diff --git a/phpBB/phpbb/config/db.php b/phpBB/phpbb/config/db.php
index 5c20bb5ec9..a346164db2 100644
--- a/phpBB/phpbb/config/db.php
+++ b/phpBB/phpbb/config/db.php
@@ -170,9 +170,9 @@ class db extends config
 		if (!isset($this->config[$key]))
 		{
 			$sql = 'INSERT INTO ' . $this->table . ' ' . $this->db->sql_build_array('INSERT', array(
-				'config_name'	=> $this->db->sql_escape($key),
-				'config_value'	=> $this->db->sql_escape($new_value),
-				'is_dynamic'	=> ($use_cache) ? 0 : 1));
+				'config_name'	=> $key,
+				'config_value'	=> $new_value,
+				'is_dynamic'	=> $use_cache ? 0 : 1));
 			$this->db->sql_query($sql);
 		}
 
diff --git a/tests/config/db_test.php b/tests/config/db_test.php
index cf89341566..11c99435f8 100644
--- a/tests/config/db_test.php
+++ b/tests/config/db_test.php
@@ -86,6 +86,17 @@ class phpbb_config_db_test extends phpbb_database_test_case
 		$this->cache->checkVar($this, 'config', array('foo' => '23', 'foobar' => '5'));
 	}
 
+	public function test_set_new_json()
+	{
+		$json_value = '{"menu":{"id":"file","value":"File"}}';
+		$this->config->set('foobar_json', $json_value);
+		$this->assertEquals($json_value, $this->config['foobar_json']);
+
+		// re-read config and populate cache
+		$config2 = new \phpbb\config\db($this->db, $this->cache, 'phpbb_config');
+		$this->cache->checkVar($this, 'config', ['foo' => '23', 'foobar_json' => $json_value]);
+	}
+
 	public function test_set_new_uncached()
 	{
 		$this->config->set('foobar', '5', false);
diff --git a/tests/config/db_text_test.php b/tests/config/db_text_test.php
index 97d7daaf07..32cfcce15a 100644
--- a/tests/config/db_text_test.php
+++ b/tests/config/db_text_test.php
@@ -46,6 +46,13 @@ class phpbb_config_db_text_test extends phpbb_database_test_case
 		$this->assertSame('phpbb', $this->config_text->get('barz'));
 	}
 
+	public function test_set_new_get_json()
+	{
+		$json_value = '{"menu":{"id":"file","value":"File"}}';
+		$this->config_text->set('foobar_json', $json_value);
+		$this->assertEquals($json_value, $this->config_text->get('foobar_json'));
+	}
+
 	public function test_set_replace_get()
 	{
 		$this->config_text->set('foo', '24');