diff --git a/apps/dashboard/lib/Controller/DashboardApiController.php b/apps/dashboard/lib/Controller/DashboardApiController.php
index d39441ddb47ba..0fd6130d9c42a 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/lib/Controller/DashboardApiController.php
+++ b/apps/dashboard/lib/Controller/DashboardApiController.php
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ public function getLayout(): DataResponse {
 	#[NoAdminRequired]
 	#[ApiRoute(verb: 'POST', url: '/api/v3/layout')]
 	public function updateLayout(array $layout): DataResponse {
+		$layout = $this->service->sanitizeLayout($layout);
 		$this->userConfig->setValueString($this->userId, 'dashboard', 'layout', implode(',', $layout));
 		return new DataResponse(['layout' => $layout]);
 	}
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/lib/Service/DashboardService.php b/apps/dashboard/lib/Service/DashboardService.php
index feb8cf307d480..c94617d69417b 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/lib/Service/DashboardService.php
+++ b/apps/dashboard/lib/Service/DashboardService.php
@@ -31,12 +31,30 @@ public function __construct(
 	 */
 	public function getLayout(): array {
 		$systemDefault = $this->appConfig->getAppValueString('layout', 'recommendations,spreed,mail,calendar');
-		return array_values(array_filter(
+		return $this->sanitizeLayout(
 			explode(',', $this->userConfig->getValueString($this->userId, 'dashboard', 'layout', $systemDefault)),
-			fn (string $value) => $value !== '')
 		);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @param list<string> $layout
+	 * @return list<string>
+	 */
+	public function sanitizeLayout(array $layout): array {
+		$seen = [];
+		$result = [];
+		foreach ($layout as $value) {
+			if ($value === '' || isset($seen[$value])) {
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			$seen[$value] = true;
+			$result[] = $value;
+		}
+
+		return $result;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @return list<string>
 	 */
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/tests/DashboardServiceTest.php b/apps/dashboard/tests/DashboardServiceTest.php
index 4c53644995b1f..15cf3382f403c 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/tests/DashboardServiceTest.php
+++ b/apps/dashboard/tests/DashboardServiceTest.php
@@ -44,6 +44,25 @@ protected function setUp(): void {
 		);
 	}
 
+	public function testGetLayoutRemovesEmptyAndDuplicateEntries(): void {
+		$this->appConfig->method('getAppValueString')
+			->with('layout', 'recommendations,spreed,mail,calendar')
+			->willReturn('recommendations,spreed,mail,calendar');
+		$this->userConfig->method('getValueString')
+			->with('alice', 'dashboard', 'layout', 'recommendations,spreed,mail,calendar')
+			->willReturn('spreed,,mail,mail,calendar,spreed');
+
+		$layout = $this->service->getLayout();
+
+		$this->assertSame(['spreed', 'mail', 'calendar'], $layout);
+	}
+
+	public function testSanitizeLayoutRemovesEmptyAndDuplicateEntries(): void {
+		$layout = $this->service->sanitizeLayout(['files', 'calendar', 'files', '', 'mail', 'calendar']);
+
+		$this->assertSame(['files', 'calendar', 'mail'], $layout);
+	}
+
 	public function testGetBirthdate(): void {
 		$user = $this->createMock(IUser::class);
 		$this->userManager->method('get')