diff --git a/analysis_options.yaml b/analysis_options.yaml
index 6579df88..4cea670b 100644
--- a/analysis_options.yaml
+++ b/analysis_options.yaml
@@ -37,5 +37,7 @@ analyzer:
     - "**/*.g.dart"
     - "**/*.freezed.dart"
     - "build/**/intermediates/**/AndroidManifest.xml"
+  errors:
+    invalid_annotation_target: ignore # see https://github.com/rrousselGit/freezed/issues/488
   plugins:
     - custom_lint
diff --git a/lib/app/key_customization/key_customization.dart b/lib/app/key_customization/key_customization.dart
index 9139385b..263a6826 100644
--- a/lib/app/key_customization/key_customization.dart
+++ b/lib/app/key_customization/key_customization.dart
@@ -40,8 +40,14 @@ class KeyCustomizationManager {
     }
 
     try {
-      return json.decode(utf8.decode(pref.codeUnits));
+      final retval = <String, KeyCustomization>{};
+      for (var element in json.decode(pref)) {
+        final keyCustomization = KeyCustomization.fromJson(element);
+        retval[keyCustomization.serial] = keyCustomization;
+      }
+      return retval;
     } catch (e) {
+      _log.error('Failure reading customizations: $e');
       return {};
     }
   }
@@ -53,12 +59,17 @@ class KeyCustomizationManager {
 
   void set({required String serial, String? name, Color? color}) {
     _log.debug('Setting key customization for $serial: $name, $color');
-    _customizations[serial] =
-        KeyCustomization(serial: serial, name: name, color: color);
+    if (name == null && color == null) {
+      // remove this customization
+      _customizations.removeWhere((key, value) => key == serial);
+    } else {
+      _customizations[serial] =
+          KeyCustomization(serial: serial, name: name, color: color);
+    }
   }
 
   Future<void> write() async {
-    await _prefs.setString(_prefKeyCustomizations,
-        String.fromCharCodes(utf8.encode(json.encode(_customizations))));
+    await _prefs.setString(
+        _prefKeyCustomizations, json.encode(_customizations.values.toList()));
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/app/key_customization/models.dart b/lib/app/key_customization/models.dart
index 794f6d3d..3a933291 100644
--- a/lib/app/key_customization/models.dart
+++ b/lib/app/key_customization/models.dart
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ part 'models.g.dart';
 class KeyCustomization with _$KeyCustomization {
   factory KeyCustomization({
     required String serial,
-    String? name,
-    @_ColorConverter() Color? color,
+    @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false) String? name,
+    @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false) @_ColorConverter() Color? color,
   }) = _KeyCustomization;
 
   factory KeyCustomization.fromJson(Map<String, dynamic> json) =>
diff --git a/lib/app/key_customization/models.freezed.dart b/lib/app/key_customization/models.freezed.dart
index 351def15..17be3040 100644
--- a/lib/app/key_customization/models.freezed.dart
+++ b/lib/app/key_customization/models.freezed.dart
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ KeyCustomization _$KeyCustomizationFromJson(Map<String, dynamic> json) {
 /// @nodoc
 mixin _$KeyCustomization {
   String get serial => throw _privateConstructorUsedError;
+  @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false)
   String? get name => throw _privateConstructorUsedError;
+  @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false)
   @_ColorConverter()
   Color? get color => throw _privateConstructorUsedError;
 
@@ -37,7 +39,10 @@ abstract class $KeyCustomizationCopyWith<$Res> {
           KeyCustomization value, $Res Function(KeyCustomization) then) =
       _$KeyCustomizationCopyWithImpl<$Res, KeyCustomization>;
   @useResult
-  $Res call({String serial, String? name, @_ColorConverter() Color? color});
+  $Res call(
+      {String serial,
+      @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false) String? name,
+      @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false) @_ColorConverter() Color? color});
 }
 
