diff --git a/src/Model/chatModel.ts b/src/Model/chatModel.ts
index 97261d7c..a32aa139 100644
--- a/src/Model/chatModel.ts
+++ b/src/Model/chatModel.ts
@@ -3,13 +3,11 @@
 import {
   DATA_VERSION,
   ValidObject,
-  checkIsValidObject,
 } from "./Utility/typeSafety";
 import FileModel, { File } from "./fileModel";
 import StorageModel, { storageKeys } from "./storageModel";
 import {
   createTimestamp,
-  parse,
   parseValidObject,
   stringify,
 } from "./Utility/utility";
@@ -113,12 +111,15 @@ export default class ChatModel {
 
     // delete
     const dirPath: string[] = [...storageKeys.chats, this.id];
-    this.storageModel.removeRecursive(dirPath);
+    this.storageModel.removeRecursively(dirPath);
   };
 
   // load
   loadInfo = (): void => {
-    const info: any = this.storageModel.readStringifiable(this.infoPath);
+    const info: ChatInfo | null = this.storageModel.readStringifiable(
+      this.infoPath,
+      ChatInfoReference
+    );
     if (info != null) {
       this.info = info;
     } else {
@@ -140,16 +141,16 @@ export default class ChatModel {
     const messageIds: string[] = this.storageModel.list(this.messageDirPath);
     if (!Array.isArray(messageIds)) return [];
 
-    const messages: ChatMessage[] = [];
+    const chatMessages: ChatMessage[] = [];
     for (const messageId of messageIds) {
       const messagePath: string[] = this.getMessagePath(messageId);
-      const message: any = this.storageModel.readStringifiable(messagePath);
-      if (checkIsValidObject(message) == false) continue;
+      const chatMessage: ChatMessage | any =
+        this.storageModel.readStringifiable(messagePath, ChatMessageReference);
 
-      messages.push(message);
+      chatMessages.push(chatMessage);
     }
 
-    const sorted = messages.sort((a, b) =>
+    const sorted = chatMessages.sort((a, b) =>
       a.dateSent.localeCompare(b.dateSent)
     );
     return sorted;
diff --git a/src/Model/connectionModel.ts b/src/Model/connectionModel.ts
index 3650d91f..e3bb1339 100644
--- a/src/Model/connectionModel.ts
+++ b/src/Model/connectionModel.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 // this file is responsible for managing UDN connections.
 
+import { ChatMessage, ChatMessageReference } from "./chatModel";
 import StorageModel, { storageKeys } from "./storageModel";
 import UDNFrontend, { Message } from "udn-frontend";
 
-import { ChatMessage } from "./chatModel";
-import { checkIsValidObject } from "./Utility/typeSafety";
 import { stringify } from "./Utility/utility";
 
 export default class ConnectionModel {
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@ export default class ConnectionModel {
     if (this.address == undefined) return;
     const path = [...storageKeys.mailboxes, this.address];
     const mailboxId = this.storageModel.read(path);
-    console.log("connecting mailbox", mailboxId)
+    console.log("connecting mailbox", mailboxId);
     if (mailboxId == null) return this.requestNewMailbox();
 
     this.udn.connectMailbox(mailboxId);
@@ -99,19 +98,19 @@ export default class ConnectionModel {
     const outboxPath: string[] = storageKeys.outbox;
     const messageIds: string[] = this.storageModel.list(outboxPath);
 
-    let messages: ChatMessage[] = [];
+    let chatMessages: ChatMessage[] = [];
     for (const messageId of messageIds) {
-      const message: any = this.storageModel.readStringifiable([
-        ...outboxPath,
-        messageId,
-      ]);
-      if (message == undefined) continue;
-      if (checkIsValidObject(message) == false) continue;
+      const chatMessage: ChatMessage | null =
+        this.storageModel.readStringifiable(
+          [...outboxPath, messageId],
+          ChatMessageReference
+        );
 
-      messages.push(message);
+      if (chatMessage == null) continue;
+      chatMessages.push(chatMessage);
     }
 
-    return messages;
+    return chatMessages;
   };
 
   addToOutbox = (chatMessage: ChatMessage): void => {
diff --git a/src/Model/fileModel.ts b/src/Model/fileModel.ts
index 2d7de68b..7b2f2246 100644
--- a/src/Model/fileModel.ts
+++ b/src/Model/fileModel.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 // this file is responsible for managing files within chats.
 
