diff --git a/src/components/Dashboard/common/ObjectDisplay.jsx b/src/components/Dashboard/common/ObjectDisplay.jsx
index 56ac041..045a807 100644
--- a/src/components/Dashboard/common/ObjectDisplay.jsx
+++ b/src/components/Dashboard/common/ObjectDisplay.jsx
@@ -31,12 +31,33 @@ const ObjectDisplay = ({
     setObjectData((prev) => merge({}, prev, value))
   }, [])
 
-  // Detect minimal objects that only contain an _id
+  // Ensure ID is valid before hydrate/subscribe (non-empty, not null/undefined)
+  const isValidId = useCallback((id) => {
+    return id != null && String(id).trim() !== ''
+  }, [])
+
+  // Extract string ID from object; handles both primitive _id and populated ref (_id as object)
+  const getStringId = useCallback((obj) => {
+    const id = obj?._id
+    if (id == null) return null
+    if (typeof id === 'string') return id
+    if (typeof id === 'object' && id !== null && typeof id._id === 'string')
+      return id._id
+    return null
+  }, [])
+
+  // Detect minimal objects that only contain an _id (must be string, not populated object)
   const isMinimalObject = useCallback((obj) => {
     if (!obj || typeof obj !== 'object' || Array.isArray(obj)) return false
     const keys = Object.keys(obj)
-    return keys.length === 1 && keys[0] === '_id' && obj._id
-  }, [])
+    const id = obj._id
+    return (
+      keys.length === 1 &&
+      keys[0] === '_id' &&
+      typeof id === 'string' &&
+      isValidId(id)
+    )
+  }, [isValidId])
 
   // If only an _id is provided, fetch the full object via spotlight
   const fetchFullObjectIfNeeded = useCallback(
@@ -64,9 +85,10 @@ const ObjectDisplay = ({
 
   // Subscribe to object updates when component mounts
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (object?._id && objectType && connected && token != null) {
+    const id = getStringId(object)
+    if (isValidId(id) && objectType && connected && token != null) {
       const objectUpdatesUnsubscribe = subscribeToObjectUpdates(
-        object._id,
+        id,
         objectType,
         updateObjectEventHandler
       )
@@ -76,27 +98,31 @@ const ObjectDisplay = ({
       }
     }
   }, [
-    object?._id,
+    object,
     objectType,
     subscribeToObjectUpdates,
     connected,
     token,
-    updateObjectEventHandler
+    updateObjectEventHandler,
+    isValidId,
+    getStringId
   ])
 
   // Update local state when object prop changes
   useEffect(() => {
     if (token == null) return
+    const id = getStringId(object)
+    if (!isValidId(id)) return
     const isMinimal = isMinimalObject(object)
     // Only skip re-fetch when we have a minimal object and already hydrated this id
-    if (isMinimal && idRef.current === object?._id) return
+    if (isMinimal && idRef.current === id) return
     let cancelled = false
     if (isMinimal) setIsHydrating(true)
     const hydrateObject = async () => {
       const fullObject = await fetchFullObjectIfNeeded(object)
       if (!cancelled) {
         setObjectData((prev) => merge({}, prev, fullObject))
-        if (isMinimal) idRef.current = object?._id
+        if (isMinimal) idRef.current = id
         setIsHydrating(false)
       }
     }
@@ -105,7 +131,7 @@ const ObjectDisplay = ({
       cancelled = true
       setIsHydrating(false)
     }
-  }, [object, fetchFullObjectIfNeeded, isMinimalObject, token])
+  }, [object, fetchFullObjectIfNeeded, isMinimalObject, isValidId, getStringId, token])
   if (!objectData) {
     return <Text type='secondary'>n/a</Text>
   }
@@ -137,7 +163,7 @@ const ObjectDisplay = ({
   var hyperlink = null
   const defaultModelActions =
     model.actions?.filter((action) => action.default == true) || []
-  const objectId = objectData._id
+  const objectId = getStringId(objectData)
 
   if (defaultModelActions.length >= 1 && objectId) {
     hyperlink = defaultModelActions[0].url(objectId)
@@ -229,9 +255,9 @@ const ObjectDisplay = ({
           <div style={{ minWidth: 0 }}>
             {renderNameDisplay()}
 
-            {objectData?._id && !objectData?.name ? (
+            {objectId && !objectData?.name ? (
               <IdDisplay
-                id={objectData?._id}
+                id={objectId}
                 reference={objectData?._reference || undefined}
                 type={objectType}
                 longId={false}