diff --git a/lib/beacon/types/json_array_map.ex b/lib/beacon/types/json_array_map.ex
index 334bd2c2..0c10f0bc 100644
--- a/lib/beacon/types/json_array_map.ex
+++ b/lib/beacon/types/json_array_map.ex
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ defmodule Beacon.Types.JsonArrayMap do
 
   use Ecto.Type
 
-  def type, do: :mine
+  def type, do: {:array, :map}
 
   def cast(term) when is_map(term), do: {:ok, [term]}
 
@@ -19,6 +19,13 @@ defmodule Beacon.Types.JsonArrayMap do
     end
   end
 
+  def cast(term) when is_binary(term) do
+    case decode(term) do
+      {:ok, term} -> cast(term)
+      {:error, message} -> {:error, message: message}
+    end
+  end
+
   def cast(term) do
     {:error, message: "expected a list of map or a map, got: #{inspect(term)}"}
   end
@@ -35,9 +42,26 @@ defmodule Beacon.Types.JsonArrayMap do
     end
   end
 
+  def dump(term) when is_binary(term) do
+    case decode(term) do
+      {:ok, term} -> dump(term)
+      {:error, _message} -> :error
+    end
+  end
+
   def dump(_site), do: :error
 
+  def load(term) when is_map(term), do: {:ok, [term]}
+
   def load(term) when is_list(term), do: {:ok, term}
+
+  def load(term) when is_binary(term) do
+    case decode(term) do
+      {:ok, term} -> load(term)
+      {:error, _message} -> :error
+    end
+  end
+
   def load(_term), do: :error
 
   defp validate(term) when is_list(term) do
@@ -54,4 +78,15 @@ defmodule Beacon.Types.JsonArrayMap do
   end
 
   defp validate(term), do: {false, term}
+
+  defp decode(term) when is_binary(term) do
+    case Jason.decode(term) do
+      {:ok, term} ->
+        {:ok, term}
+
+      {:error, error} ->
+        message = Exception.message(error)
+        {:error, "expected a list of map or a map, got error: #{message}"}
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/beacon/types/json_array_map_test.exs b/test/beacon/types/json_array_map_test.exs
index 059fb4e0..34ecb327 100644
--- a/test/beacon/types/json_array_map_test.exs
+++ b/test/beacon/types/json_array_map_test.exs
@@ -3,26 +3,33 @@ defmodule Beacon.Types.JsonArrayMapTest do
 
   alias Beacon.Types.JsonArrayMap
 
-  @map %{"foo" => :bar}
+  @map %{"foo" => "bar"}
 
   test "cast" do
+    assert JsonArrayMap.cast([]) == {:ok, []}
     assert JsonArrayMap.cast(@map) == {:ok, [@map]}
     assert JsonArrayMap.cast([@map]) == {:ok, [@map]}
-    assert JsonArrayMap.cast([]) == {:ok, []}
+    assert JsonArrayMap.cast(~s|[{"foo": "bar"}]|) == {:ok, [@map]}
     assert JsonArrayMap.cast(nil) == {:error, [{:message, "expected a list of map or a map, got: nil"}]}
     assert JsonArrayMap.cast([1]) == {:error, [{:message, "expected a list of map or a map, got: [1]"}]}
+    assert JsonArrayMap.cast("") == {:error, [message: "expected a list of map or a map, got error: unexpected end of input at position 0"]}
   end
 
   test "dump" do
+    assert JsonArrayMap.dump([]) == {:ok, []}
     assert JsonArrayMap.dump(@map) == {:ok, [@map]}
     assert JsonArrayMap.dump([@map]) == {:ok, [@map]}
-    assert JsonArrayMap.dump([]) == {:ok, []}
+    assert JsonArrayMap.dump(~s|[{"foo": "bar"}]|) == {:ok, [@map]}
     assert JsonArrayMap.dump(nil) == :error
     assert JsonArrayMap.dump([1]) == :error
+    assert JsonArrayMap.dump("") == :error
   end
 
   test "load" do
+    assert JsonArrayMap.load(@map) == {:ok, [@map]}
     assert JsonArrayMap.load([@map]) == {:ok, [@map]}
-    assert JsonArrayMap.load(@map) == :error
+    assert JsonArrayMap.load(~s|[{"foo": "bar"}]|) == {:ok, [@map]}
+    assert JsonArrayMap.load(nil) == :error
+    assert JsonArrayMap.load("") == :error
   end
 end