diff --git a/src/device-state.ts b/src/device-state.ts
index 67baec89..825ad09d 100644
--- a/src/device-state.ts
+++ b/src/device-state.ts
@@ -70,12 +70,16 @@ function validateState(state: any): asserts state is TargetState {
 	if (!_.isObject(state)) {
 		throw new Error('State must be an object');
 	}
-	if (!_.isObject(state.local)) {
+	// these any typings seem unnecessary but the `isObject`
+	// call above tells typescript that state is of type
+	// `object` - which apparently does not allow any fields
+	// to be accessed
+	if (!_.isObject((state as any).local)) {
 		throw new Error('Local state must be an object');
 	}
-	validateLocalState(state.local);
-	if (state.dependent != null) {
-		return validateDependentState(state.dependent);
+	validateLocalState((state as any).local);
+	if ((state as any).dependent != null) {
+		return validateDependentState((state as any).dependent);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/device-state/preload.ts b/src/device-state/preload.ts
index 78b2900d..f89237b2 100644
--- a/src/device-state/preload.ts
+++ b/src/device-state/preload.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export async function loadTargetFromFile(
 
 		if (_.isArray(stateFromFile)) {
 			log.debug('Detected a legacy apps.json, converting...');
-			stateFromFile = convertLegacyAppsJson(stateFromFile);
+			stateFromFile = convertLegacyAppsJson(stateFromFile as any[]);
 		}
 		const preloadState = stateFromFile as AppsJsonFormat;
 
@@ -80,12 +80,15 @@ export async function loadTargetFromFile(
 			preloadState.config,
 		);
 		preloadState.config = { ...formattedConf, ...deviceConf };
-		const localState = { local: { name: '', ...preloadState } };
+		const localState = {
+			local: { name: '', ...preloadState },
+			dependent: { apps: [], devices: [] },
+		};
 
 		await deviceState.setTarget(localState);
 
 		log.success('Preloading complete');
-		if (stateFromFile.pinDevice) {
+		if (preloadState.pinDevice) {
 			// Multi-app warning!
 			// The following will need to be changed once running
 			// multiple applications is possible
diff --git a/src/types/state.ts b/src/types/state.ts
index 0377e393..f45d85e9 100644
--- a/src/types/state.ts
+++ b/src/types/state.ts
@@ -72,14 +72,14 @@ export interface TargetState {
 	// TODO: Correctly type this once dependent devices are
 	// actually properly supported
 	dependent: {
-		apps: Dictionary<{
+		apps: Array<{
 			name?: string;
 			image?: string;
 			commit?: string;
 			config?: EnvVarObject;
 			environment?: EnvVarObject;
 		}>;
-		devices: Dictionary<{
+		devices: Array<{
 			name?: string;
 			apps?: Dictionary<{
 				config?: EnvVarObject;
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ export interface InstancedAppState {
 		releaseId: number;
 		name: string;
 		services: Service[];
-		volumes: { [name: string]: Volume };
-		networks: { [name: string]: Network };
+		volumes: Dictionary<Volume>;
+		networks: Dictionary<Network>;
 	};
 }