diff --git a/sources/library.dylan b/sources/library.dylan
index 456d63d..65ebd5f 100644
--- a/sources/library.dylan
+++ b/sources/library.dylan
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ define module deft-shared
   use streams,             export: all;
   use strings,             export: all;
   use threads,             export: all, import: { dynamic-bind };
-  use uncommon-dylan,      export: all;
+  use uncommon-dylan,      export: all, exclude: { format-out, format-to-string };
   use uncommon-utils,      export: all;
 
   export
diff --git a/sources/shared.dylan b/sources/shared.dylan
index 4cf7664..b84c665 100644
--- a/sources/shared.dylan
+++ b/sources/shared.dylan
@@ -41,19 +41,24 @@ define inline function warn (fmt, #rest args) => ()
   apply(note, concat("WARNING: ", fmt), args);
 end;
 
+// https://github.com/dylan-lang/opendylan/issues/1358
 define function load-json-file (file :: <file-locator>) => (config :: <table>)
-  fs/with-open-file(stream = file, if-does-not-exist: #f)
-    let object = parse-json(stream, strict?: #f, table-class: <istring-table>);
-    if (~instance?(object, <table>))
-     error("Invalid JSON file %s, must contain at least {}", file);
-    end;
-    object
+  block ()
+    fs/with-open-file(stream = file, if-does-not-exist: #"signal")
+      let object = parse-json(stream, strict?: #f, table-class: <istring-table>);
+      if (~instance?(object, <table>))
+        error("Invalid JSON file %s, must contain at least {}", file);
+      end;
+      object
+    end
+  exception (fs/<file-does-not-exist-error>)
+    make(<istring-table>)
   end
 end function;
 
-// Read the full contents of a file and return it as a string.  If the file
-// doesn't exist return #f. (I thought if-does-not-exist: #f was supposed to
-// accomplish this without the need for block/exception.)
+// Read the full contents of a file and return it as a string.  If the file doesn't exist
+// return #f. (I thought if-does-not-exist: #f was supposed to accomplish this without
+// the need for block/exception.  https://github.com/dylan-lang/opendylan/issues/1358)
 define function file-content (path :: <locator>) => (text :: false-or(<string>))
   block ()
     fs/with-open-file(stream = path, if-does-not-exist: #"signal")
diff --git a/sources/workspaces/workspaces.dylan b/sources/workspaces/workspaces.dylan
index 6123563..843b648 100644
--- a/sources/workspaces/workspaces.dylan
+++ b/sources/workspaces/workspaces.dylan
@@ -119,9 +119,31 @@ define function load-workspace
                                         & dp-file
                                         & (ws-file.locator-directory ~= dp-file.locator-directory))));
   ws-file & load-workspace-config(ws, ws-file);
+  if (~ws.workspace-default-library-name)
+    ws.workspace-default-library-name := find-default-library(ws);
+  end;
   ws
 end function;
 
+define function find-default-library
+    (ws :: <workspace>) => (name :: false-or(<string>))
+  block (return)
+    let fallback = #f;
+    for (lids keyed-by package in ws.lids-by-release)
+      for (lid in lids)
+        let name = lid.library-name;
+        fallback := fallback | name;
+        if (ends-with?(name, "-test-suite-app")
+              | ends-with?(name, "-test-suite")
+              | ends-with?(name, "-tests"))
+          return(name);
+        end;
+      end for;
+    end for;
+    fallback
+  end block
+end function;
+
 // Scan the workspace to find all active packages, from which the lids-by-* tables are
 // populated and deps can be determined.
 define function scan-workspace
@@ -176,26 +198,11 @@ end function;
 // Load the workspace.json file
 define function load-workspace-config
     (ws :: <workspace>, file :: <file-locator>) => ()
-  local method find-default-library ()
-          block (return)
-            let fallback = #f;
-            for (lids keyed-by package in ws.lids-by-release)
-              for (lid in lids)
-                let name = lid.library-name;
-                fallback := fallback | name;
-                if (ends-with?(name, "-test-suite-app")
-                      | ends-with?(name, "-test-suite")
-                      | ends-with?(name, "-tests"))
-                  return(name);
-                end;
-              end for;
-            end for;
-            fallback
-          end block;
-        end method;
   let json = load-json-file(file);
-  ws.workspace-default-library-name
-    := element(json, $default-library-key, default: #f) | find-default-library();
+  let deflib = element(json, $default-library-key, default: #f);
+  if (deflib)
+    ws.workspace-default-library-name := deflib;
+  end;
 end function;
 
 // Find the workspace directory. The nearest directory containing