diff --git a/metalus-core/src/main/scala/com/acxiom/pipeline/PipelineStepMapper.scala b/metalus-core/src/main/scala/com/acxiom/pipeline/PipelineStepMapper.scala
index 6d38e9f0..965a1951 100644
--- a/metalus-core/src/main/scala/com/acxiom/pipeline/PipelineStepMapper.scala
+++ b/metalus-core/src/main/scala/com/acxiom/pipeline/PipelineStepMapper.scala
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package com.acxiom.pipeline
 import com.acxiom.pipeline.utils.{DriverUtils, ReflectionUtils, ScalaScriptEngine}
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger
 import org.json4s.Formats
-import org.json4s.native.JsonMethods.parse
 import org.json4s.native.Serialization
 
 import scala.annotation.tailrec
@@ -515,9 +514,7 @@ trait PipelineStepMapper {
 
   private def mapByValue(value: Option[String], parameter: Parameter, pipelineContext: PipelineContext): Any = {
     implicit val formats: Formats = pipelineContext.getJson4sFormats
-    if (value.getOrElse("").startsWith("[") || value.getOrElse("").startsWith("{")) {
-      parse(value.get).values // option 1: using the first byte of the string
-    } else if (value.isDefined) {
+    if (value.isDefined) {
       value.get
     } else if (parameter.defaultValue.isDefined) {
       logger.debug(s"Parameter ${parameter.name.get} has a defaultValue of ${parameter.defaultValue.getOrElse("")}")
diff --git a/metalus-core/src/test/scala/com/acxiom/pipeline/PipelineStepMapperTests.scala b/metalus-core/src/test/scala/com/acxiom/pipeline/PipelineStepMapperTests.scala
index 5dea21a6..7b21d0c4 100644
--- a/metalus-core/src/test/scala/com/acxiom/pipeline/PipelineStepMapperTests.scala
+++ b/metalus-core/src/test/scala/com/acxiom/pipeline/PipelineStepMapperTests.scala
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 package com.acxiom.pipeline
 
-import java.io.File
-
 import com.acxiom.pipeline.audits.{AuditType, ExecutionAudit}
 import com.acxiom.pipeline.utils.DriverUtils
 import org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils
@@ -11,6 +9,8 @@ import org.apache.spark.sql.SparkSession
 import org.json4s.{DefaultFormats, Formats}
 import org.scalatest.{BeforeAndAfterAll, FunSpec, GivenWhenThen, Suite}
 
+import java.io.File
+
 class PipelineStepMapperTests extends FunSpec with BeforeAndAfterAll with GivenWhenThen with Suite {
   private val FIVE = 5
   override def beforeAll() {
@@ -113,8 +113,6 @@ class PipelineStepMapperTests extends FunSpec with BeforeAndAfterAll with GivenW
         ("big int", Parameter(value = Some(BigInt("5")), `type` = Some("integer")), BigInt("5")),
         ("decimal", Parameter(value = Some(BigInt("5")), `type` = Some("integer")), BigInt("5")),
         ("list", Parameter(value = Some(List("5")), `type` = Some("integer")), List("5")),
-        ("string list", Parameter(value = Some("[\"a\", \"b\", \"c\" \"d\"]"), `type` = Some("list")), List("a", "b", "c", "d")),
-        ("int list", Parameter(value = Some("[1, 2, 3]"), `type` = Some("list")), List(1, 2, 3)),
         ("default value", Parameter(name = Some("fred"), defaultValue = Some("default value"), `type` = Some("string")), "default value"),
         ("string from global", Parameter(value = Some("!globalString"), `type` = Some("string")), "globalValue1"),
         ("GlobalLink overrides root global", Parameter(value = Some("!link9"), `type` = Some("string")), "link_override"),