diff --git a/src/Core/Config/Adapter/JITConfigAdapter.php b/src/Core/Config/Adapter/JITConfigAdapter.php
index 5a41463036..d125f7d400 100644
--- a/src/Core/Config/Adapter/JITConfigAdapter.php
+++ b/src/Core/Config/Adapter/JITConfigAdapter.php
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ class JITConfigAdapter extends AbstractDbaConfigAdapter implements IConfigAdapte
 
 		$config = DBA::selectFirst('config', ['v'], ['cat' => $cat, 'k' => $key]);
 		if (DBA::isResult($config)) {
-			// manage array value
 			$value = $this->toConfigValue($config['v']);
 
 			// just return it in case it is set
@@ -91,9 +90,8 @@ class JITConfigAdapter extends AbstractDbaConfigAdapter implements IConfigAdapte
 		// We store our setting values in a string variable.
 		// So we have to do the conversion here so that the compare below works.
 		// The exception are array values.
-		$dbvalue = (!is_array($value) ? (string)$value : $value);
-
-		$stored = $this->get($cat, $key, false);
+		$compare_value = (!is_array($value) ? (string)$value : $value);
+		$stored_value = $this->get($cat, $key, false);
 
 		if (!isset($this->in_db[$cat])) {
 			$this->in_db[$cat] = [];
@@ -102,11 +100,11 @@ class JITConfigAdapter extends AbstractDbaConfigAdapter implements IConfigAdapte
 			$this->in_db[$cat][$key] = false;
 		}
 
-		if (isset($stored) && ($stored === $dbvalue) && $this->in_db[$cat][$key]) {
+		if (isset($stored_value) && ($stored_value === $compare_value) && $this->in_db[$cat][$key]) {
 			return true;
 		}
 
-		$dbvalue = $this->toDbValue($dbvalue);
+		$dbvalue = $this->toDbValue($value);
 
 		$result = DBA::update('config', ['v' => $dbvalue], ['cat' => $cat, 'k' => $key], true);
 
diff --git a/src/Core/Config/Adapter/JITPConfigAdapter.php b/src/Core/Config/Adapter/JITPConfigAdapter.php
index 5c1627eba0..a0c6a9547f 100644
--- a/src/Core/Config/Adapter/JITPConfigAdapter.php
+++ b/src/Core/Config/Adapter/JITPConfigAdapter.php
@@ -88,9 +88,8 @@ class JITPConfigAdapter extends AbstractDbaConfigAdapter implements IPConfigAdap
 		// We store our setting values in a string variable.
 		// So we have to do the conversion here so that the compare below works.
 		// The exception are array values.
-		$dbvalue = (!is_array($value) ? (string)$value : $value);
-
-		$stored = $this->get($uid, $cat, $key, false);
+		$compare_value = (!is_array($value) ? (string)$value : $value);
+		$stored_value = $this->get($uid, $cat, $key, false);
 
 		if (!isset($this->in_db[$uid])) {
 			$this->in_db[$uid] = [];
@@ -102,12 +101,12 @@ class JITPConfigAdapter extends AbstractDbaConfigAdapter implements IPConfigAdap
 			$this->in_db[$uid][$cat][$key] = false;
 		}
 
-		if (($stored === $dbvalue) && $this->in_db[$uid][$cat][$key]) {
+		if (isset($stored_value) && ($stored_value === $compare_value) && $this->in_db[$uid][$cat][$key]) {
 			return true;
 		}
 
 		// manage array value
-		$dbvalue = (is_array($value) ? serialize($value) : $dbvalue);
+		$dbvalue = (is_array($value) ? serialize($value) : $value);
 
 		$result = DBA::update('pconfig', ['v' => $dbvalue], ['uid' => $uid, 'cat' => $cat, 'k' => $key], true);
 
diff --git a/src/Core/Config/Adapter/PreloadConfigAdapter.php b/src/Core/Config/Adapter/PreloadConfigAdapter.php
index d9f7b132d3..c691c88bc5 100644
--- a/src/Core/Config/Adapter/PreloadConfigAdapter.php
+++ b/src/Core/Config/Adapter/PreloadConfigAdapter.php
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class PreloadConfigAdapter extends AbstractDbaConfigAdapter implements IConfigAd
 
