diff --git a/src/ramanchada2/io/experimental/rc1_parser/io.py b/src/ramanchada2/io/experimental/rc1_parser/io.py
index 39c16c1c..d26b6086 100644
--- a/src/ramanchada2/io/experimental/rc1_parser/io.py
+++ b/src/ramanchada2/io/experimental/rc1_parser/io.py
@@ -61,5 +61,5 @@ def cleanMeta(meta):
             meta = meta.decode('utf-8')
             meta = cleanMeta(meta)
         except Exception:
-            meta = []
+            meta = {}
     return meta
diff --git a/src/ramanchada2/misc/types/spectrum/metadata.py b/src/ramanchada2/misc/types/spectrum/metadata.py
index 8d81118a..7d9f65a8 100644
--- a/src/ramanchada2/misc/types/spectrum/metadata.py
+++ b/src/ramanchada2/misc/types/spectrum/metadata.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
     StrictInt, float,
     datetime.datetime,
     List[Any], Dict[str, Any],
-    StrictStr]
+    StrictStr, None]
 
 
 class SpeMetadataFieldModel(PydRootModel):
@@ -54,6 +54,14 @@ def serialize(self):
 class SpeMetadataModel(PydRootModel):
     root: Dict[str, SpeMetadataFieldModel]
 
+    @field_validator('root', mode='before')
+    def pre_validate(cls, val):
+        if val is None or val == '':
+            val = {}
+        elif isinstance(val, list):
+            val = {'%d' % k: v for k, v in enumerate(val)}
+        return val
+
     def __str__(self):
         return str(self.serialize())
 
diff --git a/tests/end_to_end/test_from_cache_or_calc.py b/tests/end_to_end/test_from_cache_or_calc.py
index b50994a0..a547044a 100644
--- a/tests/end_to_end/test_from_cache_or_calc.py
+++ b/tests/end_to_end/test_from_cache_or_calc.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ def test_from_cache_or_calc():
         spe_fit_cache = rc2.spectrum.from_cache_or_calc(cachefile=cachefile, required_steps=steps)
 
         assert np.allclose(spe_fit.y, spe_fit_cache.y)  # make sure spe_fit_cache is coming from cache
+        assert spe_fit.meta == spe_fit_cache.meta
 
         assert FitPeaksResult.loads(spe_fit.result).to_dataframe_peaks().equals(
             FitPeaksResult.loads(spe_fit_cache.result).to_dataframe_peaks())
diff --git a/tests/spectrum/test_metadata.py b/tests/spectrum/test_metadata.py
index 5d274859..79278874 100644
--- a/tests/spectrum/test_metadata.py
+++ b/tests/spectrum/test_metadata.py
@@ -51,3 +51,25 @@ def test_spectrum_metadata():
     s._flush()
     assert s.serialize() == {}
     assert len(s.root) == 0
+
+
+def test_metadata2():
+    assert (SpeMetadataModel.validate(['a0', 'b1', 'c2'])
+            == SpeMetadataModel.validate({'0': 'a0', '1': 'b1', '2': 'c2'}))
+    assert SpeMetadataModel.validate(None) == SpeMetadataModel.validate({})
+    assert SpeMetadataModel.validate('') == SpeMetadataModel.validate({})
+
+    meta0 = {'array1': np.array([1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]),
+             'array2': np.array([1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.]),
+             'list1': [1, 2, 3, '5', 'asdfasdf'],
+             'dict1': {'1': 123,
+                       '2': '234',
+                       '': 2,
+                       '3': None,
+                       '4': [1, 2, 3, 4, 99],
+                       '5': {'a': 'a', '5': 5, '[]': [], '{}': {}},
+                       },
+             b'asdf': 'asdf'
+             }
+    meta_ser = SpeMetadataModel(meta0).serialize()
+    assert SpeMetadataModel(meta0) == SpeMetadataModel(meta_ser)