diff --git a/neo/io/nixio.py b/neo/io/nixio.py
index d6302be3c..e04c87542 100644
--- a/neo/io/nixio.py
+++ b/neo/io/nixio.py
@@ -1190,14 +1190,13 @@ def _nix_attr_to_neo(nix_obj):
                         values = ""
                 elif len(values) == 1:
                     values = values[0]
-                elif prop.definition == ARRAYANNOTATION:
+                if prop.definition == ARRAYANNOTATION:
                     if 'array_annotations' in neo_attrs:
                         neo_attrs['array_annotations'][prop.name] = values
                     else:
                         neo_attrs['array_annotations'] = {prop.name: values}
                 else:
-                    values = list(values)
-                neo_attrs[prop.name] = values
+                    neo_attrs[prop.name] = values
         # since the 'neo_name' NIX property becomes the actual object's name,
         # there's no reason to keep it in the annotations
         neo_attrs["name"] = stringify(neo_attrs.pop("neo_name", None))
diff --git a/neo/test/iotest/common_io_test.py b/neo/test/iotest/common_io_test.py
index 02f739f4f..7f7987314 100644
--- a/neo/test/iotest/common_io_test.py
+++ b/neo/test/iotest/common_io_test.py
@@ -500,7 +500,7 @@ def test_assert_readed_neo_object_is_compliant(self):
                 assert_neo_object_is_compliant(obj)
             # intercept exceptions and add more information
             except BaseException as exc:
-                exc.args += ('from %s' % os.path.basename(path))
+                exc.args += ('from %s' % os.path.basename(path), )
                 raise
 
     def test_readed_with_lazy_is_compliant(self):
diff --git a/neo/test/iotest/test_nixio.py b/neo/test/iotest/test_nixio.py
index 2913bf17e..c2de2c48f 100644
--- a/neo/test/iotest/test_nixio.py
+++ b/neo/test/iotest/test_nixio.py
@@ -1496,6 +1496,19 @@ def test_array_annotations_read(self):
                     self.assertEqual(da.metadata.props['st_arr_ann'].unit,
                                      units_to_string(neo_ann.units))
 
+    def test_read_blocks_are_writable(self):
+        filename = os.path.join(self.tempdir, "testnixio_out.nix")
+        writer = NixIO(filename, "ow")
+
+        blocks = self.io.read_all_blocks()
+
+        try:
+            writer.write_all_blocks(blocks)
+        except Exception as exc:
+            self.fail('The following exception was raised when'
+                      + ' writing the blocks loaded with NixIO:\n'
+                      + str(exc))
+
 
 @unittest.skipUnless(HAVE_NIX, "Requires NIX")
 class NixIOContextTests(NixIOTest):