diff --git a/port_ocean/clients/port/mixins/entities.py b/port_ocean/clients/port/mixins/entities.py
index 2194e6e3ba..4bb69edbea 100644
--- a/port_ocean/clients/port/mixins/entities.py
+++ b/port_ocean/clients/port/mixins/entities.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from urllib.parse import quote_plus
+
 import httpx
 from loguru import logger
 
@@ -59,7 +61,7 @@ async def delete_entity(
             f"Delete entity: {entity.identifier} of blueprint: {entity.blueprint}"
         )
         response = await self.client.delete(
-            f"{self.auth.api_url}/blueprints/{entity.blueprint}/entities/{entity.identifier}",
+            f"{self.auth.api_url}/blueprints/{entity.blueprint}/entities/{quote_plus(entity.identifier)}",
             headers=await self.auth.headers(user_agent_type),
             params={
                 "delete_dependents": str(
diff --git a/port_ocean/core/models.py b/port_ocean/core/models.py
index a869e9c4e6..5a73c19cfc 100644
--- a/port_ocean/core/models.py
+++ b/port_ocean/core/models.py
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
-from typing import Any
+from typing import Any, Type, TypeVar
 
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 from pydantic.fields import Field
 
+Model = TypeVar("Model", bound="BaseModel")
+
 
 class Entity(BaseModel):
     identifier: str
@@ -12,6 +14,25 @@ class Entity(BaseModel):
     properties: dict[str, Any] = {}
     relations: dict[str, Any] = {}
 
+    @classmethod
+    def parse_obj(cls: Type["Model"], obj: dict[Any, Any]) -> "Model":
+        obj["identifier"] = str(obj.get("identifier"))
+        obj["blueprint"] = str(obj.get("blueprint"))
+        if obj.get("team"):
+            team = obj.get("team")
+            obj["team"] = (
+                [str(item) for item in team]
+                if isinstance(team, list)
+                else str(obj.get("team"))
+            )
+
+        for key, value in obj.get("relations", {}).items():
+            if isinstance(value, list):
+                obj["relations"][key] = [str(item) for item in value]
+            else:
+                obj["relations"][key] = str(value)
+        return super(Entity, cls).parse_obj(obj)
+
 
 class BlueprintRelation(BaseModel):
     many: bool
diff --git a/port_ocean/port_defaults.py b/port_ocean/port_defaults.py
index 98a3c84ec3..0a73808166 100644
--- a/port_ocean/port_defaults.py
+++ b/port_ocean/port_defaults.py
@@ -183,9 +183,12 @@ async def _initialize_defaults(
 def initialize_defaults(
     config_class: Type[PortAppConfig], integration_config: IntegrationConfiguration
 ) -> None:
-    asyncio.new_event_loop().run_until_complete(
-        _initialize_defaults(config_class, integration_config)
-    )
+    try:
+        asyncio.new_event_loop().run_until_complete(
+            _initialize_defaults(config_class, integration_config)
+        )
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.debug(f"Failed to initialize defaults, skipping... Error: {e}")
 
 
 def get_port_integration_defaults(
@@ -221,6 +224,6 @@ def get_port_integration_defaults(
         actions=default_jsons.get("actions", []),
         scorecards=default_jsons.get("scorecards", []),
         port_app_config=port_app_config_class(
-            **default_jsons.get("port_app_config", {})
+            **default_jsons.get("port-app-config", {})
         ),
     )