diff --git a/lib/util/settings.ts b/lib/util/settings.ts
index 751b0e75..841d521e 100644
--- a/lib/util/settings.ts
+++ b/lib/util/settings.ts
@@ -381,7 +381,11 @@ function applyEnvironmentVariables(settings: Partial<Settings>): void {
                         }, settings);
 
                         if (type.indexOf('object') >= 0 || type.indexOf('array') >= 0) {
-                            setting[key] = JSON.parse(process.env[envVariableName]);
+                            try {
+                                setting[key] = JSON.parse(process.env[envVariableName]);
+                            } catch (error) {
+                                setting[key] = process.env[envVariableName];
+                            }
                         } else if (type.indexOf('number') >= 0) {
                             /* eslint-disable-line */ // @ts-ignore
                             setting[key] = process.env[envVariableName] * 1;
diff --git a/test/settings.test.js b/test/settings.test.js
index 3c955d75..9ce1d4c2 100644
--- a/test/settings.test.js
+++ b/test/settings.test.js
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ describe('Settings', () => {
         process.env['ZIGBEE2MQTT_CONFIG_ADVANCED_OUTPUT'] = 'csvtest';
         process.env['ZIGBEE2MQTT_CONFIG_MAP_OPTIONS_GRAPHVIZ_COLORS_FILL'] = '{"enddevice": "#ff0000", "coordinator": "#00ff00", "router": "#0000ff"}';
         process.env['ZIGBEE2MQTT_CONFIG_MQTT_BASE_TOPIC'] = 'testtopic';
+        process.env['ZIGBEE2MQTT_CONFIG_ADVANCED_NETWORK_KEY'] = 'GENERATE';
 
         write(configurationFile, {});
         const s = settings.get();
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ describe('Settings', () => {
         expected.advanced.output = 'csvtest';
         expected.map_options.graphviz.colors.fill = {enddevice: '#ff0000', coordinator: '#00ff00', router: '#0000ff'};
         expected.mqtt.base_topic = 'testtopic';
+        expected.advanced.network_key = 'GENERATE';
 
         expect(s).toStrictEqual(expected);
     });