diff --git a/src/initialization.js b/src/initialization.js
index b4df68b..74528a0 100644
--- a/src/initialization.js
+++ b/src/initialization.js
@@ -92,7 +92,15 @@ function initializeGoogleDFP(common, settings, isInitialized) {
 }
 
 function parseSettingsString(settingsString) {
-    return JSON.parse(settingsString.replace(/"/g, '"'));
+    if (!settingsString) {
+        return [];
+    }
+    try {
+        return JSON.parse(settingsString.replace(/"/g, '"'));
+    } catch (error) {
+        console.error('Settings string contains invalid JSON');
+    }
+    return [];
 }
 
 module.exports = initialization;
diff --git a/test/tests.js b/test/tests.js
index 677ecae..5ceb5ed 100644
--- a/test/tests.js
+++ b/test/tests.js
@@ -1265,4 +1265,65 @@ describe('DoubleClick', function () {
             done();
         });
     });
+
+    describe('Parse Settings String', function () {
+        it('should treat falsy settings as empty mappings', function (done) {
+            mParticle.forwarder.init(
+                {
+                    advertiserId: '123456',
+                    eventMapping: null,
+                    customVariables: null,
+                    customParams: null,
+                },
+                reportService.cb,
+                true
+            );
+
+            window.dataLayer = [];
+
+            const result = mParticle.forwarder.process({
+                EventDataType: MessageTypes.PageEvent,
+                EventCategory: mParticle.EventType.Unknown,
+                EventName: 'Test Event',
+                CustomFlags: { 'DoubleClick.Counter': 'standard' },
+            });
+
+            result.should.equal(
+                'Error logging event or event type not supported on forwarder DoubleclickDFP'
+            );
+            window.dataLayer.length.should.equal(0);
+            done();
+        });
+
+        it('should parse arrays with &quot', function (done) {
+            mParticle.forwarder.init(
+                {
+                    advertiserId: '123456',
+                    eventMapping:
+                        '[{"jsmap":"-1978027768","map":"x","maptype":"EventClass.Id","value":"g;a"}]',
+                    customVariables: '[]',
+                    customParams: '[]',
+                },
+                reportService.cb,
+                true
+            );
+
+            window.dataLayer = [];
+
+            mParticle.forwarder.process({
+                EventDataType: MessageTypes.PageEvent,
+                EventCategory: mParticle.EventType.Unknown,
+                EventName: 'Test Event',
+                CustomFlags: { 'DoubleClick.Counter': 'standard' },
+            });
+
+            window.dataLayer[0][0].should.equal('event');
+            window.dataLayer[0][1].should.equal('conversion');
+            window.dataLayer[0][2].should.have.property(
+                'send_to',
+                'DC-123456/g/a+standard'
+            );
+            done();
+        });
+    });
 });