-import ChatModel, { ChatMessage } from "./chatModel";
 import { DATA_VERSION, ValidObject } from "./Utility/typeSafety";
 import StorageModel, { storageKeys } from "./storageModel";
 import { parseValidObject, stringify } from "./Utility/utility";
 
+import ChatModel from "./chatModel";
 import { v4 } from "uuid";
 
 export default class FileModel {
@@ -58,8 +58,10 @@ export default class FileModel {
 
   getFile = (fileId: string): File | null => {
     const filePath = FileModel.getFilePath(fileId);
-    const fileOrNull: File | null =
-      this.storageModel.readStringifiable<File>(filePath);
+    const fileOrNull: File | null = this.storageModel.readStringifiable(
+      filePath,
+      FileReference
+    );
     return fileOrNull;
   };
 
@@ -73,7 +75,7 @@ export default class FileModel {
   ): FileContent | null => {
     const filePath = FileModel.getFileContentPath(file, fileContentName);
     const fileContentOrNull: FileContent | null =
-      this.storageModel.readStringifiable<FileContent>(filePath);
+      this.storageModel.readStringifiable(filePath, FileContentReference);
     return fileContentOrNull;
   };
 
@@ -138,4 +140,4 @@ export const FileReference: File = {
 
   id: "",
   contentVersions: [FileContentReference],
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+};
diff --git a/src/Model/storageModel.ts b/src/Model/storageModel.ts
index 7866ec0b..5774512a 100644
--- a/src/Model/storageModel.ts
+++ b/src/Model/storageModel.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 // this file is responsible for reading and writing persistent data; all storage shall be handled by this file.
 
-import { DATA_VERSION, ValidObject } from "./Utility/typeSafety";
+import { DATA_VERSION, ValidObject, checkMatchesObjectStructure } from "./Utility/typeSafety";
 import {
   localeCompare,
-  parse,
   parseValidObject,
   stringify,
 } from "./Utility/utility";
@@ -43,7 +42,7 @@ export default class StorageModel {
     }
   };
 
-  removeRecursive = (pathComponentsOfEntityToDelete: string[]): void => {
+  removeRecursively = (pathComponentsOfEntityToDelete: string[]): void => {
     a: for (const key of Object.keys(localStorage)) {
       const pathComponentsOfCurrentEntity: string[] =
         StorageModel.stringToPathComponents(key);
@@ -78,11 +77,16 @@ export default class StorageModel {
     this.write(pathComponents, valueString);
   };
 
-  readStringifiable = <T extends ValidObject>(pathComponents: string[]): T | null => {
+  readStringifiable = <T extends ValidObject>(pathComponents: string[], reference: T): T | null => {
     const valueString: string | null = this.read(pathComponents);
     if (!valueString) return null;
 
-    const object: T | null = parseValidObject(valueString);
+    const object: any | null = parseValidObject(valueString);
+    if (object == null) return null;
+
+    const doesMatchReference: boolean = checkMatchesObjectStructure(object, reference);
+    if (doesMatchReference == false) return null;
+        
     return object;
   };
 
diff --git a/src/ViewModel/storageViewModel.ts b/src/ViewModel/storageViewModel.ts
index 45ccece7..ef2a41ed 100644
--- a/src/ViewModel/storageViewModel.ts
+++ b/src/ViewModel/storageViewModel.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export default class StorageViewModel {
     const path = StorageModel.stringToPathComponents(this.selectedPath.value);
     this.lastDeletedItemPath.value = this.selectedPath.value;
     
-    this.storageModel.removeRecursive(path);
+    this.storageModel.removeRecursively(path);
     this.didMakeChanges.value = true;
   };