diff --git a/tests/test_json_utils.py b/tests/test_json_utils.py
index ea44d3a0..5729b300 100644
--- a/tests/test_json_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_json_utils.py
@@ -119,13 +119,12 @@ def test_no_json_at_all():
         extract_json("Just some text with no JSON structure at all")
 
 
-def test_array_input_returns_list():
-    """extract_json succeeds on JSON arrays — json.loads parses them as lists.
+def test_array_input_raises_value_error():
+    """extract_json rejects JSON arrays — only dicts are accepted.
 
-    The function's return-type annotation says dict, but the implementation does
-    not enforce this at runtime.  A JSON array is valid JSON, so step 1
-    (direct json.loads) succeeds and returns a list.  Callers that need a dict
-    must validate the returned type themselves.
+    All callers (macro_synthesis, macro_bridge, CLI) call .get() on the result,
+    so returning a list would cause AttributeError downstream.  The function
+    enforces dict-only return at runtime.
     """
-    result = extract_json('[1, 2, 3]')
-    assert result == [1, 2, 3]
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Expected a JSON object"):
+        extract_json('[1, 2, 3]')
diff --git a/tradingagents/agents/scanners/macro_synthesis.py b/tradingagents/agents/scanners/macro_synthesis.py
index c58ef561..b29d517f 100644
--- a/tradingagents/agents/scanners/macro_synthesis.py
+++ b/tradingagents/agents/scanners/macro_synthesis.py
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 import json
 import logging
 
+from langchain_core.prompts import ChatPromptTemplate, MessagesPlaceholder
+
 from tradingagents.agents.utils.json_utils import extract_json
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-from langchain_core.prompts import ChatPromptTemplate, MessagesPlaceholder
-
 
 def create_macro_synthesis(llm):
     def macro_synthesis_node(state):
diff --git a/tradingagents/agents/utils/json_utils.py b/tradingagents/agents/utils/json_utils.py
index adc28fac..fee623a6 100644
--- a/tradingagents/agents/utils/json_utils.py
+++ b/tradingagents/agents/utils/json_utils.py
@@ -30,9 +30,16 @@ def extract_json(text: str) -> dict[str, Any]:
     if not text or not text.strip():
         raise ValueError("Empty input — no JSON to extract")
 
+    def _ensure_dict(obj: object) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        if not isinstance(obj, dict):
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Expected a JSON object (dict), got {type(obj).__name__}"
+            )
+        return obj
+
     # 1. Direct parse
     try:
-        return json.loads(text)
+        return _ensure_dict(json.loads(text))
     except json.JSONDecodeError:
         pass
 
@@ -41,7 +48,7 @@ def extract_json(text: str) -> dict[str, Any]:
 
     # Try again after stripping think blocks
     try:
-        return json.loads(cleaned)
+        return _ensure_dict(json.loads(cleaned))
     except json.JSONDecodeError:
         pass
 
@@ -50,8 +57,9 @@ def extract_json(text: str) -> dict[str, Any]:
     fences = re.findall(fence_pattern, cleaned, re.DOTALL)
     for block in fences:
         try:
-            return json.loads(block.strip())
-        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            return _ensure_dict(json.loads(block.strip()))
+        except (json.JSONDecodeError, ValueError):
+            # JSONDecodeError = bad JSON; ValueError = parsed but not a dict
             continue
 
     # 4. Find first '{' to last '}'
@@ -59,8 +67,9 @@ def extract_json(text: str) -> dict[str, Any]:
     last_brace = cleaned.rfind("}")
     if first_brace != -1 and last_brace > first_brace:
         try:
-            return json.loads(cleaned[first_brace : last_brace + 1])
-        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            return _ensure_dict(json.loads(cleaned[first_brace : last_brace + 1]))
+        except (json.JSONDecodeError, ValueError):
+            # JSONDecodeError = bad JSON; ValueError = parsed but not a dict
             pass
 
     raise ValueError(
diff --git a/tradingagents/dataflows/interface.py b/tradingagents/dataflows/interface.py
index 4e0caec2..357109f9 100644
--- a/tradingagents/dataflows/interface.py
+++ b/tradingagents/dataflows/interface.py
@@ -256,4 +256,5 @@ def route_to_vendor(method: str, *args, **kwargs):
             continue
 
     error_msg = f"All vendors failed for '{method}' (tried: {', '.join(tried)})"
-    raise RuntimeError(error_msg) from last_error
\ No newline at end of file
+    raise RuntimeError(error_msg) from last_error
+