diff --git a/app/controllers/reducers_controller.rb b/app/controllers/reducers_controller.rb
index 2a915406..330194d9 100644
--- a/app/controllers/reducers_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/reducers_controller.rb
@@ -43,7 +43,10 @@ def create
 
     filters = new_params.fetch('filters', {})
     if filters.has_key?('extractor_keys') && filters['extractor_keys'].is_a?(String)
-      filters['extractor_keys'] = JSON.parse(filters['extractor_keys'])
+      begin
+        filters['extractor_keys'] = JSON.parse(filters['extractor_keys'])
+      rescue JSON::ParserError, TypeError;
+      end
     end
 
     reset_config_reducer_keys(new_params)
@@ -71,7 +74,10 @@ def update
 
     filters = params.fetch('filters', {})
     if filters.has_key?('extractor_keys') && filters['extractor_keys'].is_a?(String)
-      filters['extractor_keys'] = JSON.parse(filters['extractor_keys'])
+      begin
+        filters['extractor_keys'] = JSON.parse(filters['extractor_keys'])
+      rescue JSON::ParserError, TypeError;
+      end
     end
 
     reset_config_reducer_keys(params)
diff --git a/spec/controllers/reducers_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/reducers_controller_spec.rb
index 5243d58b..1b9671ab 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/reducers_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/reducers_controller_spec.rb
@@ -96,6 +96,16 @@
         expect(workflow.reducers.first.filters['extractor_keys']).to eq(['test'])
       end
 
+      it 'saves extractor_keys in inputted format' do
+        nested_reducer_params[:filters][:extractor_keys] = '[\'test\']'
+        post :create, params: {
+          workflow_id: workflow.id,
+          reducer: nested_reducer_params
+        }, format: :json
+
+        expect(workflow.reducers.first.filters['extractor_keys']).to eq('[\'test\']')
+      end
+
       it 'jsonifies extractor_keys' do
         post :create, params: {
           workflow_id: workflow.id,