diff --git a/src/dev_delegated_compute.erl b/src/dev_delegated_compute.erl
index c4416b295..ff6fc696e 100644
--- a/src/dev_delegated_compute.erl
+++ b/src/dev_delegated_compute.erl
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ normalize(Base, _Req, Opts) ->
         error -> {ok, Base};
         {ok, Snapshot} ->
             Unset = hb_ao:set(Base, #{ <<"snapshot">> => unset }, Opts),
-            case hb_maps:get(<<"type">>, Snapshot, Opts) == <<"Checkpoint">> of
+            case hb_maps:get(<<"type">>, Snapshot, not_found, Opts) == <<"Checkpoint">> of
                 false -> Unset;
                 true ->
                     load_state(Snapshot, Opts),
@@ -31,7 +31,11 @@ normalize(Base, _Req, Opts) ->
 %% @doc Attempt to load a snapshot into the delegated compute server.
 load_state(Snapshot, Opts) ->
     ?event(debug_load_snapshot, {loading_snapshot, {snapshot, Snapshot}}),
-    Body = hb_maps:get(<<"data">>, Snapshot, Opts),
+    Body = hb_maps:get(<<"data">>, Snapshot, not_found, Opts),
+    case Body of
+        not_found -> throw({error, missing_checkpoint_data});
+        _ -> ok
+    end,
     Headers = hb_maps:without([<<"data">>], Snapshot, Opts),
     Res = do_relay(
         <<"POST">>,
diff --git a/src/dev_genesis_wasm.erl b/src/dev_genesis_wasm.erl
index 42e3b90dc..cb7818dfc 100644
--- a/src/dev_genesis_wasm.erl
+++ b/src/dev_genesis_wasm.erl
@@ -436,7 +436,9 @@ do_import(Proc, CheckpointMessage, Opts) ->
                 CheckpointSigners
             ) orelse untrusted,
         true ?= hb_message:verify(CheckpointMessage, all, Opts) orelse unverified,
-        CheckpointTargetProcID = hb_maps:get(<<"process">>, CheckpointMessage, Opts),
+        CheckpointData = hb_maps:get(<<"data">>, CheckpointMessage, not_found, Opts),
+        true ?= CheckpointData =/= not_found orelse missing_checkpoint_data,
+        CheckpointTargetProcID = hb_maps:get(<<"process">>, CheckpointMessage, not_found, Opts),
         ProcID = dev_process_lib:process_id(Proc, #{}, Opts),
         true ?= CheckpointTargetProcID == ProcID orelse process_mismatch,
         % Normalize the checkpoint message into a process state message with 
@@ -481,6 +483,12 @@ do_import(Proc, CheckpointMessage, Opts) ->
                 <<"body">> =>
                     <<"Checkpoint message is not signed by a trusted snapshot "
                         "authority.">>
+            }};
+        missing_checkpoint_data ->
+            {error, #{
+                <<"status">> => 400,
+                <<"body">> =>
+                    <<"Checkpoint message is missing data.">>
             }}
     end.
 
diff --git a/src/dev_process.erl b/src/dev_process.erl
index bec7cb058..06fb3e8b8 100644
--- a/src/dev_process.erl
+++ b/src/dev_process.erl
@@ -673,7 +673,17 @@ ensure_loaded(Base, Req, Opts) ->
                             MaybeLoadedSnapshotMsg,
                             Opts
                         ),
-                    Process = hb_maps:get(<<"process">>, LoadedSnapshotMsg, Opts),
+                    Process =
+                        case hb_maps:get(
+                            <<"process">>,
+                            LoadedSnapshotMsg,
+                            not_found,
+                            Opts
+                        ) of
+                            P when is_map(P) -> P;
+                            not_found -> throw({error, missing_snapshot_process});
+                            _ -> throw({error, invalid_snapshot_process})
+                        end,
                     #{ <<"commitments">> := HmacCommits} =
                         hb_message:with_commitments(
                             #{ <<"type">> => <<"hmac-sha256">>},