diff --git a/vitrage/persistor/service.py b/vitrage/persistor/service.py
index 5223f1002..90e21cb39 100644
--- a/vitrage/persistor/service.py
+++ b/vitrage/persistor/service.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import dateutil.parser
 import oslo_messaging as oslo_m
 
 from oslo_log import log
-from oslo_serialization import jsonutils
 from oslo_service import service as os_service
 from vitrage.common.constants import DatasourceProperties as DSProps
 from vitrage.common.constants import GraphAction
@@ -73,6 +72,6 @@ class VitragePersistorEndpoint(object):
             return
         collector_timestamp = \
             dateutil.parser.parse(data.get(DSProps.SAMPLE_DATE))
-        event_row = models.Event(payload=jsonutils.dumps(data),
+        event_row = models.Event(payload=data,
                                  collector_timestamp=collector_timestamp)
         self.db_connection.events.create(event_row)
diff --git a/vitrage/storage/impl_sqlalchemy.py b/vitrage/storage/impl_sqlalchemy.py
index a7261c6a1..35b4b3500 100644
--- a/vitrage/storage/impl_sqlalchemy.py
+++ b/vitrage/storage/impl_sqlalchemy.py
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ class Connection(base.Connection):
     def upgrade(self, nocreate=False):
         engine = self._engine_facade.get_engine()
         engine.connect()
+        models.Base.metadata.drop_all(engine, tables=[models.Event.__table__])
         models.Base.metadata.create_all(engine)
         # TODO(idan_hefetz) upgrade logic is missing
 
diff --git a/vitrage/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py b/vitrage/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py
index c93b17fc9..da51095f7 100644
--- a/vitrage/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py
+++ b/vitrage/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py
@@ -14,8 +14,11 @@
 
 from oslo_db.sqlalchemy import models
 from sqlalchemy import Column, DateTime, INTEGER, String, \
-    SmallInteger, BigInteger, Index, Text
+    SmallInteger, BigInteger, Index
 from sqlalchemy.ext.declarative import declarative_base
+import sqlalchemy.types as types
+
+import json
 
 
 class VitrageBase(models.ModelBase):
@@ -39,6 +42,28 @@ class VitrageBase(models.ModelBase):
 Base = declarative_base(cls=VitrageBase)
 
 
+class StringyJSON(types.TypeDecorator):
+    """Stores and retrieves JSON as TEXT.
+
+    Adjust JSON type to sqlite for unit test
+    """
+
+    impl = types.TEXT
+
+    def process_bind_param(self, value, dialect):
+        if value is not None:
+            value = json.dumps(value)
+        return value
+
+    def process_result_value(self, value, dialect):
+        if value is not None:
+            value = json.loads(value)
+        return value
+
+
+MagicJSON = types.JSON().with_variant(StringyJSON, 'sqlite')
+
+
 class Event(Base):
 
     __tablename__ = 'events'
@@ -46,14 +71,14 @@ class Event(Base):
     event_id = Column("id", INTEGER, primary_key=True, nullable=False,
                       autoincrement=True)
     collector_timestamp = Column(DateTime, index=True, nullable=False)
-    payload = Column(Text, nullable=False)
+    payload = Column(MagicJSON, nullable=False)
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return \
             "<Event(" \
             "id='%s', " \
             "collector_timestamp='%s', " \
-            "payload='%s')>" %\
+            "payload='%s')>" % \
             (
                 self.event_id,
                 self.collector_timestamp,
@@ -88,7 +113,7 @@ class ActiveAction(Base, models.TimestampMixin):
             "target_vertex_id='%s', " \
             "action_id='%s', " \
             "score='%s', " \
-            "trigger='%s')>" %\
+            "trigger='%s')>" % \
             (
                 self.created_at,
                 self.action_type,
diff --git a/vitrage_tempest_tests/tests/database/test_persistor.py b/vitrage_tempest_tests/tests/database/test_persistor.py
index 08e1fed2c..a5e2434c2 100644
--- a/vitrage_tempest_tests/tests/database/test_persistor.py
+++ b/vitrage_tempest_tests/tests/database/test_persistor.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import datetime
 import six
 
 from oslo_log import log as logging
-from oslo_serialization import jsonutils
 from vitrage.common.constants import DatasourceProperties as DSProps
 from vitrage.datasources import NEUTRON_PORT_DATASOURCE
 from vitrage.datasources import NOVA_INSTANCE_DATASOURCE
@@ -129,6 +128,4 @@ class TestEvents(BaseVitrageTempest):
         writen_events = self.db_connection.events.query(
             gt_collector_timestamp=time_before_action)
 
-        for event in writen_events:
-            event.payload = jsonutils.loads(event.payload)
         return writen_events