 /// @nodoc
@@ -82,7 +87,10 @@ abstract class _$$KeyCustomizationImplCopyWith<$Res>
       __$$KeyCustomizationImplCopyWithImpl<$Res>;
   @override
   @useResult
-  $Res call({String serial, String? name, @_ColorConverter() Color? color});
+  $Res call(
+      {String serial,
+      @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false) String? name,
+      @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false) @_ColorConverter() Color? color});
 }
 
 /// @nodoc
@@ -121,7 +129,9 @@ class __$$KeyCustomizationImplCopyWithImpl<$Res>
 @JsonSerializable()
 class _$KeyCustomizationImpl implements _KeyCustomization {
   _$KeyCustomizationImpl(
-      {required this.serial, this.name, @_ColorConverter() this.color});
+      {required this.serial,
+      @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false) this.name,
+      @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false) @_ColorConverter() this.color});
 
   factory _$KeyCustomizationImpl.fromJson(Map<String, dynamic> json) =>
       _$$KeyCustomizationImplFromJson(json);
@@ -129,8 +139,10 @@ class _$KeyCustomizationImpl implements _KeyCustomization {
   @override
   final String serial;
   @override
+  @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false)
   final String? name;
   @override
+  @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false)
   @_ColorConverter()
   final Color? color;
 
@@ -171,8 +183,10 @@ class _$KeyCustomizationImpl implements _KeyCustomization {
 abstract class _KeyCustomization implements KeyCustomization {
   factory _KeyCustomization(
       {required final String serial,
-      final String? name,
-      @_ColorConverter() final Color? color}) = _$KeyCustomizationImpl;
+      @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false) final String? name,
+      @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false)
+      @_ColorConverter()
+      final Color? color}) = _$KeyCustomizationImpl;
 
   factory _KeyCustomization.fromJson(Map<String, dynamic> json) =
       _$KeyCustomizationImpl.fromJson;
@@ -180,8 +194,10 @@ abstract class _KeyCustomization implements KeyCustomization {
   @override
   String get serial;
   @override
+  @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false)
   String? get name;
   @override
+  @JsonKey(includeIfNull: false)
   @_ColorConverter()
   Color? get color;
   @override
diff --git a/lib/app/key_customization/models.g.dart b/lib/app/key_customization/models.g.dart
index c5768daa..604473c6 100644
--- a/lib/app/key_customization/models.g.dart
+++ b/lib/app/key_customization/models.g.dart
@@ -15,9 +15,18 @@ _$KeyCustomizationImpl _$$KeyCustomizationImplFromJson(
     );
 
 Map<String, dynamic> _$$KeyCustomizationImplToJson(
-        _$KeyCustomizationImpl instance) =>
-    <String, dynamic>{
-      'serial': instance.serial,
-      'name': instance.name,
-      'color': const _ColorConverter().toJson(instance.color),
-    };
+    _$KeyCustomizationImpl instance) {
+  final val = <String, dynamic>{
+    'serial': instance.serial,
+  };
+
+  void writeNotNull(String key, dynamic value) {
+    if (value != null) {
+      val[key] = value;
+    }
+  }
+
+  writeNotNull('name', instance.name);
+  writeNotNull('color', const _ColorConverter().toJson(instance.color));
+  return val;
+}
diff --git a/lib/app/key_customization/views/key_customization_dialog.dart b/lib/app/key_customization/views/key_customization_dialog.dart
index 82d07395..88e33376 100644
--- a/lib/app/key_customization/views/key_customization_dialog.dart
+++ b/lib/app/key_customization/views/key_customization_dialog.dart
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@ class _KeyCustomizationDialogState
                       textInputAction: TextInputAction.done,
                       onChanged: (value) {
                         setState(() {
-                          _customName = value.trim();
+                          final trimmed = value.trim();
+                          _customName = trimmed.isEmpty ? null : trimmed;
                         });
                       },
                       onFieldSubmitted: (_) {},