diff --git a/core/app/models/spree/preference.rb b/core/app/models/spree/preference.rb
index ec03f9ef9c5..52c927d4153 100644
--- a/core/app/models/spree/preference.rb
+++ b/core/app/models/spree/preference.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
 class Spree::Preference < Spree::Base
-  serialize :value
+  serialize :value, coder: YAML
 
   validates :key, presence: true, uniqueness: { allow_blank: true, case_sensitive: true }
 end
diff --git a/core/app/models/spree/return_item.rb b/core/app/models/spree/return_item.rb
index 144bca5dccb..5aee0ee53ad 100644
--- a/core/app/models/spree/return_item.rb
+++ b/core/app/models/spree/return_item.rb
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class ReturnItem < Spree::Base
     scope :exchange_processed, -> { where.not(exchange_inventory_unit: nil) }
     scope :exchange_required, -> { exchange_requested.where(exchange_inventory_unit: nil) }
 
-    serialize :acceptance_status_errors
+    serialize :acceptance_status_errors, coder: YAML
 
     delegate :eligible_for_return?, :requires_manual_intervention?, to: :validator
     delegate :variant, to: :inventory_unit
diff --git a/core/lib/spree/preferences/persistable.rb b/core/lib/spree/preferences/persistable.rb
index 12eff53f93e..9943c0f8ded 100644
--- a/core/lib/spree/preferences/persistable.rb
+++ b/core/lib/spree/preferences/persistable.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ module Persistable
 
       included do
         include Spree::Preferences::Preferable
-        serialize :preferences, Hash
+        serialize :preferences, Hash, coder: YAML
         after_initialize :initialize_preference_defaults
       end