diff --git a/src/palace/manager/integration/settings.py b/src/palace/manager/integration/settings.py
index 07dd1f6193..364aa8fa90 100644
--- a/src/palace/manager/integration/settings.py
+++ b/src/palace/manager/integration/settings.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import json
 import typing
 from collections.abc import Callable, Mapping
 from dataclasses import dataclass
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ class FormFieldType(Enum):
     ANNOUNCEMENTS = "announcements"
     COLOR = "color-picker"
     IMAGE = "image"
+    JSON = "json"
 
 
 FormOptionsType = Mapping[Enum | str | bool | None, str | LazyString]
@@ -137,7 +139,10 @@ def to_dict(
             )
 
         if default is not None and default is not PydanticUndefined:
-            form_entry["default"] = self.get_form_value(default)
+            if self.type == FormFieldType.JSON:
+                form_entry["default"] = default
+            else:
+                form_entry["default"] = self.get_form_value(default)
         if self.type.value is not None:
             form_entry["type"] = self.type.value
         if self.description is not None:
@@ -200,6 +205,29 @@ def extra_args(cls, values: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
             if isinstance(value, str) and value.strip() == "":
                 values[key] = None
 
+        # The admin interface submits JSON field values as raw strings.
+        for name, field_info in cls.model_fields.items():
+            fm = _get_form_metadata(field_info)
+            if fm is None or fm.type != FormFieldType.JSON:
+                continue
+            key = (
+                field_info.alias
+                if field_info.alias is not None and field_info.alias in values
+                else name
+            )
+            if key not in values:
+                continue
+            v = values[key]
+            if isinstance(v, str):
+                try:
+                    values[key] = json.loads(v)
+                except json.JSONDecodeError as exc:
+                    raise SettingsValidationError(
+                        problem_detail=INVALID_CONFIGURATION_OPTION.detailed(
+                            f"'{fm.label}' must be valid JSON: {exc}"
+                        )
+                    )
+
         return values
 
     # Custom validation can be done by adding additional validation methods
diff --git a/tests/manager/integration/test_settings.py b/tests/manager/integration/test_settings.py
index f115af5784..c68ca6be6f 100644
--- a/tests/manager/integration/test_settings.py
+++ b/tests/manager/integration/test_settings.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import logging
 from functools import partial
-from typing import Annotated, Self
+from typing import Annotated, Any, Self
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock
 
 import pytest
@@ -64,6 +64,13 @@ def secret_number(self) -> Self:
     ] = Field(default=-1.1, alias="foo")
 
 
+class JsonMockSettings(BaseSettings):
+    data: Annotated[
+        dict | list | str | int | float | bool | None,
+        FormMetadata(label="Data", type=FormFieldType.JSON),
+    ] = None
+
+
 class BaseSettingsFixture:
     def __init__(self):
         self.test_config_dict = {
@@ -131,6 +138,10 @@ def test_settings_validation(
         settings = base_settings_fixture.settings(test=" foo ")
         assert settings.model_dump() == {"test": "foo", "number": 1}
 
+        # Empty string is normalized to None for all fields, including JSON fields.
+        settings = JsonMockSettings(data="")
+        assert settings.data is None
+
     def test_whitespace_only_required_field_treated_as_missing(self) -> None:
         # A whitespace-only string submitted for a required field should be
         # treated the same as an empty string (i.e. missing), because the admin
@@ -145,6 +156,74 @@ class RequiredStrSettings(BaseSettings):
         with raises_problem_detail(detail="Required field 'Username' is missing."):
             RequiredStrSettings(username=" ")
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "input_val, expected_val",
+        [
+            ('{"a": 1}', {"a": 1}),
+            ("[1, 2, 3]", [1, 2, 3]),
+            ("42", 42),
+            ("true", True),
+            ({"a": 1}, {"a": 1}),
+            ("null", None),
+            (None, None),
+        ],
+        ids=[
+            "dict-string",
+            "list-string",
+            "int-string",
+            "bool-string",
+            "already-parsed-dict",
+            "json-null-string",
+            "none-passthrough",
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_json_field_parsing(self, input_val: Any, expected_val: Any) -> None:
+        settings = JsonMockSettings(data=input_val)
+        assert settings.data == expected_val
+
+    def test_json_field_omitted_uses_default_without_raising(self) -> None:
+        settings = JsonMockSettings()
+        assert settings.data is None
+
+    def test_json_field_invalid_raises_error(self) -> None:
+        with raises_problem_detail() as info:
+            JsonMockSettings(data="not json")
+        assert (
+            info.value.detail is not None
+            and "'Data' must be valid JSON:" in info.value.detail
+        )
+
+    def test_json_field_alias_parsing(self) -> None:
+        class AliasedJsonSettings(BaseSettings):
+            data: Annotated[
+                dict | None,
+                FormMetadata(label="Data", type=FormFieldType.JSON),
+            ] = Field(default=None, alias="cfg")
+
+        settings = AliasedJsonSettings(**{"cfg": '{"x": 1}'})
+        assert settings.data == {"x": 1}
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "default_val",
+        [
+            {"key": "value"},
+            [1, 2, 3],
+            "hello",
+            42,
+            True,
+        ],
+        ids=["dict", "list", "str", "int", "bool"],
+    )
+    def test_json_field_default_passed_through_in_form(self, default_val: Any) -> None:
+        class DefaultJsonSettings(BaseSettings):
+            data: Annotated[
+                Any,
+                FormMetadata(label="Data", type=FormFieldType.JSON),
+            ] = default_val
+
+        form = DefaultJsonSettings.configuration_form(MagicMock())
+        assert form[0]["default"] == default_val
+
     def test_field_validator_return_pd_exception(
         self, base_settings_fixture: BaseSettingsFixture
     ) -> None: