diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/api/task/PersistentTask.java b/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/api/task/PersistentTask.java
index e62257eda..342c10163 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/api/task/PersistentTask.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/api/task/PersistentTask.java
@@ -66,6 +66,5 @@ default boolean isTransactional() {
      * @param e the exception reason - could also be a {@link FailTaskNoRetryException}
      * @see <a href="https://spring-persistent-task.sterl.org/failed-spring-triggers/">Failed trigger</a>
      */
-    default void afterTriggerFailed(@Nullable T state, Exception e) {
-    }
+    default void afterTriggerFailed(@Nullable T state, Exception e) {}
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/shared/converter/ToTrigger.java b/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/shared/converter/ToTrigger.java
index fa2a5775b..541bc328c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/shared/converter/ToTrigger.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/shared/converter/ToTrigger.java
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 import org.sterl.spring.persistent_tasks.shared.model.TriggerEntity;
 import org.sterl.spring.persistent_tasks.trigger.component.StateSerializer;
 
+import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
+
+@Slf4j
 public enum ToTrigger implements ExtendetConvert<HasTrigger, Trigger> {
     INSTANCE;
 
@@ -29,8 +32,25 @@ public Trigger convert(@NonNull HasTrigger hasData) {
         result.setRunAt(source.getRunAt());
         result.setRunningDurationInMs(source.getRunningDurationInMs());
         result.setStart(source.getStart());
-        result.setState(SERIALIZER.deserialize(source.getState()));
+        try {
+            result.setState(SERIALIZER.deserialize(source.getState()));
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            var info = """
+                    Failed to deserialize state
+                    This is most likely due to an incompatible code change.
+                    Old states in the DB cannot be read anymore/deserialized and cast to the given class. 
+                    """;
+            result.setState(new FailedToReadStateInfo(e.getMessage(), info));
+            log.warn("""
+                    Failed to deserialize state of {}. 
+                    This is most likely due to an incompatible code change.
+                    Old states in the DB cannot be read anymore/deserialized and cast to the given class. 
+                    {}""", 
+                    source.getKey(), e.getMessage());
+        }
         result.setStatus(source.getStatus());
         return result;
     }
+    
+    record FailedToReadStateInfo(String message, String info) {}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/trigger/component/ReadTriggerComponent.java b/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/trigger/component/ReadTriggerComponent.java
index bd5f3dbb3..6ec08ba2f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/trigger/component/ReadTriggerComponent.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/trigger/component/ReadTriggerComponent.java
@@ -77,9 +77,9 @@ public Page<RunningTriggerEntity> searchTriggers(@Nullable TriggerSearch search,
             return result;
         } else {
             log.debug("Empty search={}, selecting all triggers for page={}", search, page);
-            return triggerRepository.findAll(page);
+            var result = triggerRepository.findAll(page);
+            return result;
         }
-        
     }
     
     public Page<TriggerGroup> searchGroupedTriggers(@Nullable TriggerSearch search, Pageable page) {
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/trigger/component/StateSerializer.java b/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/trigger/component/StateSerializer.java
index 410d70986..f2d7940fb 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/trigger/component/StateSerializer.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/trigger/component/StateSerializer.java
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@
 
 import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
-import java.io.ObjectInput;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.ObjectInputStream;
 import java.io.ObjectOutputStream;
+import java.io.ObjectStreamClass;
 import java.io.Serializable;
 
 import org.sterl.spring.persistent_tasks.exception.SpringPersistentTaskException;
@@ -50,7 +52,7 @@ public Serializable deserialize(byte[] bytes) {
         }
 
         var bis = new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes);
-        try (ObjectInput in = new ObjectInputStream(bis)) {
+        try (var in = new ContextClassLoaderObjectInputStream(bis)) {
             return (Serializable)in.readObject();
         } catch (Exception ex) {
             throw new DeSerializationFailedException(bytes, ex);
@@ -65,4 +67,18 @@ public Serializable deserializeOrNull(byte[] bytes) {
             return null;
         }
     }
+    
+    // needed for spring boot developer tools
+    // https://github.com/sterlp/spring-persistent-tasks/issues/19
+    static class ContextClassLoaderObjectInputStream extends ObjectInputStream {
+        ContextClassLoaderObjectInputStream(InputStream in) throws IOException {
+            super(in);
+        }
+        @Override
+        protected Class<?> resolveClass(ObjectStreamClass desc) 
+                throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException {
+            return Class.forName(desc.getName(), false, 
+                Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader());
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/trigger/api/TriggerResourceTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/trigger/api/TriggerResourceTest.java
index e4299f307..82e854b65 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/trigger/api/TriggerResourceTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/sterl/spring/persistent_tasks/trigger/api/TriggerResourceTest.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonProcessingException;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonMappingException;
+import com.github.f4b6a3.uuid.UuidCreator;
 
 class TriggerResourceTest extends AbstractSpringTest {
 
@@ -217,6 +218,27 @@ void testGroupSearch() throws JsonMappingException, JsonProcessingException {
         assertThat(result.getBody()).contains("\"groupByValue\":\"a1\"");
     }
     
+    @Test
+    void testReadIncompatibleTriggerState() {
+        // GIVEN we have a bad state we cannot read in the DB
+        var key = UuidCreator.getTimeOrdered().toString();
+        trx.execute(t -> {
+            return triggerRepository.save(new RunningTriggerEntity(
+                        new TriggerKey(key, "slowTask")
+                    ).withState(new byte[] {12, 54, 33})
+                );
+        });
+        
+        // WHEN
+        assertThat(triggerRepository.count()).isGreaterThanOrEqualTo(1L);
+        var response = template.getForEntity(baseUrl, String.class);
+        
+        // THEN
+        assertThat(response.getStatusCode()).isEqualTo(HttpStatus.OK);
+        assertThat(response.getBody()).contains(key);
+        assertThat(response.getBody()).contains("Failed to deserialize state of length");
+    }
+    
     private RunningTriggerEntity createStatus(TriggerKey key, TriggerStatus status) {
         final var now = OffsetDateTime.now();
         final var isCancel = status == TriggerStatus.CANCELED;
diff --git a/example/pom.xml b/example/pom.xml
index 40a804def..11b756a74 100644
--- a/example/pom.xml
+++ b/example/pom.xml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
         <!--
         <spt.version>2.1.2</spt.version>
         -->
-        <spt.version>2.2.3-SNAPSHOT</spt.version>
+        <spt.version>2.2.4-SNAPSHOT</spt.version>
     </properties>
 
     <dependencies>
@@ -48,12 +48,6 @@
             <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
             <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
         </dependency>
-        
-        <dependency>
-    <groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
-    <artifactId>spring-data-envers</artifactId>
-  </dependency>
-
 
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
@@ -69,7 +63,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.springdoc</groupId>
             <artifactId>springdoc-openapi-starter-webmvc-ui</artifactId>
-            <version>2.6.0</version>
+            <version>2.8.13</version>
         </dependency>
 
         <dependency>
@@ -98,5 +92,24 @@
             <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-test</artifactId>
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
+            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter</artifactId>
+        </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
+            <artifactId>spring-boot-devtools</artifactId>
+            <scope>runtime</scope>
+            <optional>true</optional>
+        </dependency>
     </dependencies>
+
+    <build>
+        <plugins>
+            <plugin>
+                <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
+                <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+            </plugin>
+        </plugins>
+    </build>
 </project>
\ No newline at end of file