diff --git a/dsc/client.py b/dsc/client.py
index 2965f74..62c56f0 100644
--- a/dsc/client.py
+++ b/dsc/client.py
@@ -281,9 +281,18 @@ class SeafileClient:
         try:
             libraries = json.loads(out.decode())
         except (UnicodeDecodeError, ValueError) as err:
-            raise DaemonError(f"Cannot read the library list from seaf-cli: {err}")
+            raise DaemonError(
+                f"Cannot read the library list from seaf-cli: {err}"
+            ) from err
 
-        return {lib["id"] for lib in libraries}
+        # Valid JSON is not necessarily the expected shape, and an unexpected
+        # one must fail the same way rather than as a bare TypeError.
+        try:
+            return {lib["id"] for lib in libraries}
+        except (KeyError, TypeError) as err:
+            raise DaemonError(
+                f"Unexpected library list from seaf-cli: {err}"
+            ) from err
 
     def configure(self, args: argparse.Namespace, check_for_daemon: bool = True):
         need_restart = False
diff --git a/tests/test_commands.py b/tests/test_commands.py
index 48edf8f..082f16f 100644
--- a/tests/test_commands.py
+++ b/tests/test_commands.py
@@ -213,3 +213,25 @@ def test_local_libraries_reports_a_failed_command(client, monkeypatch):
     run_returning(monkeypatch, b"", returncode=1)
     with pytest.raises(DaemonError):
         client.get_local_libraries()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("payload", [
+    b'{"name": "Docs"}',            # an object where a list is expected
+    b'[{"name": "Docs"}]',          # an entry with no id
+    b'["Docs"]',                    # entries that are not objects
+    b'[null]',
+    b'null',
+    b'42',
+])
+def test_local_libraries_reports_unexpected_json_shapes(client, monkeypatch, payload):
+    """Valid JSON of the wrong shape must not escape as a raw TypeError."""
+    run_returning(monkeypatch, payload)
+    with pytest.raises(DaemonError):
+        client.get_local_libraries()
+
+
+def test_local_libraries_error_keeps_the_original_cause(client, monkeypatch):
+    run_returning(monkeypatch, b"not json at all")
+    with pytest.raises(DaemonError) as err:
+        client.get_local_libraries()
+    assert err.value.__cause__ is not None