diff --git a/app/models/digital_status.rb b/app/models/digital_status.rb
index 012c05f3..a9c5d17d 100644
--- a/app/models/digital_status.rb
+++ b/app/models/digital_status.rb
@@ -2,13 +2,14 @@ class DigitalStatus < ActiveRecord::Base
 	require 'json/ext'
 
 	serialize :options, Hash
+	serialize :options_json, JSON
 	belongs_to :physical_object
 	validates :physical_object, presence: true
 	validates :physical_object_mdpi_barcode, presence: true
 	before_validation :set_mdpi_barcode_from_object
 
 	DIGITAL_STATUS_START = "transferred"
-	serialized_empty_hash = "--- {}\n"
+        serialized_empty_hash = {}.to_yaml.to_s
 	# the number of hours after digitization start that a video physical object is auto-accepted
 	@@Video_File_Auto_Accept = TechnicalMetadatumModule::GENRE_AUTO_ACCEPT_DAYS[:video] * 24
 	# the number of hours after digitization start that an audio physical object is auto-accepted
diff --git a/app/models/memnon_invoice_submission.rb b/app/models/memnon_invoice_submission.rb
index f9893099..2c779e65 100644
--- a/app/models/memnon_invoice_submission.rb
+++ b/app/models/memnon_invoice_submission.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 class MemnonInvoiceSubmission < ActiveRecord::Base
 	serialize :problems_by_row
+	serialize :problems_by_row_json, JSON
 	validates :filename, presence: true
 end
diff --git a/db/migrate/20220719160322_add_serialized_fields.rb b/db/migrate/20220719160322_add_serialized_fields.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..29391241
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20220719160322_add_serialized_fields.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+class AddSerializedFields < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def up
+    add_column :memnon_invoice_submissions, :problems_by_row_json, :text, limit: 4294967295
+    add_column :digital_statuses, :options_json, :text, limit: 65535
+  end
+  def down
+    remove_column :memnon_invoice_submissions, :problems_by_row_json
+    remove_column :digital_statuses, :options_json
+  end
+end