diff --git a/lib/outputmanager.js b/lib/outputmanager.js
index eeb2799236..0f1b713919 100644
--- a/lib/outputmanager.js
+++ b/lib/outputmanager.js
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ function getConfigJson(courseId, callback) {
               var componentType = _.findWhere(componentTypes, {component: component});
               return callback(null, { name: componentType.name });
             }, function(err, uniqueComponentList) {
-              var configModel = config[0].toObject();
+              var configModel = config[0];
               configModel._enabledComponents = uniqueComponentList;
 
               callback(null, { config: [flattenNestedObjects(configModel)] });
diff --git a/plugins/content/config/index.js b/plugins/content/config/index.js
index 995a084b47..eeae3fb951 100644
--- a/plugins/content/config/index.js
+++ b/plugins/content/config/index.js
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ ConfigContent.prototype.retrieve = function (search, options, next) {
       return next(new Error(`Unable to retrieve ${modelName} for ${JSON.stringify(search)}`));
     }
 
-    return next(null, [records[0]]);
+    return next(null, [records[0].toObject()]);
   });
 };
 
diff --git a/plugins/content/themepreset/index.js b/plugins/content/themepreset/index.js
index 98da572811..546aa2d4d9 100644
--- a/plugins/content/themepreset/index.js
+++ b/plugins/content/themepreset/index.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ ThemePresetContent.prototype.updatePreset = function(presetId, courseId, res, ne
     }
     delta._courseId = courseId;
 
-    app.contentmanager.update('config', { _courseId: courseId }, JSON.stringify(delta), function(err) {
+    app.contentmanager.update('config', { _courseId: courseId }, delta, function(err) {
       if (err) return next(err);
       // lose any previously set theme settings, preset overrides
       app.contentmanager.update('course', { _id: courseId }, { _courseId: courseId, themeSettings: null }, function(err) {