diff --git a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/VariableStorageDrivers/WorkflowInstanceStorageDriver.cs b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/VariableStorageDrivers/WorkflowInstanceStorageDriver.cs
index ca0f53c00..7c1d4e963 100644
--- a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/VariableStorageDrivers/WorkflowInstanceStorageDriver.cs
+++ b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/VariableStorageDrivers/WorkflowInstanceStorageDriver.cs
@@ -37,10 +37,8 @@ public class WorkflowInstanceStorageDriver(IPayloadSerializer payloadSerializer,
             }
             catch (Exception ex) when (ex is JsonException or NotSupportedException or ObjectDisposedException)
             {
-                logger.LogWarning(ex, "Failed to serialize variable '{VariableId}' of type '{VariableType}' for workflow instance storage. The variable will be skipped.", 
+                logger.LogWarning(ex, "Failed to serialize variable '{VariableId}' of type '{VariableType}' for workflow instance storage. The stored value was left unchanged.",
                     id, value?.GetType().FullName ?? "null");
-                
-                dictionary.Remove(id);
             }
         });
         return ValueTask.CompletedTask;
@@ -59,8 +57,16 @@ public class WorkflowInstanceStorageDriver(IPayloadSerializer payloadSerializer,
             SerializerOptions = payloadSerializer.GetOptions()  
         };
         var result = node.TryConvertTo(variableType, options);
-        var parsedValue = result.IsSuccess ? result.Value : node;
-        return new (parsedValue);
+        if (result.IsSuccess)
+            return new(result.Value);
+
+        logger.LogWarning(result.Exception, "Failed to convert stored variable '{VariableId}' to type '{VariableType}'. The stored value was left unread rather than returned as an untyped node.",
+            id, variableType.FullName);
+
+        if (ObjectConverter.StrictMode)
+            result.ThrowIfFailure();
+
+        return new((object?)null);
     }
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
diff --git a/test/unit/Elsa.Workflows.Core.UnitTests/VariableStorageDrivers/WorkflowInstanceStorageDriverTests.cs b/test/unit/Elsa.Workflows.Core.UnitTests/VariableStorageDrivers/WorkflowInstanceStorageDriverTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b3e767fa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/Elsa.Workflows.Core.UnitTests/VariableStorageDrivers/WorkflowInstanceStorageDriverTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+using System.Text.Json;
+using System.Text.Json.Nodes;
+using Elsa.Expressions.Helpers;
+using Elsa.Workflows.Memory;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Abstractions;
+using NSubstitute;
+
+namespace Elsa.Workflows.Core.UnitTests.VariableStorageDrivers;
+
+[Collection(nameof(WorkflowInstanceStorageDriverTestsCollection))]
+public class WorkflowInstanceStorageDriverTests
+{
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task WriteAsync_WhenSerializeFails_PreservesPreviousValue()
+    {
+        var harness = CreateHarness(new Variable<string>("name", "kept"));
+        const string id = "nameVariable";
+
+        await harness.Driver.WriteAsync(id, "kept", harness.Context);
+
+        var storedBefore = GetVariables(harness.Properties)[id].ToJsonString();
+
+        await harness.Driver.WriteAsync(id, CreateUnserializableValue(), harness.Context);
+
+        var dictionary = GetVariables(harness.Properties);
+        Assert.True(dictionary.ContainsKey(id));
+        Assert.Equal(storedBefore, dictionary[id].ToJsonString());
+
+        var read = await harness.Driver.ReadAsync(id, harness.Context);
+        Assert.Equal("kept", read);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task WriteAsync_WhenSerializeFailsWithNoPriorValue_DoesNotCreateEntry()
+    {
+        var harness = CreateHarness(new Variable<string>("name", ""));
+        const string id = "nameVariable";
+
+        await harness.Driver.WriteAsync(id, CreateUnserializableValue(), harness.Context);
+
+        Assert.False(GetVariables(harness.Properties).ContainsKey(id));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task DeleteAsync_RemovesStoredValue()
+    {
+        var harness = CreateHarness(new Variable<string>("name", "kept"));
+        const string id = "nameVariable";
+
+        await harness.Driver.WriteAsync(id, "kept", harness.Context);
+        await harness.Driver.DeleteAsync(id, harness.Context);
+
+        Assert.False(GetVariables(harness.Properties).ContainsKey(id));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task ReadAsync_WhenConvertFails_DoesNotReturnUntypedJsonNode()
+    {
+        var harness = CreateHarness(new Variable<int>("count", 0));
+        const string id = "countVariable";
+        SeedIncompatibleNode(harness.Properties, id);
+
+        var read = await harness.Driver.ReadAsync(id, harness.Context);
+
+        Assert.Null(read);
+        Assert.False(read is JsonNode);
+        Assert.True(GetVariables(harness.Properties).ContainsKey(id));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task ReadAsync_WhenConvertFailsAndStrictMode_Throws()
+    {
+        var harness = CreateHarness(new Variable<int>("count", 0));
+        const string id = "countVariable";
+        SeedIncompatibleNode(harness.Properties, id);
+
+        var originalStrictMode = ObjectConverter.StrictMode;
+        try
+        {
+            ObjectConverter.StrictMode = true;
+
+            await Assert.ThrowsAnyAsync<Exception>(() => harness.Driver.ReadAsync(id, harness.Context).AsTask());
+
+            Assert.True(GetVariables(harness.Properties).ContainsKey(id));
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            ObjectConverter.StrictMode = originalStrictMode;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static Harness CreateHarness(Variable variable)
+    {
+        var properties = new Dictionary<string, object>();
+        var executionContext = Substitute.For<IExecutionContext>();
+        executionContext.Properties.Returns(properties);
+
+        var payloadSerializer = Substitute.For<IPayloadSerializer>();
+        payloadSerializer.GetOptions().Returns(new JsonSerializerOptions());
+
+        var driver = new WorkflowInstanceStorageDriver(payloadSerializer, NullLogger<WorkflowInstanceStorageDriver>.Instance);
+        var context = new StorageDriverContext(executionContext, variable, CancellationToken.None);
+
+        return new(driver, context, properties);
+    }
+
+    private static VariablesDictionary GetVariables(IDictionary<string, object> properties) =>
+        (VariablesDictionary)properties[WorkflowInstanceStorageDriver.VariablesDictionaryStateKey];
+
+    private static void SeedIncompatibleNode(IDictionary<string, object> properties, string id)
+    {
+        properties[WorkflowInstanceStorageDriver.VariablesDictionaryStateKey] = new VariablesDictionary
+        {
+            [id] = JsonNode.Parse("""{"foo":"bar"}""")!
+        };
+    }
+
+    private static CyclicValue CreateUnserializableValue()
+    {
+        var value = new CyclicValue();
+        value.Self = value;
+        return value;
+    }
+
+    private sealed record Harness(
+        WorkflowInstanceStorageDriver Driver,
+        StorageDriverContext Context,
+        IDictionary<string, object> Properties);
+
+    private sealed class CyclicValue
+    {
+        public CyclicValue Self { get; set; } = null!;
+    }
+}
+
+[CollectionDefinition(nameof(WorkflowInstanceStorageDriverTestsCollection), DisableParallelization = true)]
+public sealed class WorkflowInstanceStorageDriverTestsCollection;