 		$configs = DBA::select('config', ['cat', 'v', 'k']);
 		while ($config = DBA::fetch($configs)) {
-			$value = $config['v'];
+			$value = $this->toConfigValue($config['v']);
 			if (isset($value)) {
 				$return[$config['cat']][$config['k']] = $value;
 			}
@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@ class PreloadConfigAdapter extends AbstractDbaConfigAdapter implements IConfigAd
 
 		$config = DBA::selectFirst('config', ['v'], ['cat' => $cat, 'k' => $key]);
 		if (DBA::isResult($config)) {
-			// manage array value
-			$value = (preg_match("|^a:[0-9]+:{.*}$|s", $config['v']) ? unserialize($config['v']) : $config['v']);
+			$value = $this->toConfigValue($config['v']);
 
 			if (isset($value)) {
 				return $value;
@@ -79,13 +78,13 @@ class PreloadConfigAdapter extends AbstractDbaConfigAdapter implements IConfigAd
 		// So we have to do the conversion here so that the compare below works.
 		// The exception are array values.
 		$compare_value = !is_array($value) ? (string)$value : $value;
+		$stored_value = $this->get($cat, $key);
 
-		if ($this->get($cat, $key) === $compare_value) {
+		if (isset($stored_value) && $stored_value === $compare_value) {
 			return true;
 		}
 
-		// manage array value
-		$dbvalue = is_array($value) ? serialize($value) : $value;
+		$dbvalue = $this->toDbValue($value);
 
 		return DBA::update('config', ['v' => $dbvalue], ['cat' => $cat, 'k' => $key], true);
 	}
diff --git a/src/Core/Config/Adapter/PreloadPConfigAdapter.php b/src/Core/Config/Adapter/PreloadPConfigAdapter.php
index 1af526b7c1..838f3763df 100644
--- a/src/Core/Config/Adapter/PreloadPConfigAdapter.php
+++ b/src/Core/Config/Adapter/PreloadPConfigAdapter.php
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class PreloadPConfigAdapter extends AbstractDbaConfigAdapter implements IPConfig
 
 		$pconfigs = DBA::select('pconfig', ['cat', 'v', 'k'], ['uid' => $uid]);
 		while ($pconfig = DBA::fetch($pconfigs)) {
-			$value = $pconfig['v'];
+			$value = $this->toConfigValue($pconfig['v']);
 			if (isset($value)) {
 				$return[$pconfig['cat']][$pconfig['k']] = $value;
 			}
@@ -76,8 +76,7 @@ class PreloadPConfigAdapter extends AbstractDbaConfigAdapter implements IPConfig
 
 		$config = DBA::selectFirst('pconfig', ['v'], ['uid' => $uid, 'cat' => $cat, 'k' => $key]);
 		if (DBA::isResult($config)) {
-			// manage array value
-			$value = (preg_match("|^a:[0-9]+:{.*}$|s", $config['v']) ? unserialize($config['v']) : $config['v']);
+			$value = $this->toConfigValue($config['v']);
 
 			if (isset($value)) {
 				return $value;
@@ -102,13 +101,13 @@ class PreloadPConfigAdapter extends AbstractDbaConfigAdapter implements IPConfig
 		// So we have to do the conversion here so that the compare below works.
 		// The exception are array values.
 		$compare_value = !is_array($value) ? (string)$value : $value;
+		$stored_value = $this->get($uid, $cat, $key);
 
-		if ($this->get($uid, $cat, $key) === $compare_value) {
+		if (isset($stored_value) && $stored_value === $compare_value) {
 			return true;
 		}
 
-		// manage array value
-		$dbvalue = is_array($value) ? serialize($value) : $value;
+		$dbvalue = $this->toDbValue($value);
 
 		return DBA::update('pconfig', ['v' => $dbvalue], ['uid' => $uid, 'cat' => $cat, 'k' => $key], true);
 	}