diff --git a/doc/pipeline.rst b/doc/pipeline.rst
index 7eb9115f88..2d160c153c 100644
--- a/doc/pipeline.rst
+++ b/doc/pipeline.rst
@@ -182,7 +182,8 @@ For more on PDAL stages and their options, check the PDAL documentation on
   a string. The ``type`` must specify a valid PDAL filter name.
 
 * A stage object may have additional members with names corresponding to
-  stage-specific option names and their respective values.
+  stage-specific option names and their respective values. Values provided as
+  JSON objects or arrays will be stringified and parsed within the stage.
 
 Filename Globbing
 ................................................................................
@@ -493,6 +494,3 @@ for the :ref:`writers.las` :cpp:class:`pdal::Stage`.
         }
       ]
     }
-
-
-
diff --git a/pdal/PipelineReaderJSON.cpp b/pdal/PipelineReaderJSON.cpp
index 231e1feb9a..2d2ca9e502 100644
--- a/pdal/PipelineReaderJSON.cpp
+++ b/pdal/PipelineReaderJSON.cpp
@@ -325,6 +325,11 @@ Options PipelineReaderJSON::extractOptions(Json::Value& node)
             options.add(name, node[name].asBool());
         else if (node[name].isNull())
             options.add(name, "");
+        else if (node[name].isArray() || node[name].isObject())
+        {
+            Json::FastWriter w;
+            options.add(name, w.write(node[name]));
+        }
         else
             throw pdal_error("JSON pipeline: Value of stage option '" +
                 name + "' cannot be converted.");