diff --git a/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/shared/config_specific/framework_initialize/_framework_initialize_web.dart b/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/shared/config_specific/framework_initialize/_framework_initialize_web.dart
index d3b35c5e1cd..89df4e90936 100644
--- a/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/shared/config_specific/framework_initialize/_framework_initialize_web.dart
+++ b/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/shared/config_specific/framework_initialize/_framework_initialize_web.dart
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ class ServerConnectionStorage implements Storage {
   final DevToolsServerConnection connection;
 
   @override
-  Future<String> getValue(String key) {
+  Future<String?> getValue(String key) {
     return connection.getPreferenceValue(key);
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/shared/server/server_api_client.dart b/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/shared/server/server_api_client.dart
index 3a345856e3c..523f9e901bc 100644
--- a/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/shared/server/server_api_client.dart
+++ b/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/shared/server/server_api_client.dart
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ class DevToolsServerConnection {
 
   /// Retrieves a preference value from the DevTools configuration file at
   /// ~/.flutter-devtools/.devtools.
-  Future<String> getPreferenceValue(String key) {
+  Future<String?> getPreferenceValue(String key) {
     return _callMethod('getPreferenceValue', {
       'key': key,
     });