diff --git a/git-ref-format/core/src/serde.rs b/git-ref-format/core/src/serde.rs
index 47408c5..f492695 100644
--- a/git-ref-format/core/src/serde.rs
+++ b/git-ref-format/core/src/serde.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for RefString {
     where
         D: Deserializer<'de>,
     {
-        Deserialize::deserialize(deserializer).map(|x: &RefStr| x.to_owned())
+        Deserialize::deserialize(deserializer)
+            .and_then(|x: String| Self::try_from(x).map_err(de::Error::custom))
     }
 }
 
@@ -83,7 +84,8 @@ impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for PatternString {
     where
         D: Deserializer<'de>,
     {
-        Deserialize::deserialize(deserializer).map(|x: &PatternStr| x.to_owned())
+        Deserialize::deserialize(deserializer)
+            .and_then(|x: String| Self::try_from(x).map_err(de::Error::custom))
     }
 }
 
@@ -97,15 +99,17 @@ impl Serialize for PatternString {
     }
 }
 
-impl<'de: 'a, 'a> Deserialize<'de> for Qualified<'a> {
+impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for Qualified<'static> {
     #[inline]
     fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
     where
         D: Deserializer<'de>,
     {
-        Deserialize::deserialize(deserializer).and_then(|s: &RefStr| {
+        Deserialize::deserialize(deserializer).and_then(|s: String| {
+            let s = RefString::try_from(s).map_err(de::Error::custom)?;
             s.qualified()
                 .ok_or_else(|| de::Error::custom("not a qualified ref"))
+                .map(|q| q.into_owned())
         })
     }
 }
@@ -120,15 +124,17 @@ impl Serialize for Qualified<'_> {
     }
 }
 
-impl<'de: 'a, 'a> Deserialize<'de> for Namespaced<'a> {
+impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for Namespaced<'static> {
     #[inline]
     fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
     where
         D: Deserializer<'de>,
     {
-        Deserialize::deserialize(deserializer).and_then(|s: &RefStr| {
+        Deserialize::deserialize(deserializer).and_then(|s: String| {
+            let s = RefString::try_from(s).map_err(de::Error::custom)?;
             s.to_namespaced()
                 .ok_or_else(|| de::Error::custom("not a namespaced ref"))
+                .map(|ns| ns.into_owned())
         })
     }
 }
diff --git a/git-ref-format/t/Cargo.toml b/git-ref-format/t/Cargo.toml
index df46ea7..d83a201 100644
--- a/git-ref-format/t/Cargo.toml
+++ b/git-ref-format/t/Cargo.toml
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ proptest = "1"
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 assert_matches = "1.5"
+serde_json = "1"
 
 [dev-dependencies.git-ref-format]
 path = ".."
diff --git a/git-ref-format/t/src/properties/name.rs b/git-ref-format/t/src/properties/name.rs
index b7d9318..2a9b429 100644
--- a/git-ref-format/t/src/properties/name.rs
+++ b/git-ref-format/t/src/properties/name.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 use std::convert::TryFrom;
 
-use git_ref_format::{Error, RefStr, RefString};
+use git_ref_format::{name, refname, Error, RefStr, RefString};
 use proptest::prelude::*;
 use test_helpers::roundtrip;
 
@@ -75,7 +75,22 @@ proptest! {
 
     #[test]
     fn json(input in gen::valid()) {
-       roundtrip::json(RefString::try_from(input).unwrap())
+        let input = RefString::try_from(input).unwrap();
+        roundtrip::json(input.clone());
+        let qualified = refname!("refs/heads").and(input).qualified().unwrap().into_owned();
+        roundtrip::json(qualified.clone());
+        let namespaced = qualified.with_namespace(name::component!("foo"));
+        roundtrip::json(namespaced);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn json_value(input in gen::valid()) {
+        let input = RefString::try_from(input).unwrap();
+        roundtrip::json_value(input.clone());
+        let qualified = refname!("refs/heads").and(input).qualified().unwrap().into_owned();
+        roundtrip::json_value(qualified.clone());
+        let namespaced = qualified.with_namespace(name::component!("foo"));
+        roundtrip::json_value(namespaced);
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/git-ref-format/t/src/properties/pattern.rs b/git-ref-format/t/src/properties/pattern.rs
index 4e36d62..6348af8 100644
--- a/git-ref-format/t/src/properties/pattern.rs
+++ b/git-ref-format/t/src/properties/pattern.rs
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ proptest! {
         roundtrip::json(refspec::PatternString::try_from(input).unwrap())
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn json_value(input in gen::with_glob()) {
+        roundtrip::json_value(refspec::PatternString::try_from(input).unwrap())
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn cbor(input in gen::with_glob()) {
         roundtrip::cbor(refspec::PatternString::try_from(input).unwrap())