diff --git a/+labkit/+ui/+app/private/buildFilePanelControl.m b/+labkit/+ui/+app/private/buildFilePanelControl.m
index 6dd7345d..846b1fb2 100644
--- a/+labkit/+ui/+app/private/buildFilePanelControl.m
+++ b/+labkit/+ui/+app/private/buildFilePanelControl.m
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@
     for k = 1:numel(files)
         pathValue = "";
         if isfield(files(k), 'path')
-            pathValue = string(files(k).path);
+            pathValue = filePanelScalarText(files(k).path, "");
         end
         files(k).path = pathValue;
         [~, base, ext] = fileparts(char(pathValue));
@@ -464,11 +464,19 @@
             name = pathValue;
         end
         files(k).name = name;
-        if ~isfield(files(k), 'displayName') || strlength(string(files(k).displayName)) == 0
+        displayName = "";
+        if isfield(files(k), 'displayName')
+            displayName = filePanelScalarText(files(k).displayName, "");
+        end
+        if strlength(displayName) == 0
             files(k).displayName = name;
+        else
+            files(k).displayName = displayName;
         end
         if ~isfield(files(k), 'status')
             files(k).status = "";
+        else
+            files(k).status = filePanelScalarText(files(k).status, "");
         end
     end
 end
@@ -478,7 +486,7 @@
     for k = 1:numel(files)
         id = "";
         if isfield(files(k), 'id')
-            id = string(files(k).id);
+            id = filePanelScalarText(files(k).id, "");
         end
         usedIds = seen(1:k-1);
         if strlength(id) == 0 || any(usedIds == id)
diff --git a/+labkit/+ui/+app/private/filePanelScalarText.m b/+labkit/+ui/+app/private/filePanelScalarText.m
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..338949cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/+labkit/+ui/+app/private/filePanelScalarText.m
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+% Private filePanel helper. Expected caller: buildFilePanelControl. Inputs
+% are file-entry text values that may be empty, scalar, or non-scalar. Output
+% is a scalar string fallback or the first supplied text value.
+function value = filePanelScalarText(rawValue, fallback)
+    value = string(rawValue);
+    if isempty(value)
+        value = string(fallback);
+        return;
+    end
+    value = value(1);
+end
diff --git a/+labkit/+ui/version.m b/+labkit/+ui/version.m
index 69e5a316..92792c39 100644
--- a/+labkit/+ui/version.m
+++ b/+labkit/+ui/version.m
@@ -12,6 +12,6 @@
 %       compatible contract ranges implemented by this code, contract status,
 %       and a short maintainer note.
 
-    info = labkit.contract.versionInfo("ui", "3.2.0", ">=3.0 <4", ...
+    info = labkit.contract.versionInfo("ui", "3.2.2", ">=3.0 <4", ...
         "stable", "UI 3.x app/spec/view/tool/diag contract with filePanel title context, debug trace, close guard, crash reports, and default text fitting.");
 end
diff --git a/tests/cases/gui/labkit/ui/GuiLayoutUiDeclarativeAppTest.m b/tests/cases/gui/labkit/ui/GuiLayoutUiDeclarativeAppTest.m
index 8c615a9c..7f835d05 100644
--- a/tests/cases/gui/labkit/ui/GuiLayoutUiDeclarativeAppTest.m
+++ b/tests/cases/gui/labkit/ui/GuiLayoutUiDeclarativeAppTest.m
@@ -299,6 +299,20 @@ function verify_gui_layout_ui_declarative_app()
     selection = labkit.ui.view.filePaths(labkit.ui.view.getValue(ui, 'sourceImages'));
     assert(isequal(selection, "b.png"), ...
         'File helpers should apply semantic filePanel selection.');
+    malformedFiles = struct('id', "", 'path', "", 'status', "");
+    malformedFiles(1).id = strings(0, 1);
+    malformedFiles(1).path = string(fullfile(tempdir, 'folder_scan_a.png'));
+    malformedFiles(1).status = "needs center";
+    malformedFiles(2).id = ["file1", "extra"];
+    malformedFiles(2).path = string(fullfile(tempdir, 'folder_scan_b.png'));
+    malformedFiles(2).status = ["ready", "ignored"];
+    labkit.ui.view.setValue(ui, 'sourceImages', malformedFiles);
+    normalizedFiles = labkit.ui.view.getFiles(ui, 'sourceImages');
+    normalizedIds = string({normalizedFiles.id}).';
+    normalizedStatus = string({normalizedFiles.status}).';
+    assert(isequal(normalizedIds, ["file1"; "file2"]) && ...
+        isequal(normalizedStatus, ["needs center"; "ready"]), ...
+        'filePanel setValue should scalarize malformed entry ids/status and regenerate duplicates.');
     labkit.ui.view.appendLog(ui, 'logPanel', 'Completed.');
     assert(any(contains(string(ui.controls.logPanel.textArea.Value), 'Completed.')), ...
         'appendLog should append to the requested log panel.');