diff --git a/superset/views/explore.py b/superset/views/explore.py
index 3023052539b..66499e5d7a2 100644
--- a/superset/views/explore.py
+++ b/superset/views/explore.py
@@ -44,11 +44,10 @@ class ExploreView(BaseSupersetView):
         # so `get_redirect_url` would return the same URL — falling back to
         # SPA rendering avoids a 302 loop.
         if request_form_data := request.args.get("form_data"):
-            try:
-                parsed_form_data = loads_request_json(request_form_data)
-            except ValueError:
-                parsed_form_data = {}
-            if parsed_form_data.get("datasource"):
+            parsed_form_data = loads_request_json(request_form_data)
+            if isinstance(parsed_form_data, dict) and parsed_form_data.get(
+                "datasource"
+            ):
                 from superset.views.core import Superset  # avoid circular import
 
                 return redirect(Superset.get_redirect_url())
diff --git a/tests/integration_tests/core_tests.py b/tests/integration_tests/core_tests.py
index ba52c69fb67..955024ba95a 100644
--- a/tests/integration_tests/core_tests.py
+++ b/tests/integration_tests/core_tests.py
@@ -882,6 +882,16 @@ class TestCore(SupersetTestCase):
         rv = self.client.get(f"/explore/?form_data={quote(json.dumps(form_data))}")
         assert rv.headers["Location"] == f"/explore/?form_data_key={random_key}"
 
+    def test_explore_no_datasource_renders_spa(self):
+        # `Slice.slice_url` emits form_data carrying only `slice_id`; without a
+        # datasource the cache-and-redirect contract can't produce a different
+        # URL, so ExploreView.root must fall through to the SPA instead of
+        # 302-looping back to itself.
+        self.login(ADMIN_USERNAME)
+        form_data = {"slice_id": 1}
+        rv = self.client.get(f"/explore/?form_data={quote(json.dumps(form_data))}")
+        assert rv.status_code == 200
+
     @pytest.mark.usefixtures("load_birth_names_dashboard_with_slices")
     def test_has_table(self):
         if backend() in ("sqlite", "mysql"):