diff --git a/plugins/discourse-local-dates/plugin.rb b/plugins/discourse-local-dates/plugin.rb
index cb243194d77..bb4daab5af3 100644
--- a/plugins/discourse-local-dates/plugin.rb
+++ b/plugins/discourse-local-dates/plugin.rb
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ after_initialize do
     end
 
     if dates.present?
-      post.custom_fields[DiscourseLocalDates::POST_CUSTOM_FIELD] = dates.to_json
+      post.custom_fields[DiscourseLocalDates::POST_CUSTOM_FIELD] = dates
       post.save_custom_fields
     elsif !post.custom_fields[DiscourseLocalDates::POST_CUSTOM_FIELD].nil?
       post.custom_fields.delete(DiscourseLocalDates::POST_CUSTOM_FIELD)
diff --git a/plugins/discourse-local-dates/spec/models/post_spec.rb b/plugins/discourse-local-dates/spec/models/post_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..15da7f75fd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/discourse-local-dates/spec/models/post_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+require 'rails_helper'
+
+describe Post do
+
+  before do
+    SiteSetting.queue_jobs = false
+  end
+
+  describe '#local_dates' do
+    it "should have correct custom fields" do
+      post = Fabricate(:post, raw: <<~SQL)
+        [date=2018-09-17 time=01:39:00 format="LLL" timezones="Europe/Paris|America/Los_Angeles"]
+      SQL
+      CookedPostProcessor.new(post).post_process
+
+      expect(post.local_dates).to eq([{"date"=>"2018-09-17", "time"=>"01:39:00"}])
+
+      post.raw = "Text removed"
+      post.save
+      CookedPostProcessor.new(post).post_process
+
+      expect(post.local_dates).to eq([])
+    end
+  end
+
+end