diff --git a/app/models/miq_report/import_export.rb b/app/models/miq_report/import_export.rb
index 64f3852e9ca..2cdb16c58ac 100644
--- a/app/models/miq_report/import_export.rb
+++ b/app/models/miq_report/import_export.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ def import_from_hash(report, options = nil)
         raise _("Incorrect format, only policy records can be imported.")
       end
 
+      # Ensure that all columns serialized as hashes in the report have keys that are symbols
+      self.column_names.each { |k| report[k].deep_symbolize_keys! if report[k].kind_of?(Hash) }
+
       user = options[:user] || User.find_by_userid(options[:userid])
       report.merge!("miq_group_id" => user.current_group_id, "user_id" => user.id)
 
diff --git a/spec/models/miq_report/import_export_spec.rb b/spec/models/miq_report/import_export_spec.rb
index 5a4a6074529..41656d8d4f8 100644
--- a/spec/models/miq_report/import_export_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/miq_report/import_export_spec.rb
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@
   before do
     @user       = FactoryGirl.create(:user_admin)
     @old_report = FactoryGirl.create(:miq_report,
-                                     :name      => "Test Report",
-                                     :rpt_type  => "Custom",
-                                     :tz        => "Eastern Time (US & Canada)",
-                                     :col_order => ["name", "boot_time", "disks_aligned"],
-                                     :cols      => ["name", "boot_time", "disks_aligned"]
+                                     :name       => "Test Report",
+                                     :rpt_type   => "Custom",
+                                     :tz         => "Eastern Time (US & Canada)",
+                                     :col_order  => ["name", "boot_time", "disks_aligned"],
+                                     :cols       => ["name", "boot_time", "disks_aligned"],
+                                     :db_options => {:rpt_type => "ChargebackContainerProject"}
                                     )
   end
 
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@
     before do
       report_string = MiqReport.export_to_yaml([@old_report.id], MiqReport)
       @new_report   = YAML.load(report_string).first
+      @from_json    = JSON.parse(@new_report.to_json)
       @options      = {
         :overwrite => true,
         :user      => @user
@@ -38,6 +40,14 @@
         expect(result[:status]).to eq(:add)
         expect(MiqReport.count).to eq(1)
       end
+
+      it "imports from json and preserves symbolized keys in serialized columns" do
+        @options[:save] = true
+        MiqReport.import_from_hash(@from_json, @options)
+
+        report = MiqReport.last
+        expect(report.db_options[:rpt_type]).to_not be_nil
+      end
     end
 
     context "existing report" do