diff --git a/lib/pickle/session/conversion.rb b/lib/pickle/session/conversion.rb
index 36899129..9c1cb5ba 100644
--- a/lib/pickle/session/conversion.rb
+++ b/lib/pickle/session/conversion.rb
@@ -24,15 +24,27 @@ def attributes(fields)
         end 
       end
 
-      private
-      def convert_hash_attributes(fields)
-        fields.stringify_keys!
-        fields.each do |key, value|
-          if value =~ /^#{pickle_ref.source}$/
-            begin
-              fields[key] = retrieve(value)
-            rescue Pickle::UnknownModelError, Pickle::InvalidPickleRefError
-            end
+    private
+      def retrieve_model_from_value(value)
+        value =~ /^#{pickle_ref.source}$/ && retrieve(value)
+      rescue Pickle::UnknownModelError, Pickle::InvalidPickleRefError
+      end
+      
+      def parse_value(value)
+        case value
+        when /^"(.*)"$/ then $1
+        when /^'(.*)'$/ then $1
+        when /^(#{match_value})$/ then eval($1)
+        else 
+          raise UnknownFieldsFormatError, "#{value.inspect} is in an unknown format"
+        end
+      end
+    
+      def convert_hash_attributes(attrs)
+        attrs.stringify_keys!
+        attrs.each do |key, value|
+          if model = retrieve_model_from_value(value)
+            attrs[key] = model
           end
         end
       end
@@ -42,20 +54,7 @@ def convert_string_attributes(fields)
         fields.scan(match_field) do |field|
           key, value = field.split(':', 2)
           value.strip!
-
-          model = begin
-            value = retrieve(value)
-          rescue Pickle::UnknownModelError, Pickle::InvalidPickleRefError
-            value = case value
-            when /^"(.*)"$/ then $1
-            when /^'(.*)'$/ then $1
-            when /^(#{match_value})$/ then eval($1)
-            else 
-              raise UnknownFieldsFormatError, "#{field.inspect} is in an unknown format"
-            end              
-          end
-
-          attrs[key] = value
+          attrs[key] = retrieve_model_from_value(value) || parse_value(value)
         end
         attrs
       end