diff --git a/pkg/label/label.go b/pkg/label/label.go
index 718a5bd0a..a8ad05140 100644
--- a/pkg/label/label.go
+++ b/pkg/label/label.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package label
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/handle"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/label/types"
@@ -42,14 +43,23 @@ func Changed(old, new map[string]string) bool {
 }
 
 // ParseStrings converts slice of strings with "key=val" format into
-func ParseStrings(ss []string) (map[string]string, error) {
+func ParseStrings(ss []string) (m map[string]string, err error) {
 	if len(ss) == 0 {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 
-	m := make(map[string]string)
+	m = make(map[string]string)
 
 	for _, s := range ss {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(s, "{") && strings.HasSuffix(s, "}") {
+			// assume json
+			if err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(s), &m); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+
+			continue
+		}
+
 		kv := strings.SplitN(s, "=", 2)
 		if len(kv) != 2 {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid label format")
diff --git a/pkg/label/label_test.go b/pkg/label/label_test.go
index 42e7ebe47..b358275f1 100644
--- a/pkg/label/label_test.go
+++ b/pkg/label/label_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package label
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
 
 func TestChanged(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
@@ -9,7 +12,6 @@ func TestChanged(t *testing.T) {
 		new  map[string]string
 		want bool
 	}{
-		// TODO: Add test cases.
 		{
 			"2x nil",
 			nil,
@@ -55,3 +57,44 @@ func TestChanged(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestParseStrings(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		labels  []string
+		want    map[string]string
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{
+			"set of pairs",
+			[]string{"aa=b"},
+			map[string]string{"aa": "b"},
+			false,
+		},
+		{
+			"empty json",
+			[]string{`{}`},
+			map[string]string{},
+			false,
+		},
+		{
+			"json",
+			[]string{`{"aa":"b"}`},
+			map[string]string{"aa": "b"},
+			false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := ParseStrings(tt.labels)
+			if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("ParseStrings() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, tt.want) {
+				t.Errorf("ParseStrings() got = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}