diff --git a/library/Director/Db/Branch/BranchModificationStore.php b/library/Director/Db/Branch/BranchModificationStore.php
index d2aa7eea..664b1687 100644
--- a/library/Director/Db/Branch/BranchModificationStore.php
+++ b/library/Director/Db/Branch/BranchModificationStore.php
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ use Ramsey\Uuid\UuidInterface;
 
 class BranchModificationStore
 {
+    // TODO: Ranges is weird. key = scheduled_downtime_id, range_type, range_key
+    const ENCODED_ARRAYS = ['imports', 'groups', 'ranges'];
+
+    const ENCODED_DICTIONARIES = ['vars', 'arguments'];
+
     protected $connection;
 
     protected $db;
@@ -18,11 +23,6 @@ class BranchModificationStore
 
     protected $table;
 
-    // TODO: Ranges is weird. key = scheduled_downtime_id, range_type, range_key
-    protected $encodedArrays = ['imports', 'groups', 'ranges'];
-
-    protected $encodedDictionaries = ['vars', 'arguments'];
-
     public function __construct(Db $connection, $shortType)
     {
         $this->connection = $connection;
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ class BranchModificationStore
 
     protected function decodeEncodedProperties($row)
     {
-        foreach (array_merge($this->encodedArrays, $this->encodedDictionaries) as $encodedProperty) {
+        foreach (array_merge(self::ENCODED_ARRAYS, self::ENCODED_DICTIONARIES) as $encodedProperty) {
             // vars, imports and groups might be null or not set at all (if not supported)
             if (! empty($row->$encodedProperty)) {
                 $row->$encodedProperty = Json::decode($row->$encodedProperty);
@@ -147,17 +147,25 @@ class BranchModificationStore
         } else {
             $properties = [];
         }
-        // Former properties are not needed, as they are dealt with in persistModification.
 
+        // Former properties are not needed, as they are dealt with in persistModification.
         if ($objectId) {
             $existing = $this->fetchOptional($objectId, $branchUuid);
-            foreach ($this->encodedDictionaries as $property) {
-                $this->combineAndEncodeFlatDictionaries($properties, $existing, $property);
-            }
         } else {
             $existing = null;
         }
-        foreach ($this->encodedArrays as $deepProperty) {
+        foreach (self::ENCODED_DICTIONARIES as $deepProperty) {
+            if (isset($properties[$deepProperty])) {
+                // TODO: flags
+                $properties[$deepProperty] = Json::encode($properties[$deepProperty]);
+            }
+        }
+        /* TODO: Nothing should be flat here, verify and remove this comment
+        foreach (self::ENCODED_DICTIONARIES as $property) {
+            $this->combineAndEncodeFlatDictionaries($properties, $existing, $property);
+        }
+        */
+        foreach (self::ENCODED_ARRAYS as $deepProperty) {
             if (isset($properties[$deepProperty])) {
                 // TODO: flags
                 $properties[$deepProperty] = Json::encode($properties[$deepProperty]);
diff --git a/library/Director/Db/Branch/IcingaObjectModification.php b/library/Director/Db/Branch/IcingaObjectModification.php
index 0ac3583b..9b703124 100644
--- a/library/Director/Db/Branch/IcingaObjectModification.php
+++ b/library/Director/Db/Branch/IcingaObjectModification.php
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class IcingaObjectModification
         } else {
             // TODO: Add "reset Properties", those that have been nulled
             $properties = (array) $modification->getProperties()->jsonSerialize();
-            foreach (['vars', 'arguments'] as $property) { // TODO: define in one place, see BranchModificationStore
+            foreach (BranchModificationStore::ENCODED_DICTIONARIES as $property) {
                 self::flattenProperty($properties, $property);
             }
             if ($object === null) {
@@ -123,10 +123,10 @@ class IcingaObjectModification
         $old = (array) $object->getPlainUnmodifiedObject();
         $new = (array) $object->toPlainObject(false, true);
         $unchangedKeys = [];
-        self::flattenProperty($old, 'vars');
-        self::flattenProperty($old, 'arguments');
-        self::flattenProperty($new, 'vars');
-        self::flattenProperty($new, 'arguments');
+        foreach (BranchModificationStore::ENCODED_DICTIONARIES as $property) {
+            self::flattenProperty($old, $property);
+            self::flattenProperty($new, $property);
+        }
         foreach ($old as $key => $value) {
             if (array_key_exists($key, $new) && $value === $new[$key]) {
                 $unchangedKeys[] = $key;