diff --git a/include/effectengine/EffectEngine.h b/include/effectengine/EffectEngine.h
index baed604b..3e08f491 100644
--- a/include/effectengine/EffectEngine.h
+++ b/include/effectengine/EffectEngine.h
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #pragma once
 
+// Json includes
+#include <json/value.h>
+
+// Hyperion includes
 #include <hyperion/Hyperion.h>
 
 // pre-declarioation
@@ -30,7 +34,7 @@ public:
 	struct EffectDefinition
 	{
 		std::string script;
-		std::string args;
+		Json::Value args;
 	};
 
 private slots:
diff --git a/libsrc/effectengine/CMakeLists.txt b/libsrc/effectengine/CMakeLists.txt
index d63fe76e..5e50dee3 100644
--- a/libsrc/effectengine/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libsrc/effectengine/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -32,5 +32,6 @@ add_library(effectengine
 
 target_link_libraries(effectengine
 		hyperion
+		jsoncpp
 		${QT_LIBRARIES}
 		${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
diff --git a/libsrc/effectengine/Effect.cpp b/libsrc/effectengine/Effect.cpp
index 54ffd739..730287eb 100644
--- a/libsrc/effectengine/Effect.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/effectengine/Effect.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+// Python include
+#include <Python.h>
+
 // stl includes
 #include <iostream>
 #include <sstream>
@@ -17,7 +20,7 @@ PyMethodDef Effect::effectMethods[] = {
 };
 
 
-Effect::Effect(int priority, int timeout, const std::string & script, const std::string & args) :
+Effect::Effect(int priority, int timeout, const std::string & script, const Json::Value & args) :
 	QThread(),
 	_priority(priority),
 	_timeout(timeout),
@@ -50,7 +53,8 @@ void Effect::run()
 	PyObject_SetAttrString(module, "ledCount", Py_BuildValue("i", _imageProcessor->getLedCount()));
 
 	// add a args variable to the interpreter
-	PyObject_SetAttrString(module, "args", Py_BuildValue("s", _args.c_str()));
+	PyObject_SetAttrString(module, "args", json2python(_args));
+	//PyObject_SetAttrString(module, "args", Py_BuildValue("s", _args.c_str()));
 
 	// Set the end time if applicable
 	if (_timeout > 0)
@@ -95,6 +99,45 @@ void Effect::effectFinished()
 	emit effectFinished(this);
 }
 
+PyObject *Effect::json2python(const Json::Value &json) const
+{
+	switch (json.type())
+	{
+	case Json::nullValue:
+		return Py_BuildValue("");
+	case Json::realValue:
+		return Py_BuildValue("d", json.asDouble());
+	case Json::intValue:
+	case Json::uintValue:
+		return Py_BuildValue("i", json.asInt());
+	case Json::booleanValue:
+		return Py_BuildValue("i", json.asBool() ? 1 : 0);
+	case Json::stringValue:
+		return Py_BuildValue("s", json.asCString());
+	case Json::objectValue:
+	{
+		PyObject * obj = PyDict_New();
+		for (Json::Value::iterator i = json.begin(); i != json.end(); ++i)
+		{
+			PyDict_SetItemString(obj, i.memberName(), json2python(*i));
+		}
+		return obj;
+	}
+	case Json::arrayValue:
+	{
+		PyObject * list = PyList_New(json.size());
+		for (Json::Value::iterator i = json.begin(); i != json.end(); ++i)
+		{
+			PyList_SetItem(list, i.index(), json2python(*i));
+		}
+		return list;
+	}
+	}
+
+	assert(false);
+	return nullptr;
+}
+
 PyObject* Effect::wrapSetColor(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 {
 	// get the effect
diff --git a/libsrc/effectengine/Effect.h b/libsrc/effectengine/Effect.h
index d464f70d..f162c860 100644
--- a/libsrc/effectengine/Effect.h
+++ b/libsrc/effectengine/Effect.h
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 #pragma once
 
-// Qt includes
-#include <QThread>
-
 // Python includes
 #include <Python.h>
 
+// Qt includes
+#include <QThread>
+
 // Hyperion includes
 #include <hyperion/ImageProcessor.h>
 
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ class Effect : public QThread
 	Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
-	Effect(int priority, int timeout, const std::string & script, const std::string & args = "");
+	Effect(int priority, int timeout, const std::string & script, const Json::Value & args = Json::Value());
 	virtual ~Effect();
 
 	virtual void run();
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ private slots:
 	void effectFinished();
 
 private:
+	PyObject * json2python(const Json::Value & json) const;
+
 	// Wrapper methods for Python interpreter extra buildin methods
 	static PyMethodDef effectMethods[];
 	static PyObject* wrapSetColor(PyObject *self, PyObject *args);
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@ private:
 
 	const std::string & _script;
 
-	const std::string & _args;
+	const Json::Value & _args;
 
 	int64_t _endTime;
 
diff --git a/libsrc/effectengine/EffectEngine.cpp b/libsrc/effectengine/EffectEngine.cpp
index d28cdae5..878edd62 100644
--- a/libsrc/effectengine/EffectEngine.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/effectengine/EffectEngine.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ EffectEngine::EffectEngine(Hyperion * hyperion, const Json::Value & jsonEffectCo
 	for (const std::string & name : effectNames)
 	{
 		const Json::Value & info = jsonEffectConfig[name];
-		_availableEffects[name] = {info["script"].asString(), Json::FastWriter().write(info["args"])};
+		_availableEffects[name] = {info["script"].asString(), info["args"]};
 	}
 
 	// initialize the python interpreter