diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 10d1dc3b..04fd1eb9 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@
     "@abaplint/cli": "^2.113.233",
     "@abaplint/database-pg": "^2.11.78",
     "@abaplint/database-sqlite": "^2.11.78",
-    "@abaplint/runtime": "^2.12.5",
-    "@abaplint/transpiler-cli": "^2.12.5",
+    "@abaplint/runtime": "^2.12.7",
+    "@abaplint/transpiler-cli": "^2.12.7",
     "0x": "^6.0.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/json/#ui2#cl_json.clas.abap b/src/json/#ui2#cl_json.clas.abap
index cc7f0f60..1c0c54da 100644
--- a/src/json/#ui2#cl_json.clas.abap
+++ b/src/json/#ui2#cl_json.clas.abap
@@ -343,7 +343,6 @@ CLASS /ui2/cl_json IMPLEMENTATION.
     FIELD-SYMBOLS <ls_component> LIKE LINE OF lt_components.
 
     prefix = mo_parsed->find_ignore_case( prefix ).
-
 *    WRITE '@KERNEL console.dir(lo_type.get());'.
     CASE io_type->kind.
       WHEN cl_abap_typedescr=>kind_elem.
@@ -368,6 +367,8 @@ CLASS /ui2/cl_json IMPLEMENTATION.
           ELSE.
             data = lv_value.
           ENDIF.
+        ELSEIF io_type->type_kind = cl_abap_typedescr=>typekind_xstring.
+          data = cl_http_utility=>decode_x_base64( mo_parsed->value_string( prefix ) ).
         ELSEIF io_type->type_kind = cl_abap_typedescr=>typekind_time.
           lv_value = mo_parsed->value_string( prefix ).
           REPLACE ALL OCCURRENCES OF ':' IN lv_value WITH ''.
diff --git a/src/json/#ui2#cl_json.clas.testclasses.abap b/src/json/#ui2#cl_json.clas.testclasses.abap
index 5d9537fc..dc7819ee 100644
--- a/src/json/#ui2#cl_json.clas.testclasses.abap
+++ b/src/json/#ui2#cl_json.clas.testclasses.abap
@@ -677,6 +677,7 @@ CLASS ltcl_serialize DEFINITION FOR TESTING RISK LEVEL HARMLESS DURATION SHORT F
     METHODS numc_field2 FOR TESTING RAISING cx_static_check.
     METHODS serialize_empty_xstring FOR TESTING RAISING cx_static_check.
     METHODS serialize_xstring FOR TESTING RAISING cx_static_check.
+    METHODS xstring_identity FOR TESTING RAISING cx_static_check.
 ENDCLASS.
 
 CLASS ltcl_serialize IMPLEMENTATION.
@@ -720,6 +721,27 @@ CLASS ltcl_serialize IMPLEMENTATION.
       exp = '{"FOO":"qg=="}' ).
   ENDMETHOD.
 
+  METHOD xstring_identity.
+    DATA: BEGIN OF is_metadata,
+            foo TYPE xstring,
+          END OF is_metadata.
+    DATA lv_json TYPE string.
+    is_metadata-foo = 'AA'.
+    lv_json = /ui2/cl_json=>serialize( is_metadata ).
+
+    CLEAR is_metadata.
+
+    /ui2/cl_json=>deserialize(
+      EXPORTING
+        json = lv_json
+      CHANGING
+        data = is_metadata ).
+
+    cl_abap_unit_assert=>assert_equals(
+      act = is_metadata-foo
+      exp = 'AA' ).
+  ENDMETHOD.
+
   METHOD bool_false.
     DATA: BEGIN OF ls_data,
         foo_bar TYPE abap_bool,