diff --git a/packages/core/src/subsystems/IO/Storage.service/connectors/LocalStorage.class.ts b/packages/core/src/subsystems/IO/Storage.service/connectors/LocalStorage.class.ts
index 3016e658f..bc2a02ff7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/subsystems/IO/Storage.service/connectors/LocalStorage.class.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/subsystems/IO/Storage.service/connectors/LocalStorage.class.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ export class LocalStorage extends StorageConnector {
     private findStorageFolder(folder) {
         let _storageFolder = folder;
 
-        if (fs.existsSync(_storageFolder)) {
+        if (_storageFolder && fs.existsSync(_storageFolder)) {
             return _storageFolder;
         }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/tests/unit/005-Storage/LocalStorage.test.ts b/packages/core/tests/unit/005-Storage/LocalStorage.test.ts
index 02197e952..523a2f553 100644
--- a/packages/core/tests/unit/005-Storage/LocalStorage.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/tests/unit/005-Storage/LocalStorage.test.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ const testOriginalMetadata = {
 };
 
 describe('Local Storage Tests', () => {
+    it('Initializes with undefined folder without crashing (guard)', () => {
+        expect(() => new LocalStorage()).not.toThrow();
+        expect(() => new LocalStorage({} as any)).not.toThrow();
+        expect(() => new LocalStorage({ folder: undefined } as any)).not.toThrow();
+    });
     it('Get Default Storage instance', async () => {
         const localStorage: StorageConnector = ConnectorService.getStorageConnector();
 
diff --git a/packages/sdk/src/Storage/StorageInstance.class.ts b/packages/sdk/src/Storage/StorageInstance.class.ts
index 5f630466e..7e7f8b682 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/src/Storage/StorageInstance.class.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/src/Storage/StorageInstance.class.ts
@@ -119,11 +119,10 @@ export class StorageInstance extends SDKObject {
      * @param resourceName - The name or smythfs:// uri of the resource to check
      * @returns true if the resource exists, false otherwise
      */
-    async exists(resourceName: string) {
+    async exists(resourceName: string): Promise<boolean> {
         const uri = resourceName.startsWith('smythfs://') ? resourceName : await this.getResourceUri(resourceName);
         try {
-            await this.fs.exists(uri, this._candidate);
-            return uri;
+            return await this.fs.exists(uri, this._candidate);
         } catch (error) {
             console.error(error);
             throw error;