diff --git a/packages/core/src/forms/mapObjectEditor/mapObjectEditor.component.html b/packages/core/src/forms/mapObjectEditor/mapObjectEditor.component.html
index e205b25196c..c0a0c6b3f58 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/forms/mapObjectEditor/mapObjectEditor.component.html
+++ b/packages/core/src/forms/mapObjectEditor/mapObjectEditor.component.html
@@ -30,12 +30,7 @@
           <b>{{ $ctrl.valueLabel }}</b>
         </td>
         <td>
-          <textarea
-            class="form-control input input-sm"
-            ng-model="$ctrl.formatValueForDisplay[$index]"
-            rows="4"
-            ng-change="$ctrl.onValueChange($index)"
-          ></textarea>
+          <textarea json-text class="form-control input input-sm" ng-model="pair.value" rows="4"></textarea>
         </td>
         <td>
           <div class="form-control-static">
diff --git a/packages/core/src/forms/mapObjectEditor/mapObjectEditor.component.js b/packages/core/src/forms/mapObjectEditor/mapObjectEditor.component.js
index c245ad9c955..b48863cdc42 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/forms/mapObjectEditor/mapObjectEditor.component.js
+++ b/packages/core/src/forms/mapObjectEditor/mapObjectEditor.component.js
@@ -11,6 +11,22 @@ export const CORE_FORMS_MAPOBJECTEDITOR_MAPOBJECTEDITOR_COMPONENT = 'spinnaker.c
 export const name = CORE_FORMS_MAPOBJECTEDITOR_MAPOBJECTEDITOR_COMPONENT; // for backwards compatibility
 angular
   .module(CORE_FORMS_MAPOBJECTEDITOR_MAPOBJECTEDITOR_COMPONENT, [CORE_VALIDATION_VALIDATEUNIQUE_DIRECTIVE])
+  .directive('jsonText', function () {
+    return {
+      restrict: 'A',
+      require: 'ngModel',
+      link: function (scope, element, attr, ngModel) {
+        function into(input) {
+          return JSON.parse(input);
+        }
+        function out(data) {
+          return JSON.stringify(data);
+        }
+        ngModel.$parsers.push(into);
+        ngModel.$formatters.push(out);
+      },
+    };
+  })
   .component('mapObjectEditor', {
     bindings: {
       model: '=',
@@ -41,24 +57,6 @@ angular
           this.onChange();
         };
 
-        this.onValueChange = (index) => {
-          const formattedValue = this.formattedValues[index];
-
-          // Parse the JSON if it looks like an object or array, otherwise leave it as a string
-          try {
-            this.backingModel[index].value = JSON.parse(formattedValue);
-          } catch (e) {
-            this.backingModel[index].value = formattedValue; // Not JSON, so treat it as a string
-          }
-
-          // Sync changes with the model
-          this.synchronize();
-        };
-
-        this.formatValueForDisplay = (value) => {
-          return typeof value === 'object' ? JSON.stringify(value, null, 2) : value;
-        };
-
         // Clears existing values from model, then replaces them
         this.synchronize = () => {
           if (this.isParameterized) {
@@ -106,8 +104,6 @@ angular
               this.backingModel.push({ key: key, value: this.model[key] });
             });
           }
-
-          this.formattedValues = this.backingModel.map((pair) => this.formatValueForDisplay(pair.value));
         };
 
         $scope.$watch(() => JSON.stringify(this.backingModel), this.synchronize);