diff --git a/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/EnumHandler.java b/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/EnumHandler.java
index 1e6837bd97..507f825105 100644
--- a/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/EnumHandler.java
+++ b/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/EnumHandler.java
@@ -2,25 +2,40 @@
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.lang.reflect.Type;
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 public class EnumHandler extends Handler {
 	@SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
 	final Class type;
+	final Map<String, Object>	mapping	= new HashMap<>();
 
 	public EnumHandler(Class<?> type) {
 		this.type = type;
+		for ( Object constant : type.getEnumConstants()) {
+			String s = JSONCodec.keyword(constant.toString().toLowerCase());
+			mapping.put(s, constant);
+		}
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void encode(Encoder app, Object object, Map<Object, Type> visited) throws IOException, Exception {
-		StringHandler.string(app, object.toString());
+		StringHandler.string(app, JSONCodec.keyword(object.toString()));
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	public Object decode(Decoder dec, String s) throws Exception {
-		return Enum.valueOf(type, s);
+		try {
+			return Enum.valueOf(type, s);
+		} catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+			Object result = mapping.get(s);
+			if (result != null) {
+				throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+					"enum constant " + s + " not found for " + type.getSimpleName() + " " + mapping.values());
+			}
+			return result;
+		}
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/JSONCodec.java b/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/JSONCodec.java
index fc9345811c..b3af7e1100 100644
--- a/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/JSONCodec.java
+++ b/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/JSONCodec.java
@@ -570,4 +570,11 @@ public static String keyword(String name) {
 		return name;
 	}
 
+	public static String name(String key) {
+		if (keywords.contains(key)) {
+			return key + KEYWORD_SUFFIX;
+		}
+		return key;
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/ObjectHandler.java b/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/ObjectHandler.java
index 00b4739e33..cc5c66ac7f 100644
--- a/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/ObjectHandler.java
+++ b/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/ObjectHandler.java
@@ -168,14 +168,14 @@ public Object decodeObject(Decoder r) throws Exception {
 	}
 
 	private Field getField(String key) {
-		if (JSONCodec.keywords.contains(key))
-			key = key + JSONCodec.KEYWORD_SUFFIX;
 		for (Field field : fields) {
-			int n = key.compareTo(field.getName());
-			if (n == 0)
+			if (key.equals(field.getName()))
+				return field;
+		}
+		String fixup = JSONCodec.name(key);
+		for (Field field : fields) {
+			if (fixup.equals(field.getName()))
 				return field;
-			if (n < 0)
-				return null;
 		}
 		return null;
 	}
diff --git a/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/RecordHandler.java b/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/RecordHandler.java
index a8f523c229..eae9b98853 100644
--- a/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/RecordHandler.java
+++ b/aQute.libg/src/aQute/lib/json/RecordHandler.java
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public void encode(Encoder enc, Object object, Map<Object, Type> visited) throws
 			if (!del.isEmpty())
 				enc.linebreak();
 
-			StringHandler.string(enc, a.name);
+			StringHandler.string(enc, JSONCodec.keyword(a.name));
 			enc.append(":");
 			enc.encode(value, a.type, visited);
 			del = ",";