshAndFindVirtualDirectory() ?: return emptySet()
         return setOf(roots)
     }
diff --git a/core/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/toolchain/tools/ZigCompilerTool.kt b/core/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/toolchain/tools/ZigCompilerTool.kt
index e3e64037..37a5f726 100644
--- a/core/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/toolchain/tools/ZigCompilerTool.kt
+++ b/core/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/toolchain/tools/ZigCompilerTool.kt
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ package com.falsepattern.zigbrains.project.toolchain.tools
 import com.falsepattern.zigbrains.project.toolchain.AbstractZigToolchain
 import com.falsepattern.zigbrains.project.toolchain.ZigToolchainEnvironmentSerializable
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project
+import kotlinx.serialization.SerializationException
 import kotlinx.serialization.json.Json
 import java.nio.file.Path
 
@@ -36,8 +37,13 @@ class ZigCompilerTool(toolchain: AbstractZigToolchain) : ZigTool(toolchain) {
         return toolchain.pathToExecutable(toolName)
     }
 
-    suspend fun getEnv(project: Project?): ZigToolchainEnvironmentSerializable {
-        return envJson.decodeFromString<ZigToolchainEnvironmentSerializable>(callWithArgs(toolchain.workingDirectory(project), "env").stdout)
+    suspend fun getEnv(project: Project?): ZigToolchainEnvironmentSerializable? {
+        val stdout = callWithArgs(toolchain.workingDirectory(project), "env").stdout
+        return try {
+            envJson.decodeFromString<ZigToolchainEnvironmentSerializable>(stdout)
+        } catch (e: SerializationException) {
+            null
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/lsp/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/toolchain/ToolchainZLSConfigProvider.kt b/lsp/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/toolchain/ToolchainZLSConfigProvider.kt
index a4b2f878..410a5bb8 100644
--- a/lsp/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/toolchain/ToolchainZLSConfigProvider.kt
+++ b/lsp/src/main/kotlin/com/falsepattern/zigbrains/project/toolchain/ToolchainZLSConfigProvider.kt
@@ -41,6 +41,15 @@ class ToolchainZLSConfigProvider: SuspendingZLSConfigProvider {
 
         val env = toolchain.zig.getEnv(project)
 
+        if (env == null) {
+            Notification(
+                "zigbrains-lsp",
+                "Failed to evaluate zig env",
+                NotificationType.ERROR
+            ).notify(project)
+            return previous
+        }
+
         val exe = env.zigExecutable.toNioPathOrNull() ?: run {
             Notification(
                 "zigbrains-lsp",
@@ -52,7 +61,7 @@ class ToolchainZLSConfigProvider: SuspendingZLSConfigProvider {
         if (!exe.toFile().exists()) {
             Notification(
                 "zigbrains-lsp",
-                "Zig executable does not exiust: $exe",
+                "Zig executable does not exist: $exe",
                 NotificationType.ERROR
             ).notify(project)
             return previous