diff --git a/app/controllers/learning_objects_controller.rb b/app/controllers/learning_objects_controller.rb
index d51d3657f2d5b2c09540c41d7d7b893069f47d37..c4586e395fdd5e1c1a9a4b3a8035d4f5d25ef9f7 100644
--- a/app/controllers/learning_objects_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/learning_objects_controller.rb
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ class LearningObjectsController < ApplicationController
     @learning_object.created_at = Time.now
     @learning_object.last_modified = Time.now
     @learning_object.publisher = current_user
-    @learning_object.metadata = lo.to_h[:metadata].as_json.to_s.gsub! '=>', ':'
+    @learning_object.metadata = lo.to_h[:metadata]
     @learning_object.attachment = LearningObject::Attachment.new([bitstream_response])
 
     respond_to do |format|